With the starting of winter, people suffer from an inevitable cough, runny noses, flu, fevers, and thereby miserable sick.
Are you one among those people who always get a cold or flu in every winter season? Do you feel that your immune system is getting weak?
Winter is coming soon, so to avoid those cold, coughs and flu, you have to follow some effective ways, which we are about to discuss in this article.
The first and foremost defense system to stay free from germs is hand washing. This hand washing will help not only to clear the germs but also prevents the transmission of germs from a sick person to you.
We, in general, touch so many things throughout the day like phones, ATM buttons, keyboards, pens, door or furniture’s, money, poles, etc. in which the germs can be easily passed from one to another person in every second.
If your immune system is weak due to your poor diet, chronic stress and other factors then the cold virus will easily thrive in your body and causes this cold and runny nose.
The intake of all essential vitamins, minerals, and herbs will help you to alleviate the symptoms of cold, cough and flu. Most people prefer to use OTC medications to get rid of their weakness and desperation. But do you know those OTC meds will cause some side effects and harm your body in the long run?
The reason is that they are designed to mask up the symptoms but not to deal with the root cause or the killing the germs which make you sick.
Then why don’t you give a chance to Mother Nature to alleviate these worst symptoms of your cold or a cough without any side effects and also to strengthen your immunity?
Now we are going to know some effective natural remedies that work best in treating your problem and also you can use them at any time, even if you’re not sick (as a preventative measure).
Let’s get started…
Here are the best remedies you can follow it at home to build a strong immunity and to stay healthy without much attacks of cold, cough and flu in the coming winter season.
Do you know that our immune system will work mostly as per the functioning of the digestive system? Yes, so you should maintain enough good bacteria (probiotics) in our system or else the pathogens will take over and make us weak and susceptible to many diseases and disorders.
Live and active bacteria in the gastro-intestinal system will make a healthy gut by preventing an invasion of pathogens causing sick and weak.
So, the intake of probiotic – rich foods will improve the digestion, relieves you from constipation, synthesize vitamin K and keep a well-balanced pH level in the body. At certain times, we wipe out the beneficial microbes along with the bad bacteria causing the problem in the body. Those accidental things include antibiotics, recent surgeries, colon cleanse, protein deficiency, diarrhea, too much intake of fiber, etc.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) exhibits antiviral and antimicrobial properties that kill off the microbes causing this cold, cough and sore throats. It helps to loosen and expel the excess mucus from the chest and allows you to breathe normally.
It has prebiotic inulin that helps to boost your immunity by sending certain signals to white blood cells to fight against the microbes causing the problem. It helps to balance the pH levels of the body, which in turn makes the body a less appealing for the bacteria or cancer cells to thrive.
Echinacea is a common flower that widely used in the United States and Germany. In studies, it has been proved that Echinacea will help a lot in reducing the inflammation, boost up the immune system, relieves your pain and prevent the cold and flu virus from getting into the body.
In exhibits antiviral, antibacterial and blood cleansing properties that work well in fighting the virus causing cold or flu by increasing levels of properdin (a chemical in the body that helps to fight off the virus and bacteria).
It also reduces the chance of catching a cold virus by 60% and shortens the period of cold attack by 1 – 4 days instead of 5 – 7 days.
Cayenne pepper helps to break the congestion by warming your body. It also reduces the pain and inflammation with its capsaicin content and also has high levels of vitamin C to give complete relief from cold and flu.
The pepper also helps to boost the metabolism, increases blood circulation, quicken blood clotting (for nose bleeds or any other internal bleeding), maintain proper blood sugar and blood pressure levels, etc.
Capsaicin in the main thing in cayenne pepper that works by inhibiting the substance P (a chemical in the body that aids in inflammation) and also this capsaicin are used to prepare many OTC creams to inhibit the body pains.
The cayenne pepper in capsule form is not considered as an effective as the powder form. It is generally rated according to its heat index. So, start taking 40000 SCUs and eventually raise up to 90000 SCU’s.
Olive leaf extract (OLE) helps to fight cancer cells, increase the energy levels, enhance your cardiac health, prevents cancer, improves the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
It exhibits antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help to clear the virus or germs causing cold, flu and cough along with soothing the irritated parts.
Oleuropein (a polyphenol in OLE) helps to clear the tumor cells and thus prevent them from replicating, moving and growing. So, it helps to maintain overall health including the treatment of cold, cough & flu.
The curcumin in turmeric exhibits many amazing properties like antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that make it as a disease preventing and tumor fighting spice.
It effectively treats the respiratory problems like cold, flu and cough with its properties and also clears microbes and mucous causing the problem. There are many ways to enjoy turmeric to get rid of the problem.
This detox bath will help to cure a cold, wheezing cough, and body pains. Here we are using some simple home ingredients like hydrogen peroxide (3%, used to oxygenate the body and eliminate toxins. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties that fight off the virus and bacteria) and ginger (produce heat and increases blood circulation and thereby purge toxins through sweat).
Garlic & onion are full packed with antioxidants, antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to fight against the virus causing cold and flu.
Allicin is a strong compound which appears soon after you sliced open the onion or garlic and before it is cooked.
