If you have a sore throat, relief may be in your refrigerator – pickle juice.

An infectious disease specialist says it helps because of the high salt content – up to 5%.

And the reason it helps is because it has a higher salt concentration than our bodies, so it helps draw water out of the tissues and reduces inflammation. Sugar does this as well, which is why tea and honey makes you feel better.

However, it’s only a temporary solution – you may get about 15 minutes of relief, so you’ll still need other remedies for the long term.

And if pickles aren’t handy, gargling with saltwater works fine too.

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Some days you have iced coffee, others hot – but for your health, is one better than the other?

It turns out, it all depends upon what you’re hoping to achieve.

Hot coffee has higher antioxidant levels, which helps lower risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. And the smell of freshly brewed hot coffee in the morning helps reduce stress, and it’ll reduce the effects of sleep deprivation – you won’t feel as tired from the smell of coffee if you didn’t get enough sleep.

Also, it’ll put you in a better mood – studies show holding a hot cup of coffee makes us see others as being generous and caring!

But, if you stick with iced coffee, there’s different benefits. It helps protect more against the risk of heart attack, and since it usually has less caffeine, it may be easier for those who like coffee but don’t like to feel so wired.

Iced coffee is less acidic, which is better on your digestive system, and better for your teeth.

No matter which you drink, you’ll see healthy benefits – so drink whichever you like more!

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