Kick Your Sore Throat To The Curb With This Easy Pickle Brine Hack

The next time you feel the painful prick of a sore throat coming on, you may want to reach for a jar of pickles over a bag of cough drops. Although certainly an acquired taste, drinking pickle juice can potentially do a lot for your overall health, particularly when sick. 

TikTok was quick to jump on the purported pickle brine hack to relieve a scratchy throat, but social media users don't seem to be the only proponents of this salty remedy. In a discussion on the potential benefits of drinking pickle juice, infectious disease specialist Dr. Linda Yancey told Well+Good, "Any time you have a solution that is more concentrated than the fluid in our tissues, such as salt or sugar, it reduces the inflammation by drawing the water out." It's the same concept behind a saltwater gargle, which has been linked with respiratory symptom relief. 

In a 2019 clinical trial appearing in Scientific Reports, researchers found that gargling and flushing the nasal passages with salt water reduced coughing and congestion in patients with a cold. People who turn to a nasal rinse when allergy-like symptoms rear their ugly heads often use sinus irrigation tools, like the popular neti pot. (Here are some tips on how to properly use a neti pot for symptom relief.) For those who want to try the pickle juice hack instead, here's what to know beforehand. 

While there isn't any research specific to pickle juice and its effects on upper respiratory symptoms, it's possible that drinking the brine may offer short-term relief. However, the hack should not be considered a long-term solution. This is especially true in cases of strep throat, which often require medical treatment. 

That being said, if your sore throat is due to the common cold, salty pickles will be your best bet over sweet pickles. However, Dr. Yancey cautions that the pickle juice hack and/or salt water gargles may not be appropriate for everyone, telling Well+Good, "It should be noted that people on salt-restricted diets should not use either dill pickles or salt water gargles since both have a substantial salt load." Therefore, check with your doctor before trying out the hack if you have any underlying health conditions. As an alternative, some experts suggest a pickle juice gargle rather than ingesting the liquid. 

On the other hand, Dr. Yael Bensoussan feels the pickle juice remedy is not a viable treatment method in any form. "I can't recommend it, based on [the lack of scientific] evidence," she told Parade.

This viral fruit hack may be worth a try for healthy individuals (yes, pickles are actually fruits) but some experts suggest sticking to old-school methods, such as drinking plenty of water and taking an over-the-counter (OTC) pain-relief medication like ibuprofen to help relieve a sore throat. Numbing lozenges and throat sprays can also provide temporary relief. Additionally, soups and hot teas can nourish the body while also soothing an inflamed throat. 

Sore throats generally resolve within seven days, but if you have an ongoing fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, develop white spots in the mouth, or are struggling to eat or drink, reach out to your physician for diagnosis and treatment. It's important to be able to tell the difference between strep throat and a sore throat, as Mayo Clinic experts say that leaving the infection untreated can increase the risk of kidney inflammation, joint inflammation, scarlet fever, and more.