To Help Heal Your Cold or Flu Faster, Start Using These Natural Home Remedies

Common colds are the leading reason for doctor visits and missed days at school and work, and almost all of us suffer 2-3 colds annually.

Colds are caused by a virus and not bacteria, so they cannot be treated with antibiotics. In most cases, colds last for 2-4 days, but often, the symptoms are not treated but prolonged instead, due to the use of some over-the-counter remedies.

Colds are often treated with remedies like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), but these just reduce the natural ability of the body to fight the cold on itself.

Moreover, such remedies can pose serious health risks, so it turns out, the solution is out of the medicine cabinet.

There are perfectly effective herbal remedies, and healthy lifestyle habits, in a combination with vitamin supplementation, which can help you fight the virus and strengthen the immune system to fight off viral attacks.

These are the 17 most effective natural ways to fight a cold:

1.Healthy Foods

You need to avoid processed foods and focus on healthy ones, that will lower the risk of infections and boost your overall health.

2.Sleep

Sleep deficiency has been linked to numerous health issues, from a weak immune system to dementia.

Sleep actually regulates the immune system and promotes the influence of cytokines stimulating the interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T-helper cells, which helps the body to treat virus infections. In the case of a cold, rest during the day, and sleep at least 8hours during the night.

3.Exercise

Regular exercise strengthens the immune system and prevents cold. In the case of a cold, try slow biking, walking, yoga or jogging, in order not to spend all the energy needed to fight the virus, but reduce the symptom and strengthen the body.

4.Apple Cider Vinegar

Cold viruses raise the body acidity, so the intake of a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily will alkalize the body and prevent the growth of viruses.

5.Stress Reduction

You need to lower stress in order to support the function of the immune system and avoid diseases like depression, gastrointestinal issues, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, etc. Try exercising, meditation, yoga, massage, reading, or whatever works for you.

6.Baking Soda

Baking soda alkalizes the body in the case of colds and flu, and thus accelerates the recovery. You should dissolve a bit of it in a glass of water and drink it.

Back in 1925,  the Arm & Hammer Company gave the following recommendations for the treatment of colds and influenza:

Day 1 — Six of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at about 2-4 intervals

Day 2 —Four doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at 2-4 intervals

Day 3 — Two doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water twice daily, in the morning and evening, and thereafter half a teaspoon in glass of cool water each morning until the cold symptoms disappear

7.Raw Honey

Honey has powerful natural antibacterial and antiviral properties, so use it instead of a cough syrup or cough drops to relieve a sore throat due to a cold. If you combine it with lemons, you will get an incredibly effective dry cough remedy.

You should put a pint of raw honey in a pan on the stove on low heat, and boil a lemon in some water in another pain for 2-3 minutes. Then, leave the lemon to cool cut it in slices, and add it to the honey.

Cook the mixture for an hour, and then strain it. Leave it to cool, pour it in a jar with a lid, and keep it in the refrigerator up to 2 months. You should take half a teaspoon to soothe a cough in a 25-pound child and 1 teaspoon for a 50-pound child and adults, 4 times daily.

8.Nasal Saline Rinse

Saline nasal rinses are very effective, but make sure you use sterile normal saline water only in it.

9.Coconut Oil

This oil has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties which are helpful in the case of flu and colds. Just rub it over the skin to soften it, and add half a teaspoon to your cup of coffee or tea.

10.Steam

Steam accelerates the recovery from a cold, eases breathing, treats the inflammation in the nasal passages, and breaks up the mucous secretions in the sinuses.

11.Fermented Foods

The health of the immune system resides in the intestines, and fermented foods supply them with beneficial bacteria that boost the immune system.  Therefore, they are excellent as a cold prevention.

12.Chicken Soup

Researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center confirmed that chicken soup — both homemade and from the can — has potent anti-inflammatory properties that prevent common colds.

13.Colloidal Silver

This has been a commonly used cold remedy since the time of Hippocrates, who was one of the first to speak about its antimicrobial and antibiotic qualities.

14.Lifestyle Choices

You need to significantly reduce the intake of alcohol and smoking in the case of a cold, as they weaken the immune system and thus the body cannot fight the viral infection.

15.Hand Washing

This habit is extremely important as it helps you to prevent viruses and reduces the spread of the virus to other family members, which will accelerate your recovery.

16.Hydrogen Peroxide