Ah, the dreaded common cold.
With all the advances in medicine, you would think we would have figured out how to prevent this.
Alas, we haven’t.
And many of us deal with the nagging symptoms of the common cold once or more per year.
What is the common cold?
One of the problems is that the symptoms of a cold are because of over200 different viruses1.
Get more zinc.
Several studies have shown that if taken within 48 hours of onset, it can shorten the duration.
Build up your gut health.
Multiple studies have shown thattaking certain strains of probiotics5can help prevent the onset of rhinovirus as well.
The ones that have been studied includecertain strains ofLactobacillusspecies as well asBifidobacteriumspecies.
Results were even better when they were used in tandem.
You want to pick a multi-strain formula from a reputable company.
It’s also important to eat naturally fermented foods that contain probiotic species of bacteria in them.
These include foods like sauerkraut, kimchee, miso, and kefir.
Boost your vitamin D stores.
One of the things that drops right around cold season is our natural exposure to broad-spectrum sunlight.
Vitamin D is an immunomodulatorand plays a role in preventing autoimmune disease.
it’s crucial that you aim for at least 4,000 IUs daily.
Rest and repeat.
When you get a cold, don’t venture to push on through.
so that clear a rhinovirus from our system, we need boatloads ofsleep to support our immune system.
In particular, this happens when we skimp on sleep and hit it too hard at the gym.
If you have a cold, take a week off from heavy exercise.
Instead, do something restorative like yoga, tai chi, or just simply walking.
Aim for eight to 10 hours of sleep nightly, and take naps if you should probably.
Your body will heal faster will this pop in of TLC.
Turn to essential oils.
There are many things in nature’s arsenal that may help your cold symptoms.
It may also be a potentantimicrobial7.
Peppermint oil8along withrosemary oil9can potentially break up mucus and calm a nagging cough.
These can also be vaporized or placed in a carrier oil and rubbed between the hands before breathing in.
Lastly, frankincense, also known asboswellia10, has significant anti-inflammatory activity on respiratory tissue.
Try elderberry.
Another great natural way to stop a cold in its tracks and reduce coughing is by using elderberry.
One study showed itsignificantly reduced the duration and severity11of cold symptoms in intercontinental air travelers.
It’s fairly easy to whip up a big batch ofelderberry syrupfor the season.
Call on medicinal mushrooms.
Chinese and American herbalists have long known the effectiveness of certain mushrooms' antiviral activity.
Shiitake mushrooms are readily available and are delicious stir-fried and in soup.
Irrigate those nasal passages.
Neti potshave come a long way from being used primarily in ayurvedic medicine.
The basic recipe is to use slightly tepid distilled water with sea salt and a pinch of baking soda.
Irrigate both sides one to three times daily for as long as your symptoms last.
Feed your cold.
The combination of a hot liquid and a nutrient-packed soup probably is the source of effectiveness.
It also tastes really good and is easy to digest.
