Immunity has become a buzzword these days due to the pandemic. Everyone is focused on ways of increasing their immunity either by diets, supplements or exercise. It has become a buzzword, with marketeers inserting it into everything in order to sell their products. These days we have ‘immunity boosting’ oils, grains, biscuits, teas, dairy, cereals etc.
You can of course, boost your immunity by eating healthy i.e. lots of fruits and vegetables, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. But sometimes that is not enough. A lot of us have diets that are deficient in one or more nutritional categories, and need to make up the deficit with supplements. There is a debate over which supplements are useful for the body, be it multivitamins, fish oil, ginseng, ashwagandha etc.
In this article, however, we will be focusing on a concoction which specializes in providing relief from the common cough & cold, and boosting the body’s immunity as well. That concoction or Kadha is Dabur’s Honitus Hot Sip.
A little background first. Honitus is Dabur’s sub-brand which specializes in products for cough and cold relief. The Honitus product range includes Cough Syrup, Cough Drops and Hot Sip Sachets. All Honitus products are made with ayurvedic formulations.
So what is Honitus Hot Sip? According to Dabur’s website,
“Dabur Honitus Hot Sip is a unique blend of Ayurvedic herbs including Shunthi, Kantakari & Tulsi combined with honey to give you a potent and effective natural formulation for effective relief from cough & cold. Just stir it in hot water, drink & experience the goodness of Ayurveda.
Dabur Honitus Hot Sip can be used in Ayurvedic and medicinal preparations as part of home remedies”
Honitus Hot Sip is a powder which comes in sachet form, each sachet being one dose. You mix it in hot water, tea or milk, and drink it to provide relief and protection from cough & cold.
But what does it really contain? Well, going by the ingredients list, you will find yourself looking at names like Dhanyaka, Maricha, Vasaka, Shvetajiraka, Shankpushpi etc. This does not really make much sense to the average consumer, or me for that matter. So I decided to do a quick google search and find the English names of these ingredients, which I shall list below:
One Packet of Honitus Hot Sip Contains:
Dhanyaka (Coriander)
Maricha (Black Pepper)
Vasaka (Malabar Nut)
Shvetajiraka (Cumin/Jeera)
Shankhpushpi (Blue Butterfly Pea Flower)
Kantakari (Indian Nightshade)
Shunthi (Ginger)
Bharangi (Blue Glory)
Pippali (Long Pepper)
Kulanjan (Greater Galangal)
Daruharidra (Indian Barberry)
Tulasi (Holy Basil)
Bhutrin (Lemongrass)
Yavani (Carom Seeds/Ajwain)
Yashti (Liquorice)
Sharkara (Jaggery)
Madhu (Honey)
A lot of these ingredients will be familiar to us, and have been used by our parents or grandparents for treating cough and colds. However, you do not need to consume Honitus only when you are ill. Regular consumption ensures that your immunity is boosted and helps in reducing the chances of catching a cold in the first place, or reducing the intensity of symptoms if you do catch it.
So what are the various ways in which we can consume this kadha? Well, you can dissolve a packet either in hot water, tea or hot milk. One sachet is recommended per cup, but I find you can split it across two cups if you are taking this daily for immunity. If you are taking this when down with a cough or cold, use one sachet per cup. Since it contains jaggery and honey, it will make your tea or milk a bit sweet, so reduce the amount of sugar you use accordingly.
I have shown here how it looks when dissolved in a cup of hot water. The taste is best described as sweet and spicy, with the heat coming from the ginger and black pepper. Personally, I find it best in a cup of tea. Since I normally take my tea without sugar, it adds just a hint of sweetness, and makes the tea taste more akin to a cup of masala chai.
So how much does it cost and from where can you buy it? When it was first released around 2 years ago, a packet of 30 sachets was Rs. 210/- or Rs. 7/- per sachet. Now, due to its increased popularity, they have increased the price to Rs. 270/- per packet. I normally cannot find it in my local supermarket, so I order it from bigbasket or amazon. Amazon normally has a sale on this item, with prices ranging from Rs. 210 - Rs. 240 per packet. I would recommend buying a couple of packets and keeping it in your house even if you do not consume it daily.
To conclude, Honitus Hot Sip is a unique product in the market. While it is possible to produce your own home-made herbal decoction, people might appreciate the ease of use and time saved by simply opening a packet. Since I started using this product two years back, the number of coughs and colds I encounter has reduced drastically. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is vulnerable to coughs and colds, or simply wants to boost their immunity.
