Proven Cold & Flu Remedies Revealed

In the thick of winter. It hasn't been as we imagined other than maybe overdoing it. We partied hard. As always. New Year's celebrations start early in the UK. From Edinburgh's Hogmanay to fireworks along the Thames, we begin to enjoy ourselves in the evening through to the early hours. By the time the bells ring out, we are, as a nation, well lubricated.

As a matter of fact, many will have struggled through the festive season with a bit of a sniffle. They will have battled with grogginess just so they don't miss out. As a result, the germs are everywhere. The common cold multiplies. The 'Aussie flu' is on holiday. Right about now, we're all carrying and fending off the bugs.

Actually, as always, many are calling in sick. Or powering through. The cold weather and overindulgence and late nights only help to lower your immune system. Now the viruses are able to take hold and symptoms flare up. Your nose becomes blocked. Your throat feels sore and scratchy. You get a runny nose and your body can ache. So we often turn to honey, lemon, and ginger for relief.

Admittedly, this annual increase of cold and flu could have been avoided. Obviously, we could have dialled it down a bit, but that's not fun. Anyway, just because you're exposed to the virus, it doesn't mean you'll catch a cold or get the flu. In fact, you could boost your immune system to help beat the viruses.

Immune Boosting Micronutrients

In particular, many of us are lacking nutrition. We're often deficient in the vitamins and minerals that aid our immune system. Therefore, adequate levels of vitamin B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, Selenium, and Zinc support your immune function and fend off infectious diseases. So it's always a good idea to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and meats and fish and dairy to boost the levels of these important micronutrients. However, some really need to be supplemented...

...For one, especially when we're sick, we need to increase our vitamin C intake. Mammals naturally produce more vitamin C when they're sick, but we don't produce any. So we have to eat L-ascorbic acid and supplementing with daily doses can help reduce the duration of a cold.[1] Many nutritionists recommend we eat broccoli, peppers, oranges, and kiwi fruit to get the recommended daily amount, however, it's simply not enough unless you're preventing scurvy. A diet with these foods will help because they provide so much more than vitamin C. But the amount of vitamin C that your body needs is far greater.

Secondly, you may need to supplement with vitamin D if the sun hasn't kissed your skin for a while... and your diet is vitamin D poor. With recent research, vitamin D is showing signs of being able to block influenza from developing.[2,3,4,5] Although, there isn't evidence of it actually helping to fight cold and flu on its own. Nevertheless, it's one of the ingredients your body needs for a strong immune system so it's a good idea to make sure you're topped up. So get out in the sun if you can, otherwise, you'll find vitamin D3, the type your body needs, in cod liver oil, oily fish, and egg yolks. Also, you can take vitamin D3 supplements too.

Medicated Sweets

There are a many cough and menthol sweets in the newsagents. We turn to these instinctively. But one has been shown to be an effective treatment for a cold. It reduces the length of time you're suffering from the symptoms, especially if you start taking it as soon as they begin to develop. Furthermore, it's another of the nutrients that help your immune system... Zinc. But it's not just about the zinc. It's the way it's delivered. A zinc lozenge seems to work best over supplements and nasal sprays with 75mg spread throughout the day. In fact, sprays could cause you to lose your sense of smell.[6,7,8]

Feed a Cold

When you think of having a cold, you think of chicken soup. An old wife tail? Maybe not. Chicken soup seems to have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, it's able to relieve cold symptoms like stuffy noses. It's believed a compound in the soup called carnosine, which is found in the soup and chicken breast, could limit the initial proinflammatory stages of a viral infection and prevent the development of a cold.[9]

Also, chicken soup clears your airways by increasing the movement of mucus. Effectively, easing that congested feeling. Plus, it can prevent infectious particles from getting further than your nose and afflicting your body. [10,11]

Plant Healing Power

Medicine is simply a manipulation of nature. Where, often the case may be, nature has already provided the prescription. And it's looking to be the case for beating cold and flu. The herb, echinacea, is a well-known cold remedy. It can reduce the duration of a cold. You can take it in many ways, as a supplement, a lotion, even as a herbal tea. But be aware because it can interact with other medications.[12,13]

Another medicinal plant native to South Africa, pelargonium sidoides, is proving to be an effective treatment. With 30 drops three times a day for up to 10 days, you could reduce the duration and symptoms of a common cold. Plus, studies are showing it to have antiviral effects. Also, an active compound, Prodelphinidins, can prevent bacteria attaching to the lining of your throat and lungs.[14,15,16]

As well as this,  a shrub producing a purple-black fruit for cooking, the elderberry, can reduce the symptoms of flu. It can also reduce the length of time you're suffering from the virus.[17,18,19]

Start Gut Therapy

Finally, you'll have heard '80% of your immune system is in your gut'. In fact, the lining of your digestive tract, the mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue, represents 70% of your immune system. And right there, you'll find 80% of the cells responsible for antibody production.[20]

Now we know there are nutrients that support and enhance the immune system, additionally, there's growing evidence that your gut bacteria supports and manages your immune system too. As a matter of fact, probiotics enhance the production of cell messengers, known as cytokines, to amplify an immune response to pathogens. They increase the release of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide from immune cells to neutralise and degrade viruses.[21,22,23]

Therefore, multiplying your good bacteria by taking pro and prebiotics is an effective and safe way to overcome a cold or the flu. Get back on your feet and able to take on the world with multi-strain probiotic tablets and fermented foods and feed them with garlic and onions... because they aid your recovery too.[24,25,26,27]