5 Remedies To Fight Common Cold At Home

Isn’t there always someone around us or maybe ourselves, complaining of a cold? The common cold is one of the most frequent ailments that we often hear about — that’s why it’s called common cold!

Adults get an average of 2 to 4 colds and children 6 to 8 colds every year. In the United States, people suffer from 1 billion colds annually.

A cold is a mild upper respiratory tract infection of the throat, nose, and sinuses. Viruses belonging to the Rhinovirus group are mainly responsible for this, but it can be caused by other viruses too. It is usually harmless.

The virus enters your body through the eyes, nose, and mouth. It spreads through the air containing infected droplets, direct contact with infected people through handshakes, and contaminated objects like towels, doorknobs, telephones, keypads, etc.

# Garlic

The organosulfur compounds present in garlic are mainly responsible for its medicinal properties. Garlic’s antibacterial and antiviral properties can be very helpful in getting rid of cold symptoms. Garlic boosts the immune system, helps open up respiratory passages, and flush toxins out of your body.

Allicin is a compound found only in freshly crushed/chopped/chewed garlic and is inactivated upon cooking. It has antiviral properties against rhinovirus and certain other viruses.

According to a study published in 2001, high dose of allicin had the ability to prevent colds. According to the study, the group of subjects that were treated with a high dose of allicin extract for 12 weeks reported fewer number of colds and reduced duration of symptoms during the period of common cold infection.

# Raw Honey

Honey can be of great help in soothing an irritated throat as well as shortening the duration of a cold. The high amount of nutrients and enzymes in honey help kill bacteria and viruses that cause colds.

The results from a randomized study done in 1998 concluded that antibiotics were not of much help in fighting upper respiratory tract infection like colds in children.

There is increasing evidence to show that honey decreases the secretion of mucus and thereby cough in children.

Recommendations made by the World Health Organization in 2001 suggest that honey might have a role in treating cough and cold in children.

# Ginger

Did you know that ginger has many key medicinal properties, of which removal of chills due to common cold, and keeping the body warm are important properties?

Ginger can be helpful in treating common cold and its symptoms due to its antiviral, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

- Eat raw ginger or drink ginger tea up to 3 times a day. To make ginger tea, boil 2 cups of water, add 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger in it, cover and let it simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes. You can now strain the tea and add a little lemon juice and honey to it to enhance its health effect.
- You can also make a paste of ginger, cloves, and a little salt. Eat ½ teaspoon of it 2 times a day. If you have a runny nose, mix equal amounts of dry ginger powder, clarified butter (ghee) and jaggery (gur), a natural sweetener. Eat this mixture daily in the morning on an empty stomach. Jaggery is the unrefined sugar from raw concentrated sugarcane juice and is beneficial for respiratory problems as per Ayurveda. Date palm and palm sap are other sources of jaggery. You can buy jaggery from Indian grocery stores or online. Ghee is clarified butter. You can make it at home or you can buy it from Indian stores or online.

# Chicken Soup

“Eat Chicken soup when you have a cold” is not just an old granny’s myth! Yes- studies have shown that chicken soup is superior to cold or hot water in treating a cold.

It also provides relief from common cold symptoms through its action on white blood cells that play a main role in fighting infections. Chicken soup has many essential nutrients and vitamins that help treat common cold symptoms. The high antioxidant properties of vegetables present in chicken soup speed up the healing process.

So, chicken soup is highly recommended for its nutritional benefits, relieving dehydration and is best for promoting speedy recovery from the common cold.

# Red Onion

The juice of onions has been used to make syrups in folk medicine to treat colds. The essential oil from onion when inhaled is also said to ease colds. Among other onions, red onion is supposed to be high in antioxidants like quercetin and also in chromium.

Those suffering from a cold can get relief from homemade red onion syrup. To make the syrup, you will need red onions and honey or brown sugar.

- Slice 2 or 3 red onions horizontally. Put one slice of onion in a small mason jar and add raw honey. Repeat the process until the bowl is full.
- Cover the jar and leave it for 12 to 15 hours. When you open the jar, there will be thick liquid like syrup.
- Drink a spoonful of the syrup several times a day to get relief from sore throats and other symptoms of a cold.