Folk remedies for colds

Folk remedies for colds include vitamin C, zinc, honey, and teas with various herbs. But these remedies must be used correctly, otherwise why treat a cold? Research shows that not all the drugs we thought were effective actually do no good. Be careful with the cold remedies you use. Ask your doctor if you doubt the effectiveness of your folk remedies.

Read also: Treatment of flu with folk methods

Vitamin C and Cold Treatment

There is much scientific debate about whether vitamin C helps prevent colds. Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling discovered the effectiveness of vitamin C against colds back in 1970. Some studies have shown that this vitamin does help against colds. Others have concluded that vitamin C does not help fight colds at all stages.

There is some evidence to suggest that some of these studies had serious flaws. For vitamin C to be of real benefit, it is important that the treatment use the minimum dose of vitamin C. Many studies have shown that there is no benefit from vitamin C if too little is taken for too short a time.

Vitamin C Doses

In studies that showed the benefits of vitamin C, participants took at least 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day from the onset of cold symptoms until the cold was completely gone. Vitamin C proponents recommend taking 5,000 mg or more per day.

One of the main problems with using this mega dose of vitamin is that you may suffer from diarrhea. To avoid diarrhea, you need to use calcium ascorbic acid powder. Calcium ascorbate is a form of vitamin C that irritates the gastrointestinal tract and often causes diarrhea. It is enough to take calcium ascorbate 1 teaspoon four times a day.

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Vitamin C and Stone Formation

Anyone who suffers from kidney stones should avoid using vitamin C supplements for a long time. Most kidney stones are made up of calcium salts, but anyone who suffers from acidic kidney stones should be extremely careful about using vitamin C.

Zinc against colds

If your diet is deficient in zinc, your neutrophil count may be significantly lower, making you more susceptible to all types of infections, including those that cause colds. In a study that tested the effectiveness of zinc lozenges in treating colds, researchers found that people with colds who took 23-mg zinc gluconate lozenges every 2 hours recovered significantly faster than people taking a placebo. Other studies have shown that lozenges such as zinc gluconate-glycine or zinc acetate can significantly shorten the duration of cold symptoms.

Zinc works best if you start taking the tablets at the first sign of a sore throat. Take one tablet every 2 hours until your symptoms subside unless they increase the risk of stomach upset. In this case, you can use them as often as you feel comfortable. Do not use the tablets for more than a week. Zinc can suppress the immune system and is used over a long period of time. There are also some studies that show zinc may be a great help for Alzheimer's disease.

Chicken Soup Against Colds

Chicken soup, also known as "Jewish penicillin," has been a mainstay of folk medicine for 800 years, ever since Egyptian physician Moses Maimonides recommended it as a cold remedy.

And it does work, as many modern studies have shown. These researchers suggest that chicken soup's cold-fighting power is not due to the chicken, but to the vegetables that are usually part of the dish. The soup leads to a reduction in cold symptoms, especially nasal congestion.

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Mushrooms against colds

Oriental mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake, and reishi contain compounds that may boost your immune system.

Thus, by eating these types of mushrooms, a person is much better able to fight colds.

Spicy Foods for Colds

If you feel like hot spices help your body fight a cold, include them in your diet.

Fight a runny nose with a bowl of chili or other spicy foods like horseradish, and include peppers, hot sauce, mustard, or curry in your diet. Hot Mexican and Indian foods are great for colds and their symptoms.

Drink plenty of hot liquids

Cold viruses grow and multiply quite quickly when the temperature around them is high. However, they are eliminated and killed when their environment becomes too hot. Drink hot liquids. This will warm your throat.

This should also make it worse for the virus to spread. Hot liquids have a mild decongestant effect, which helps relieve nasal congestion. Taking herbal drinks like ginger tea is doubly helpful because its warming effect has an antiviral effect.

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Avoid sweets

Neutrophils are a special type of white blood cell that engulf and destroy cold viruses and other invaders. Neutrophils become weak and sluggish when you eat sweets. So, it's important to stay away from sweets when you have a cold and as a preventative strategy during the cold season.

In one study, volunteers consumed 100 grams of sugar, the equivalent of two cans of soda. When scientists took blood samples from the volunteers, they found that after consuming sugar, the volunteers' neutrophil activity dropped by 50 percent. Five hours later, neutrophil activity was still significantly below normal.

