Hot baths containing Epsom salts can help loosen mucus while Eucalyptus and Camphor salves can ease coughs.
Staying hydrated, getting ample rest, and using over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines, and pain relievers may provide temporary symptom relief, but won’t prevent or shorten a cold.
Ginger
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has long been utilized as both a spice and medicinal plant. The beige root provides an aromatic spicy flair to both sweet and savory foods, soothing nausea while stimulating saliva flow to clear stuffy throats. Furthermore, its phenol compounds such as gingerol help destroy cold viruses as well as reduce pain associated with arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Atole can also help alleviate motion sickness and pregnancy nausea symptoms more efficiently than any placebo treatment. Although most adults can consume it safely in moderation, pregnant women should consult with a physician prior to using it.
Combining powdered or fresh ginger with hot water and lemon juice creates an aromatic herbal tea, packed with antibacterial and antiviral properties as well as immune-enhancing vitamin C for a delicious treat that makes an excellent snack or dessert option.
Garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum), a beloved fixture in many kitchens, is an ancient medicinal plant with multiple healing benefits. Garlic contains sulfur compounds which boost immunity while increasing disease-fighting activity of white blood cells that fight bacteria and viruses which cause colds and flu.
Studies indicate that eating garlic regularly may reduce the length and severity of cold symptoms, but only one trial exists which backs this claim (it was non-randomised controlled, thus increasing risk of bias).
Garlic oil should be massaged into feet before bed to ward off colds and reduce their effects, or crushed/minced garlic may be added to soups, curries and meat dishes as an antimicrobial measure. You could also create garlic tea using honey and lemon – both contain antibacterial agents while providing immune-enhancing vitamin C benefits – but beware giving honey to infants under one year old as it may contain botulinum spores that could pose health threats.
Epsom Salts
An Epsom salt bath is the ideal way to unwind when feeling under the weather, helping relax muscles while detoxifying the body and relieving muscle aches and pains.
Epsom salts can be purchased at most drugstores and natural food stores, although for optimal results look for varieties free from oils, colors, and perfumes.
Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate and have long been used as an easy way to ease cold symptoms. Magnesium helps relax the muscles and reduce inflammation in joints while helping regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm. Magnesium also plays a key role in breaking down proteins, producing insulin, building bones, maintaining an effective immune system response as well as potentially helping protect against some forms of cancer1.1
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can be an effective first-line remedy against cold symptoms, found naturally in foods like citrus fruits and vegetables as well as available as a dietary supplement. Vitamin C has also been proven to fight free radicals that damage cells.
In the 1700s, it was discovered that citrus fruit consumption could prevent sailors from contracting scurvy on long voyages, leading to its widespread usage as a natural cold remedy. Although high doses of vitamin C are still widely touted today as effective cures, scientific research has demonstrated otherwise.
Echinacea tea is an effective cold-fighting brew. The herb stimulates immunity and can be purchased as capsules from most pharmacies or online. Eucalyptus oil acts as an expectorant to loosen chest congestion; you can rub it onto chest skin directly, inhale its essential oil vapors directly or use chest rub. Ample sleep is crucial to healthy immunity and may help alleviate cold symptoms.