Herbal Remedies for Cold
 Taken at the first sign of symptoms, echinacea can reduce a cold's intensity and duration, often even
preventing it from becoming a full-fledged infection.
Goldenseal helps clear mucus from the throat. It also contains the natural antibiotic berberine, which can
help prevent bacterial infections that often follow colds.
One of the Best Cold Remedy
For a good "cold tea," combine equal parts of elder (Sambucus nigra), peppermint (Mentha piperita),
and yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and steep 1 to 2 tsp of the mixture in 1 cup hot water. Take it hot just
before going to bed. This will induce a sweat, and if the cold is caught early enough, may stop it
altogether. Even if it is too late for this it will still be very useful. This tea can help the body handle fever
and reduce achiness, congestion, and inflammation. They may be taken with a pinch of mixed spice and a
little honey to soothe a painful throat.
Other herbs that may be added to the infusion include:
Cayenne (Capsicum minimum): a favorite North American Indian remedy: use 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) of the
powder to really stimulate the circulation.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): use a cinnamon stick, and break it into the mixture of herbs, for
a gentle, warming and sweat-inducing effect.
Ginger (Zingiber officinalis): grate a small piece of fresh root ginger into the mixture for extra heat.
Caution: Peppermint tea may interfere with the beneficial action of homoeopathic remedies.
Herbal Fever Remedy
1 ounce dried Elder Flowers
1 ounce dried Peppermint Leaves
½ pint distilled water
Mix the herbs. Place in a quart saucepan. Pour 1/2 pints of distilled boiling water over it. Cover and
allow to steep in a hot place for 10 to 15 minutes (do not boil). When ready, strain into another saucepan.
Sweeten with honey if desired.
This remedy drops high temperature associated with flu quite effectively. In some cases, the
temperature has been reduced from 104 to 99 degrees within two hours!! According to Dr. Dr. Edward
E. Shook, well known herbalist, "there is no remedy for colds and fevers of any description equal to this
simple life-saving formula." More Information.
Ginger Tea
Best Remedy from the Orient
In both ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is considered the best home remedy for colds.
Drink a cup of ginger tea several times (at least 3 times) a day. Ginger contains a dozen antiviral
compounds. And it tastes good. To make a tea, add 1 heaping teaspoon of grated fresh gingerroot to 1
cup of boiled water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. If you use dried ginger powder use 1/3 to 1/2
teaspoon of powdered ginger per cup.
Children's Herbal Antibiotic Formula
2 cups water
½ teaspoon echinacea root
½ teaspoon licorice root and
½ teaspoon barberry bark (or Oregon grape root)
Place water and herbs in a saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and steep for about
20 minutes. Strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give 1 cup of tea or half a dropperful (30 drops) of
tincture daily. To improve the flavor, the tea can be mixed with an equal amount of juice. In fact,
homemade apple and grape juice, unlike bottled juices, contain strong antiviral agents that fight colds
and flu.
Other Herbal Remedies
Use inhalations of chamomile, eucalyptus or thyme to help loosen mucus and heals the throat, nasal
passages and bronchial tubes. Horsetail inhalations reduce swelling of mucous membranes. Onion or
nasturtium inhalations disinfect. Ginkgo biloba leaf inhalations kill bacteria and heal the cells of the
damaged mucous membranes almost immediately.
Inhale steam for fifteen minutes three times daily in acute stage; when the condition is improving.
Inhale steam in the evening before retiring for a week or so to help heat the bronchial passages.
Boneset and sage help to break up congestion and bring down a fever. Take a cup of sage and boneset
tea up to three times daily for three to five days.
At the onset of a cold, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger to 1 cup of scalded milk. Add 1
tablespoon of honey and drink while hot. This remedy is very soothing and stimulating.
Hyssop Tea may prevent Colds and Infections.
Traditional Peppermint Cure for Fever helps to break a fever by causing the recipient to perspire.
Comfrey - Elderberry Cold and Fever Remedy also reduces fever associated with cold by inducing
perspiration.
Royal Herbal Tea For Severe Colds is useful to treat severe cold symptoms.
Delicious Cold Remedy: This delicious cold remedy will get rid of symptoms of cold pretty fast. It will
also clean your system.
Take a cup of chamomile tea twice daily, as needed to help yourself rest and relax.
Mullein flower tea has a pleasant taste and is good to soothe inflamed conditions of the mucous
membrane lining the throat. Also relieves coughing. Put a small handful of the mullein flowers in 1 pint of
boiling water. Allow to steep 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey.
