4 Natural Ingredients to Fight Your Cold or Flu

I’m no doctor but there are a few natural ingredients well-known for helping your immune system. It’s still flu season, it’s still cold out, and I’m sure a lot of you out there are sick. You might even be reading this from a fever induced stupor. Grab your warmest blanket, call your closest friend, and send them this list so they know what to bring you back from the store.

Here’s your list of 4 natural ingredients to help you fight whatever’s fighting your immune system.

1. Garlic

If you’re brave, chew a garlic clove, or 4 (a warning from personal experience – it burns. a lot.).

According to healthline.com:

“Whole garlic contains a compound called allicin. When garlic is crushed or chewed, this compound turns into allicin (with a c), the main active ingredient in garlic. Allicin contains sulfur, which gives garlic its distinctive smell and taste. However, allicin is unstable, so it quickly converts to other sulphur-containing compounds thought to give garlic its medicinal properties. These compounds have been shown to boost the disease-fighting response of some types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses, such as the viruses that cause the common cold or flu.”

2. Ginger

This one is recommended as a shot. Just a pure ginger juice shot.

According to Women’s Health:

“Ginger, an antioxidant, fights free radicals and toxins in your body. And if you’re already feeling sick, its anti-inflammatory properties will aid in your recovery, speeding up the process.”

3. Epsom Salt

You can gargle epsom salt, and soak in a bath of it. Gargling epsom salt won’t affect your blood pressure like regular table salt would.

According to The Healthy Maven:

“The idea is that gargling salt water actually pulls viral fluids out from the throat area. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water and gargle it all 1-2x a day.” The benefit of an epsom salt bath is that “the minerals in the bath cause the toxins in your body to be released in the bath.”

4. Honey

There’s a reason why cough medicines feature honey on their packaging, or even try to emulate it with added ingredients.

According to VeryWellHealth:

“A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that people who consumed honey before bed coughed less frequently and severely, and were less likely to lose sleep due to coughing than those who didn’t take honey. (Two teaspoons at bedtime are recommended.) […] **Honey should never be given to a child younger than 1 year due to the risk of botulism.**”

Let’s go get healthy!