Colds: 8 fast and effective natural remedies for adults and children
The cold is back. With the autumn and the first colds, the hateful symptoms we all know return: stuffy nose, sore throat, and in the most annoying cases even cough. "The main actors in colds - explains Dr. Serena Missori - are T lymphocytes. which mainly reside in the immune centers such as the tonsils, the various lymphatic stations (armpits, neck, groin, abdomen) and which travel in our circulatory and lymphatic stream in search of bacteria, viruses and everything that is considered bad ".
A cold is almost inevitable, but there are several natural remedies that will allow you to feel better without having to resort to medication. Are they the same for everyone? How is a cold in pregnancy treated? And what are the remedies for colds for children and babies? Discover the most effective and most suitable for each person, starting with these ...
1. Ginger and lemon tea
It has been called the flu bomb. Ginger and lemon tea combines the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of ginger with the vitamin C load of lemon. As is known, this is the best vitamin against seasonal ailments, to be used also for preventive and not just curative purposes. In short, do not wait to be cooled to treat yourself to this herbal tea every night! And don't forget to get a good load of vitamin C by eating the right foods.
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2. Suffumigi of tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is an excellent essential oil for fighting colds, thanks to its anti viral properties. You can prepare a fumento with 10 drops of tea tree oil, or alternatively eucalyptus essential oil, to clear the upper respiratory tract. The fumigium (or fumento) is a typical natural remedy of the past, which still has its effectiveness: prepare a pot of boiling water, and pour ten drops of one of the two essential oils indicated. Breathe deeply the fumes of hot water with oils by covering your head with a dry cloth, so as not to disperse the beneficial fumes.
> Buy pure tea tree oil on Amazon for € 12.49
Did you know that cocoa is a perfect remedy for coughs and sore throats?
That's right, here's some good news. Chocolate would be an excellent remedy for coughs and sore throats, thanks to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. But it is not the only food able to counteract the classic seasonal ailments. Here is an overview of the anti-flu super foods to take if you want to fight the cold and the flu.
3. Echinacea drops to drink
A natural remedy for colds is to drink Echinacea drops. Echinacea is a plant rich in vitamin C, especially in its roots: the mother tincture of this plant can be purchased in herbal medicine, but make sure it is also produced with the roots, and not only with the flowers of the plant. drops, to drink diluted in water, you can also find tablets. The recommended dose for preventive purposes is 20 drops a day in half a glass of water, if instead the cold is already in progress, take 20 drops in the morning and 20 in the evening , always diluted in half a glass of water.
4. Rosehip pills
Rosehip is also rich in vitamin C, and the best way to take advantage of this property is to take it in tablets. This product is also available in supermarkets or herbalists, or you can click here and buy it on amazon. The drying of the rosehip flower enhances its properties and allows it to be taken in a format as convenient as pills. To prevent colds, just one tablet in the morning, while you should take two if you already have a cold and are looking for a natural remedy. Alternatively, a rosehip tea, to be drunk with a teaspoon of honey, may also be ideal.
5. Honey against colds, coughs and sore throats
Often, we know, the cold does not come by itself. Along with stuffy nose and sneezing come cough (especially if bronchial mucus increases) and sore throat. A universal natural remedy is honey. As is known, there are different types, with often different benefits and properties. To clear the respiratory tract, eucalyptus honey, thanks to its balsamic properties, is the best. You can dissolve it in your favorite herbal tea (excellent that of ginger and lemon!) Or take a teaspoon a day, in the morning on an empty stomach. For sore throats, we recommend Manuka honey instead (you can buy it on Amazon, by clicking here), a real antibacterial bomb that works like an antibiotic, without all the contraindications of the drug. For their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, keep an eye on all bee derivatives: they are excellent remedies against seasonal ailments, especially to prevent them by helping your natural immune defenses. Have you ever heard of royal jelly or pollen?
6. Suffumigi with bicarbonate
Baking soda has many properties. It is an excellent disinfectant, which has a thousand healing and cosmetic uses, including the treatment of colds and sore throats. A fumigation with bicarbonate will help to free the upper respiratory tract, solving the problem of a blocked nose. Prepare a pot of boiling water and make tools with a spoonful of baking soda - a grandmother's remedy as old as the world, which still works!
7. Natural syrup of turmeric and honey
Another superfood rich in properties to use as a natural cold remedy is turmeric. It is an extraordinary spice, which thanks to its anti bacterial and anti viral virtues strengthens the immune system by treating the first manifestations of seasonal ailments. You can use it for preventive purposes, in order not to get sick at all, perhaps by combining it with foods that strengthen your immune defenses, or if the damage is done, and you have the typical cold symptoms, you can prepare a special and all-natural syrup based on turmeric and honey . Honey, as already mentioned, is a natural antibiotic, which combined with turmeric becomes a fast and very effective remedy for colds. As an alternative to turmeric, or in addition, you can also use cinnamon. Just take 100 grams of honey, a tablespoon of turmeric powder (plus some cinnamon powder) and mix. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, and take one tablespoon of this syrup three times a day.
8. Herbal balm for the chest
If you don't feel like taking anything by mouth, or don't even feel like smoking, you can opt for balsamic breast massages. They help to drain excess mucus and clear the respiratory tract. A natural balsamic to use for massages, or alternatively in a boiling bath, is the eucalyptus essential oil, which we have already encountered. Prepare a massage balm with shea butter, to be dissolved in a bain-marie, and a few drops of oil eucalyptus essential. Then massage with warm hands on the chest, in correspondence of the lungs, with slow circular movements. For the hot bath, pour a few drops of eucalyptus oil into the tub full of hot water. Alternatively, you can choose a spruce or mint balsamic talc.
Cold in pregnancy: how to cure it?
A cold in pregnancy poses a few more problems, because it is always good for pregnant women not to take drugs. Natural remedies are therefore even more welcome in this case, and there is only the embarrassment of choice. Mothers-to-be may prefer a suitable honey, to be dissolved in a hot drink such as a ginger and lemon tea. For fumigations, green light for eucalyptus or peppermint oil, and obviously also for bicarbonate. Pregnant women can use any of the natural remedies listed above, with a few more precautions: if you are pregnant make sure you take plenty of fluids, not only water but also hot drinks or soups, choose an adequate diet and get plenty of rest. body helps the course of colds and heals faster.
Colds in babies and children: the most suitable natural remedies
Colds in babies and children are more difficult to cure, simply because children often have a tantrum or do not appreciate natural remedies based on substances they hate. Not all children appreciate the taste of turmeric, just to give an example ... What to do? Let's start with babies: cleaning the nose is essential to free them and make them breathe better.One solution is that of nasal washes: there are various physiological solutions based on thermal waters, saline waters or bicarbonate. Choose the one recommended by the pediatrician and proceed with the nasal wash. You can also use minimal doses of tea tree oil or eucalyptus essential oils to massage the chest if there is too much bronchial mucus. Be careful of the doses, however, which must be minimal so as not to risk irritating the skin. of children is perhaps easier to manage: you can use honey, which many children love, or lemon, or even, secretly pour a few drops of echinacea into children's glasses of water or milk. As children will rarely accept a ginger and honey tea, it's much better to opt for a good old glass of warm milk and honey. Give your little ones warm baths with fir or menthol talcum powder, especially if, as we expect, they refuse fumigations and grandmother's remedies that are too sacrificial. and fruit for vitamin C, natural honey and propolis syrups, and lots and lots of water.
For more useful information on colds, you can visit the EpiCentro website and read this article on the Umberto Veronesi Foundation website