Ginseng is a traditional Chinese medicine that used to increase the immune system to fight against the bacteria and virus. In a study, it stated that ginseng extracts will help to raise the immunity and prompted the body to send out the natural killer (NK) cells during a microbial invasion.
It helps to strengthen the body to combat diseases, endure physical tension and also increases the mental sharpness. Asian and American ginseng contains more of the ginsenosides that have more of medical purposes.
Elderberry is widely used as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that help to treat your upper respiratory infections and allergies. In a study published in the BioMed Central’s Journal in 2011, it is found that this elderberry is very effective in defending the influenza virus, certain gram positive and gram negative infections along with MRSA.
This herb helps for proper blood circulation and protect the inside layer of blood vessels from stress and anxiety with its anthocyanins content. The berries and flowers of this elderflower herb are only used for medicinal purposes and the berries must be cooked before using. The bark, roots, and leaves should be avoided due to its toxicity.
Eucalyptus essential oil and its leaves have endless benefits, as they are used to treat pain, infections, diabetes, cancer, digestive problems, upper respiratory infections, sore throat, cold, flu, dermatitis, asthma, etc.
In a study, it is proved that Eucalyptus globulus natural antibiotic effect will help to combat the gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus), which are life threatening (resilience against antibiotics) for people those who have weakened the immune system.
Goldenseal exhibits antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that help to boost up the immune system, clear the congestion and fight against the virus causing cold and flu along with soothing the irritated throat.
It activates the spleen, which helps to defense fighting cells to clear the infection. Goldenseal contains Berberine that activates macrophages (specialized white blood cells that attack virus, bacteria and cancer cells) to clear the problem.
We all know that vitamin D is the only vitamin produced by our body in sufficient amounts and it gets multiplied after its exposure to sunlight.
Vitamin D is essential to make calcium move into the bones and boost the immunity to clear the germs causing the infection in the respiratory tract. Also, many researchers have stated that vitamin D blocks the replication of multiple strains of the flu and thereby reduces the risk of the flu by 50%.
So, try to get at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight per day and also consume food that is rich in vitamin D or take its supplements for the proper functioning of the body.
The intake of zinc has proved scientifically that it reduces the symptoms of cold and flu effectively. It is responsible for the proper functioning of 3000 proteins in the body and also helps to maintain proper blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Ginger exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties that help to clear the cold, cough and flu. It also helps to boost the immune system, warm up your body and helps to get rid of the toxins in the lungs and sinuses.
It acts as an excellent remedy to treat the respiratory illness like a cough, cold, asthma, upper respiratory problems, etc. It fights off the germs causing cold or flu and clears the congestion. It has a soothing effect on the body and aids in proper digestion along with relieving the feeling of nauseous.
Cinnamon is an effective spice for treating respiratory and digestive problems. However, most people believe that cinnamon as a sweet holiday spice but it is also packed with many nutrients like calcium, manganese, and fiber.
It has antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which help to clear congestion, controls blood sugar, protects against the heart diseases, improves colon health and boosts up your brain function.
There are two kinds of cinnamon – Ceylon Cinnamon (pure, sweeter and more nutrient dense) and Cassia Cinnamon (cheap and toxic when taken in large amounts). It is low in calories and acts as a natural sugar substitute.
Oregano is a natural antibiotic and its oil contains natural chemicals called carvacrol and terpene, which fight off the virus, bacteria, yeast, fungus and parasites causing infection.
In a study, it is proved that oregano oil has a robust reaction against the germs that effectively kill the salmonella and E. coli infections. So, regular usage of this oregano will help to clear the congestion and relieves you from these health problems.
Coconut oil has medium chain triglycerides (MCT) that exhibit antiviral, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which are used to clear the microbes, toxins and other impurities causing infection. It also cleanses the liver and gets converted into energy.
It has lauric acid that helps to destroy the virus, bacteria, pathogens causing the flu, herpes, liver diseases, sinus infections, ringworm, lung problems and other life-threatening infections. The saturated fats in coconut oil help to maintain proper cholesterol levels by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and raising HDL (good cholesterol).
Nasal irrigation is a very effective remedy for treating your cold, cough or flu. It clear and unclogs the nasal passageways by removing the debris and irritants.
It also helps to soothe the inflamed mucous lining and moisturize the nasal passageway to get rid of the infection effectively.
We all know that green tea is one of the healthiest drinks on the planet. Regular intake of green tea will help for prolonged life without much health problems. It has 6 different kinds of antioxidants that make it as an effective antiviral drink, which in turn, helps to fight against the cold or flu -causing germs.
It has certain compounds like Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), flavonoids, catechins (reduces free radicals), chlorophyll (blood cleanser), L-theanine (boosts energy and reduces anxiety) and theophylline (opens your airways) will help to keep you healthy by enhancing your immune system.
It helps to fight against the cold & flu causing virus along with soothing the irritated throat and clears congestion to get rid of the problem.
Even diet will play an important role in clearing these upper respiratory problems. So, follow the below-mentioned diet to get clear the infection and to boost up your immunity.
If you want to avoid getting any cold, flu or a cough in this winter or cold season, then you have to take proper care of your immune system along with following the above mentioned natural home remedies. Build a strong immunity and don’t forget to share your experiences with us in the below comments box.