13 Nourishing Chinese Herbal Teas to Support Seasonal Respiratory Comfort

Common cold and influenza are referred to as Wind-Cold Common Cold (Shangfeng Ganmao) and Seasonal Influenza (Shixing Ganmao) in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are common and frequently occurring conditions throughout the four seasons, especially in spring and winter. Typical experiences include headache, nasal congestion, aversion to cold, rhinorrhea, fever, and generalized aching. The common cold is often associated with bacteria or viruses, while influenza is primarily associated with viral infection and can be transmitted to others, leading to widespread occurrences. A cold is a self-limiting condition; under normal circumstances, if the individual gets adequate rest and avoids further exposure to wind and cold, discomforts will usually resolve spontaneously within about a week, often without the need for any product. However, if influenza patients do not receive proper rest and care, complications may arise, most commonly affecting lung health.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the common cold is often considered to be caused by the invasion of Wind Evil. However, Wind Evil generally does not act alone as a pathogenic factor; it frequently combines with Cold, Heat, Dampness, or Summerheat to cause discomfort. Therefore, the common cold is further classified into Wind-Cold pattern, Wind-Heat pattern, and Summerheat-Damp pattern.

The signs of wind-cold pattern include severe aversion to cold, mild fever, anhidrosis, headache, nasal congestion and rhinorrhea, heavy voice, throat itching with cough, thin white sputum, soreness and pain in the limbs, and a thin white moist tongue coating with a floating pulse. Herbal support should focus on releasing the exterior with acrid-warm herbs, and diffusing the lung to dissipate cold.

The signs of wind-heat pattern include severe fever, mild aversion to cold, red, swollen, and sore throat, cough with yellow sputum, dry mouth with thirst, generalized aching with sweating, dry white tongue coating, and a floating, rapid pulse. The herbal support principle is to release the exterior with acrid-cool herbs, diffuse the lung, and clear heat.

Signs of summerheat-dampness pattern include severe fever, dizziness and a distending sensation in the head, vexing heat in the chest, fatigue with anhidrosis, thirst with a desire to drink, occasional nausea and vomiting, scanty and dark urine, a yellow and greasy tongue coating, and a soft and rapid pulse. The herbal support principle should be to clear summerheat and release the exterior, and to transform turbidity with aromatic herbs.

1.Radish Root (Raphanus sativus), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), and Brown Sugar Tea
Ingredients: 1 dried Chinese cabbage root (Brassica rapa), 6 g fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale), 30 g brown sugar (Saccharum officinarum).

Preparation: Wash and slice Chinese cabbage root and ginger, decoct in water, strain out the dregs, then stir in brown sugar. Drink. 3 doses daily.

Actions: Helps clear heat and release the exterior, supports urination. May be used to support comfort during wind-cold pattern.

2.Ginger and Brown Sugar Tea
Ingredients: Fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinale) 10 g, Brown Sugar 30 g.

Preparation: Wash fresh ginger and cut into slivers. Place in a cup together with brown sugar, then steep with boiling water. Drink as a tea. Take 2 doses daily.

Actions: Helps release the exterior by sweating, supports the middle and harmonizes the stomach. May be used to support comfort during wind-cold pattern accompanied by occasional nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, etc.

3. Walnut, Scallion, and Ginger Tea
Ingredients: Juglans regia (walnut kernel) 30g, Allium fistulosum (scallion white) 25g, Zingiber officinale (fresh ginger) 25g, Camellia sinensis (tea) 15g.

Preparation method: Wash the walnut kernels, scallion white, and ginger clean, then mash them together. Place them together with tea into a clay pot, add water, and decoct to make a decoction. Strain the dregs and drink the entire dose at once. After taking it, lie down and cover yourself with a blanket until light warming occurs, which is considered optimal.

Actions: Helps release the exterior and disperse cold, supports the body’s natural temperature balance. May be used to support comfort during wind-cold pattern with occasional feelings of warmth, headache and absence of sweating, etc.

4.Perilla and Notopterygium Tea
Ingredients: Perilla frutescens leaf (Perillae Folium), Notopterygium incisum rhizome (Notopterygii Rhizoma), Camellia sinensis leaf (tea), 9 grams each.

Preparation: Grind the above three ingredients together into a coarse powder, place in a cup, and steep with boiling water. Drink as tea. One dose daily.

Actions: Helps release the exterior with acrid-warm support. May be used to support comfort during wind-cold pattern.

5. Radish and Sugarcane Tea
Radish (Raphanus sativus) 500 g, Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) 500 g, Honeysuckle flower (Flos Lonicerae Japonicae) 10 g, Bamboo leaf (Herba Lophatheri) 5 g, White sugar 50 g.