All products that contain any form of sugar, including sucrose, fructose, corn syrup - can lead to a deterioration in neutrophil activity: malicious violators of the diet are candies and sweets, which have virtually no nutritional value.

Other Cold Fighting Supplements

Vitamin A is vital for the entire mucous membrane of the respiratory tract during a cold or flu. It can be taken as beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, but in higher doses.

The amino acid lysine also has antiviral properties. Take 500 mg of L-lysine three to four times a day for one week and the symptoms of a cold will quickly subside.

Pantothenic acid supports adrenal function, which is often compromised when you have a cold. It also helps minimize nasal congestion and fatigue. Take 250 mg of pantothenic acid three times a day for one week.

Bioflavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties and can help ease the progress of a cold. Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of bioflavonoids every hour for eight hours at the first sign of a cold.

Recommended Dosage of Cold Medicines

A person with a cold can use the following vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements to help shorten the duration of the cold and reduce the severity of symptoms:

• Vitamin C, bioflavonoids, 1000 mg every few hours throughout the day until the intestines are completely healthy.
• Zinc lozenges, with 3 mg copper, every few hours, up to 70 mg daily during the course of a cold and 30 mg daily as a preventative.
• Garlic, 2 capsules or cloves three times daily

• Vitamin A, 25,000 IU daily (up to 50,000 international units of vitamin A three times daily for no more than five days.) (Avoid this vitamin during pregnancy)
• 2 capsules of echinacea three times daily (or as a tincture, 15 drops four times daily)
• To relieve a sore throat, take one zinc tablet every two to three hours or as needed.
• To relieve nasal congestion, use steam inhalation with eucalyptus oil added to water.

Foods That Can Boost Your Immune System

Researchers are finding a positive link between immune function and components in foods. If you or your children are sick with a cold, you need to make sure they eat plenty of immune-boosting foods.

Garlic can boost your immune system, increasing its resistance to infections and stress. To get the immune boost from garlic, crush the cloves with the flat side of a knife before adding them to food. This releases the garlic juice, which has great potential immune-boosting properties.

Cheese and other dairy products contain linoleic acid, a natural component of milk fat, which has been shown to boost immune response in animal studies.

Yogurts and other fermented dairy products contain probiotics, beneficial bacteria with immune-boosting benefits. Look for “live active cultures,” which indicate that probiotics have been added. Also check the labels of dairy products for vitamin D. Early research suggests low levels of vitamin D may be associated with a seasonal increase in colds and flu, as well as a higher incidence of respiratory infections.

Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and juices, may also help the immune system fight colds.

Zinc is found in meat, chicken, peanuts and peanut butter and plays an important role in the proper functioning of the immune system in the body.

Foods That Cure Colds

Fresh ginger root can help you when you are sick by causing sweating and reducing nausea and diarrhea. Making ginger tea is easy: pour a teaspoon of ginger into half a liter of boiling water. Cover the tea and simmer it for 10 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste.

Chicken soup and hot drinks help relieve cold symptoms. Of course, the taste and wonderful aroma of chicken soup can be an important part of the positive effect of colds.

Eating healthy during cold and flu season means getting your daily vitamins and minerals and eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods from all food groups.

Killing germs during colds

The most important thing you can do to avoid getting sick is to wash your hands. A common way to catch a cold is to rub your nose or eyes with dirty hands, so wash your hands often to protect yourself from infection.

Your hands can pick up germs from other people or contaminated surfaces. Use warm water, soap, and wash your hands for several minutes for best results.

Another good practice is to wash cups, cutlery and silverware, as well as household furniture surfaces such as doorknobs, faucets and telephones, with soap and water.

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Improve the efficiency of your immune system

Even when your hands are clean, staying healthy means more than just avoiding germs. Healthy organs are better able to fight off infection. To stay healthy and boost your immune system:

1. Get more rest
2. Eat a well-balanced diet
3. Do physical exercise regularly
4. Protect yourself from stress
5. Reduce bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol

Research has shown that moderate physical activity has a positive effect on the immune system. Over time, this means fewer colds and other upper respiratory infections.

Folk remedies for colds are very good. If the doctor has not prescribed you chemical drugs to treat complications of flu and colds, folk remedies will help to cope with the diseases.