A Pinch of Pippali with Honey
A small pinch of long-pepper powder mixed into a little honey. Not in pregnancy, not for children, and for a short time only.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
Long pepper: a pinch, a few days
Pippali, or long pepper, is a spice used in Ayurveda with honey for a scratchy throat and a heavy chest. A pinch in a little honey is a traditional spoon in many homes and is warming and spicy. It does not treat infections, asthma or any chest disease, and evidence from trials is limited.
The pinch must stay a pinch, since pippali is hot and can irritate the stomach. Use it for two to three days at most. Skip it in pregnancy, for children, with acidity or ulcers, and if you take blood thinners, diabetes or other regular medicines without asking your doctor. Honey is not for babies under one year.
Ingredients
- A pinch (about one-eighth of a teaspoon) of pippali powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
- A clean spoon
How to prepare
- Powder a dried pippali finger to a fine powder.
- Mix the pinch into the honey.
How to use
- Lick or swallow the spoon slowly once or twice a day for two to three days.
- Follow with a sip of warm water.
Helpful habits
- Buy whole pippali and powder small amounts, since powder loses its smell.
- Never increase the pinch.
Precautions
- Skip it in pregnancy, for children, with acidity or ulcers, and with regular medicines unless your doctor agrees.
- Honey is not for babies under one year.
- Cough lasting over a week, fever or breathlessness needs a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is pippali the same as black pepper?
- No. It is a related but stronger spice.
Does it cure cough?
- No. It is a warm traditional spoon, not a treatment.
Can I take it for weeks?
- No. Keep it to two or three days.