Preparation method: Wash and cut daikon radish and sugarcane into pieces. Place them together with honeysuckle flower and bamboo leaf into a clay pot, add water to decoct a medicinal tea, then strain the dregs. Add white sugar to taste. Take as a tea substitute, 1–2 doses daily.

Functions: Helps resolve accumulation and clear heat, moisten dryness and support comfort. May be used to support comfort during wind-heat pattern with occasional feelings of warmth and minor throat discomfort.

6. Lonicera japonica (Honeysuckle) and Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn) Tea
Ingredients: 30g Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (Honeysuckle Flower), 10g Crataegi Fructus (Hawthorn Fruit), 10g Tea, 100g Mel (Honey).

Preparation method: Place honeysuckle flower, hawthorn fruit, and tea together in a clay pot. Add water and bring to a boil for 3–5 minutes. Strain out the liquid. Add water again and decoct once more, then remove the residue and collect the liquid. Combine the two decoctions and mix well. Stir in honey and drink while warm. Reheat before taking again if needed. May be consumed at any time. Take one dose daily.

Actions: Helps clear Heat, disperses Wind and supports comfort, awakens the Spleen and encourages appetite. May be used to support comfort during Wind-Heat pattern with occasional feelings of warmth, headache, thirst, etc.

7. Sang Ju Xiang Chi Tea (Mulberry Leaf, Chrysanthemum, and Fermented Soybean Tea)
Ingredients: Mulberry Leaf (Morus alba), Chrysanthemum Flower (Chrysanthemum morifolium), Fermented Soybean (Sojae Semen Preparatum), and Pear Peel (Pyrus spp.), 6 g each.

Method of preparation: Place the aforementioned herbs together in an earthenware pot, add water, and decoct to make a decoction. Remove the dregs and extract the liquid. Take as a tea substitute. 1-2 doses per day.

Actions: Helps clear Heat, release the exterior, moisten the Lung, and soothe occasional cough. Suitable for Wind-Heat pattern comfort.

8.Mulberry Leaf, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo Leaf Tea
Ingredients: Mulberry leaf (Morus alba) 5 g, Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) 5 g, Bitter bamboo leaf (Pleioblastus amarus) 30 g, Cogongrass rhizome (Imperata cylindrica) 30 g, Peppermint (Mentha haplocalyx) 3 g, White sugar 30 g.

Preparation: Place the above herbs together in a cup, pour in boiling water, and steep for 10 minutes. Add white sugar, stir to dissolve, and drink as a tea substitute.

Efficacy: Helps clear heat and disperse wind, release the exterior. May be used to support comfort during wind-heat pattern.

9. Mosla Tea (Herba Moslae)
Ingredients: 10 g Herba Moslae (Chinese Mosla), 5 g each of Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis (Magnolia Bark) and Semen Lablab Album (White Hyacinth Bean).

Preparation: Wash the Mosla chinensis and Magnolia officinalis and cut them into small pieces with scissors. Wash the Lablab purpureus (white hyacinth bean), stir-fry over low heat until cooked, and grind into powder. Place all three ingredients into a thermos flask, pour in boiling water, cover, and steep for half an hour. Drink as a tea frequently. Take 1-2 doses daily.

Actions: Helps expel summerheat and release the exterior, harmonize the Middle Burner and transform dampness. May be used to support comfort during summerheat-dampness pattern.

10. Chrysanthemum morifolium (Chrysanthemum) and Morus alba (Mulberry Leaf) Tea
Ingredients: Chrysanthemum indicum (Wild Chrysanthemum Flower), Morus alba (Mulberry Leaf), and Eriobotrya japonica (Loquat Leaf, without hairs), 10 g each.

Preparation: Grind the above three herbs into a coarse powder, place them in an earthenware pot, add water to decoct the decoction, then strain to remove the dregs and collect the liquid. Take as a tea substitute, drinking frequently.

Actions: Helps clear heat, disperse wind, release the exterior, and support respiratory comfort. May be used during seasonal changes for occasional cough and phlegm.

11.Mung Bean and Rock Sugar Tea
Ingredients: Vigna radiata (Mung bean) 50 g, rock sugar 15 g, Camellia sinensis (Green tea) 5 g.

Preparation: Rinse the mung beans, crush them, and place them together with rock sugar and green tea into a thermos. Pour in boiling water, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Drink as a tea substitute.

Efficacy: Helps clear Heat and support overall well-being. May be used to support comfort during seasonal changes, with occasional minor throat discomfort and cough.

12.Reed Root and Radish Tea (Phragmitis Rhizoma, Raphanus Sativus)
Ingredients: Phragmitis rhizoma (reed root) 50 g, Raphanus sativus (radish) 200 g, Allii fistulosi bulbus (scallion white) 7 pieces, Canarii fructus (green olive) 7 pieces.

