Tree Hugger Help for the Common Cold
Ever read the precautions, possible side effects or actual effectiveness of your favorite over-the-counter or prescription cold remedy? FDA advisory panel recently voted unanimously that oral phenylephrine (oral Sudafed and Benadryl) is ineffective for decongestion! Maybe cold sufferers can spend that $30 billion they’ve wasted over the past 17 years on something that DOES work.
Perhaps it’s time for a safer, more logical approach to treating a cold. The fact is, immunity comes from within your body, not a bottle. Most cold remedies are for suppressing symptoms, not resolving illness. Your body is constantly waging war against nasties like cold viruses. Sometimes, just giving it the ammunition necessary to attack is all that’s needed to stay healthy and happy. Here are some natural therapies to help your body help itself.
Vitamin C
THE natural go-to for both prevention and treatment of colds. Bioavailable (real food) vitamin C is your best bet for prevention but to mount a strong comeback when a cold gets ahead of you, some experts recommend taking up to 2,000 milligrams (mg) or more of ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate every two hours.
Vitamin D
Not so much a remedy, it’s beneficial in reducing the symptoms. Regular vitamin D intake is also an important part of a preventive regimen. Some experts recommend taking 10,000 international units (IU) or more of vitamin D3 every day to help beat down those symptoms and keep them at bay.
Zinc
Remedies don’t get more basic than the element Zinc. This trace element moderates over 3,000 proteins in the body while promoting a healthy gut – which is where the body’s immunity originates. Often sold as lozenges or syrup, it has been shown to combat cold symptoms as well as boost one’s immunity.
Ginger
Ginger root is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It targets the digestive system and helps those suffering virus-related digestive distress. Ginger also warms the body, aiding your body in ‘sweating out’ those harmful toxins.
Honey
This feel-good food is packed with antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial nutrients to help ward off those virulent villains. Hey, you can even mix in your favorite OTC cold remedy!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cold viruses push the body’s pH off kilter, weakening the gut’s disease-fighting ability. A concoction of a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, warm water, honey and lemon taken several times a day will help get you up and going.
Echinacea
T-cells are a type of white blood cell. They help your immune system fight germs and protect you from disease. A Univ of Conn study showed that echinacea stimulates T-cell proliferation and cuts your chance of ever getting a cold by 50% while shortening the days you suffer any cold that does storm the gates.
Oil of Oregano
Synergy is the name of the game here. The terpene chemicals naturally in oil of oregano display powerful antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Oil of oregano’s most active ingredient, carvacrol is a powerful pathogen fighter.
Coconut oil
My father lived 85 healthy, medication-free years. He swore that coconut oil was his elixir of life. Saturated in medium-chain fatty acids (yes, there are really good fats), coconut oil is absorbed by the virus cell where it degrades the virus’s protective coating from the inside, killing the nasty thing. Think of a nutritional Trojan Horse!
Neti Pot
Sometimes just getting some stuff out of your stuffy sinuses can help you endure your cold. Neti Pot is a simple pot-shaped devise that helps you flush your sinuses with warm, clean salt water. The cleansing salts also help eliminate bacteria and other pathogens.
