by: Melanie Grimes
(NaturalNews) Home remedies can help build immunity, reduce symptoms and prevent the onset of colds and the flu. Many of these folk medicines can even be found in your kitchen cabinet. Natural remedies are inexpensive, compared to over-the-counter cold remedies, and they do not suppress symptoms but rather allow the body to cleanse and heal itself.
A spoon of honey has long been used as a cough syrup to sooth a sore throat. Adding a squeeze of lemon helps break down the mucus in the throat as well.Chamomile Tea Treats Congestion
Matricaria recutita, known as chamomile, can be used to reduce nasal congestion. Inhaling or drinking chamomile tea has been a folk remedy for thousands of years. Chamomile is soothing to the digestion and also helps induce sleep.Raw Foods Increase Vitality
Adding raw vegetables and fruits to the diet is advised for anyone wanting to increase their vitality and health. Raw foods are filled with healthy nutrients in their natural state. Raw foods contain micronutrients and enzymes needed by the body, many of which are damaged by the heat of cooking foods.
Peppermint Tea Lowers Fevers
Peppermint tea from the Mentha piperita plant has been used to lower fevers as well as to clear the sinuses. It can be combined in tea with other herbs, such as elderflowers or yarrow, to help break a fever.
Probiotics Build Immunity
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in the digestive tract. The body needs the “good” bacteria to break down food and contribute to healthy digestion. Some folk wisdom suggests that immunity begins in the gut, and adding probiotics to the diet helps build that immunity.
Elderflowers Reduce the Symptoms of Cold and Flu
Elderflowers, from the Sambucus nigra plant, have been shown to reduce the duration of colds and flu symptoms. The plant is both an antibacterial and an antiviral.
Ginger Tea is Antiviral
The herb ginger kills viruses and can be drunk as a tea or eaten in food. Ground ginger can also be applied as a poultice on the chest or throat to speed healing and stimulate the lymph glands.
Gargle with Turmeric for a Sore Throat
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory herb and gargling with turmeric can soothe and heal a sore throat. Salt can also be added to the warm water for a healing gargle.