Preparation method: Wash and chop the reed rhizome, radish, and scallion white separately. Wash and mash the green olive. Place all four ingredients into a clay pot, add water, and decoct to obtain the liquid. Strain out the residue, take the decoction, and drink as a tea.

Actions: Helps clear heat and release the exterior, diffuse and regulate the qi mechanism. May be used to support comfort during seasonal changes.

13. Cyrtomium Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyrtomii) and Isatis Root (Radix Isatidis) Tea
Ingredients: 30g each of Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Cyrtomium Rhizome) and Isatis indigotica (Isatis Root), plus 10g of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Licorice Root).

Preparation: Put the three herbs into a cup, steep in boiling water, and drink as tea. One dose daily.

Helps expel Wind, clear Heat, and support throat comfort. May be used during seasonal changes.

Understanding Wind-Cold Pattern in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the common cold and influenza are frequently classified as **Wind-Cold Pattern** or **Seasonal Discomfort**, particularly prevalent during spring and winter. This classification is based on the interaction of external factors—wind and cold—with the body’s defensive energy. Common experiences include headache, nasal congestion, aversion to cold, rhinorrhea, fever, and generalized aching, which reflect the obstruction of **Qi** flow and **Wei Qi** (defensive energy) function. The underlying balance involves either bacterial or viral factors disrupting homeostasis, with seasonal discomfort often presenting more systemic involvement. TCM emphasizes expelling the wind-cold factor through warming and diaphoretic herbs, restoring the balance of yin and yang, and strengthening the body’s resistance. Among the myriad supportive preparations, **traditional Chinese medicine teas for wind-cold pattern** have been refined over centuries, targeting these specific symptom patterns. For instance, teas containing herbs like ephedra, cinnamon twig, or perilla leaf are designed to encourage mild warming, release the exterior, and alleviate initial chill and body aches. This holistic approach not only addresses acute discomfort but also aims to support overall harmony, making these teas a cornerstone of preventive and supportive care in TCM.

Top Chinese Herbal Teas for Supporting Comfort During Seasonal Discomfort
When selecting the **best Chinese herbal tea for seasonal comfort**, practitioners often recommend formulations that match the individual’s specific pattern of disharmony. Among the thirteen most effective teas, several stand out in traditional practice. For example, **Ginger and Brown Sugar Tea** provides immediate warmth and helps dispel cold, making it ideal for early-stage wind-cold pattern with chills. **Perilla Leaf and Scallion Tea** is excellent for supporting nasal and head comfort, leveraging the pungent, warming nature of perilla to release the exterior. Another key formula, **Honeysuckle and Forsythia Tea**, though more cooling, is adapted for wind-heat patterns but can be modified for mixed presentations. **Mint and Chrysanthemum Tea** targets feelings of heat and throat comfort, common in wind-cold transforming to heat. Most notably, **Ephedra and Cinnamon Twig Combination** is a classic decoction for more pronounced wind-cold pattern with significant aversion to cold and fever. Each tea functions by encouraging sweating, supporting phlegm expulsion, or tonifying Qi, based on the herb’s five flavors and four natures. The selection emphasizes safety and individualization, as inappropriate use of cooling herbs in pure wind-cold can exacerbate discomfort. By integrating evidence from ancient texts like the Shanghan Lun with modern pharmacological studies—which confirm immune-supportive effects—these teas remain a reliable first-line approach.

A Classic Chinese Herbal Tea Recipe for Seasonal Comfort
For those seeking a practical application, a time-tested **Chinese herbal tea recipe for seasonal discomfort** involves preparing a decoction from commonly available ingredients. This recipe targets wind-cold pattern with symptoms such as mild fever, runny nose, and body aches. To create it, combine 10 slices of fresh ginger, 3 scallions (white part only), 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel (Chen Pi), and 15 grams of brown sugar in 500 ml of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid reduces by half. Strain and drink warm, ideally before bedtime, to encourage gentle warmth and relieve congestion. The ginger acts as the principal herb, warming the middle burner and helping dispel cold; scallion whites assist in releasing the exterior; tangerine peel helps regulate Qi and dry dampness; and brown sugar harmonizes the formula’s flavor while supporting energy. This recipe exemplifies how **traditional Chinese medicine teas for wind-cold pattern** can be adapted for home use, aligning with the TCM principle of “treating the same condition with different methods” based on individual constitutions. As a general note, this tea is most supportive within the first 24–48 hours of symptom onset; if persistent discomfort occurs or pronounced feelings of heat exceed 39°C, professional guidance is recommended. By integrating such formulations, individuals can actively support early-stage well-being while respecting the holistic tenets of Chinese medicine.