Natural remedies use whole ingredients from God’s good green earth to treat or prevent illnesses. It’s often overlooked that all pharmaceuticals and precursors start off as elements and organisms provided by nature. Let’s go directly to Mother Earth where possible and skip the laboratory processing step.
Cold, Cough, and Sore Throat
My go-to when a cold and cough hits is herbal tea with honey, lemon, and elderberry syrup. Drinking any liquid will get you in front of the hydration curve. Warm liquids, in general, soothe the throat. Herbal teas like peppermint, ginger, and chamomile have inherent medicinal qualities.
Honey
Honey will coat your throat, help reduce irritation, and suppress your cough. Locally produced raw, unfiltered honey is best because it retains all the natural nutrients.
Local unfiltered honey also contains small amounts of pollen from the local plants in your area. If you have any pollen-associated allergies, consuming these pollens can help build up your resistance. Honey also contains many other localized nutrients that support and boost your immune system by stimulating your own body’s natural production of antibodies.
Peppermint
The vapor from peppermint tea will calm the throat and help open up your airways, nasal passages, and sinuses. Peppermint tea also contains essential oils such as limonene, menthone, and menthol. It has been known and supported by science that menthol improves or at the very least alleviates the flow of air through your sinuses. According to the National Library of Medicine (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7923432/), peppermint has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ginger
Ginger tea contains ingredients that have been shown to reduce inflammation and alleviate irritation in the throat, thus soothing the cough. Ginger is also thought to reduce nasal congestion. Home remedies, in general, are rooted in hundreds of years of trial and error. It is from this history of strong anecdotal evidence that ginger has gained wide acceptance as an effective combatant to the cold and its symptoms.
Chamomile
Like the other teas mentioned above, chamomile also has anti inflammatory qualities that help reduce irritation in your throat. Chamomile tea also has the additional quality of helping you sleep, which will assist in your recovery.
Elderberry
As part of my go-to tea remedy, I add elderberry syrup. Elderberry has been shown to reduce congestion and shorten the duration of cold symptoms. Additionally, it has long been used as a natural immune system booster.
Gargling with Salt Water
This is my least favorite home cold remedy, but not because it’s ineffective, but because it was forced on me as a child. Later in life, I’ve learned that it really works. This remedy involves mixing a tablespoon of salt with warm water and gargling with the solution – be sure not swallow or it will be unpleasant. Through osmosis, the salt pulls fluid from the lining of your tissues, reducing inflammation. This process may also help loosen mucus and expel it.
I hope some of these cold remedies offer some relief. Make sure to read our disclaimer.