Take a soothing herbal bath with chamomile, calendula, rosemary, and/ or lavender if you are restless
and irritable, . Keep the water comfortably warm and treat yourself to a long, lazy soak.
Put 1/2 pound of dried mustard in 2 quarts of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Add this liquid to foot
bath to treat colds and respiratory problems.
Basil tea, made from the fresh or dried herb, may be used to encourage a slight sweat in the early stages
of a cold, thus reducing feverishness. A pinch of ground cloves may also be added for flavor and
encourage reduction of fever.
Elderberry may help to reduce both the severity and the duration of colds. Choose an extract
standardized to contain 5 percent total flavonoids and take 500 milligrams three times daily.
Garlic (Allium sativum) appears to shorten a cold's duration and severity. Any form seems to work:
capsules or tablets, oil rubbed on the skin, or whole garlic roasted or cooked in other foods. If you elect
capsules, take three of them, three times daily, until the cold is over.
Important Herbs for Cold
Echinacea
Echinacea is believed to reduce the symptoms of Cold and Flu and helps in the recovery.
There are three main species of echinacea: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea
pallida. E. purpurea is the most widely used. It isn't clear if any one type is better than the others.
In Germany, echinacea is the main remedy for minor respiratory infections.
Echinacea is considered to be an immune stimulant. It appears to activate the body's infection-fighting
capacity.
There are some evidence that, when taken at the onset of a cold or flu, echinacea can help you get
better faster and reduce your symptoms while you are sick. For example, echinacea significantly
reduced symptoms such as headache, lethargy, cough, and aching limbs1,4 when administered to people
with flu-like illnesses; echinacea administration to people immediately after they have started showing
signs of getting a cold,3 resulted in them showing improvement in cold symptoms much sooner than in the
placebo group (4 days instead of 8 days). In another clinical trial, echinacea was found to reduce the
length of colds by about 30%,5 (the length of illness was reduced from 13 days to about 9.5 days, when
echinacea was administered instead of placebo.
Interestingly, the dosage used is important for effectiveness. In a double-blind study involving 180
people with flu-like illnesses, participants were given either placebo or 450 mg or 900 mg of E. purpurea
daily.2 By about the third day, those participants receiving the higher dose of echinacea (900 mg)
showed noticeable relief in the severity of symptoms. There was no real benefit in the placebo or
low-dose echinacea group.
Investigators also tried to determine whether echinacea can prevent colds from occurring. The answer
seems to be in the negative. In most studies reported so far, the regular use of echinacea failed to
significantly reduce the incidence of colds.6�? In fact, in one study, echinacea was found to actually
increase your risk slightly.10
The constituents found in echinacea was found to increase antibody production, raise white blood cell
counts, and stimulate the activity of key white blood cells.11�?7
Recommended Dosage
Powdered extract - 300 mg 3 times daily.
Alcohol tincture (1:5) - 3 to 4 ml 3 times daily.
Echinacea juice - 2 to 3 ml 3 times daily.
Whole dried root - 1 to 2 g 3 times daily.
Many herbalists feel that liquid forms of echinacea are more effective than tablets or capsules because
they believe that part of echinacea's benefit is due to direct contact with the tonsils and other lymphatic
tissues at the back of the throat.18
Take echinacea at the first sign of a cold and continue for 7 to 14 days. Long-term use may not be
helpful.
Andrographis
Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries. It is sometimes called "Indian
echinacea" because it is believed to provide much the same benefits as echinacea.
In fact, andrographis was found to both reduce the symptoms and shorten the duration of colds in clinical
trials.
Those who were given andrographis19 reported that their colds were less intense than usual, reported
less sick leave, they got well sooner.
Andrographis also reduced the cold symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, sore muscles, runny nose,
headache, and lymph node swelling.20
As in the case of echinacea, the dosage used is important for its effectiveness. In a double-blind study
involving 152 adults compared the effectiveness of andrographis (at either 3 g per day or 6 g per day)
versus acetaminophen for sore throat and fever.21 The higher dose of andrographis (6 g) decreased
symptoms of fever and throat pain, as did acetaminophen, while the lower dose of andrographis (3 g) did
not. There were no significant side effects in either group.
Recommended Dosage
Take 400 mg 3 times daily with lots of liquids at mealtimes.
Andrographis is typically standardized to its andrographolide content, usually 4 to 6% in many
commercial products.
Safety
No significant adverse effects have been reported in human studies of andrographis. .22
However, it is not recommended for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe
liver or kidney disease. There are some concerns from animal studies that andrographis may impair
fertility.
Ginseng
In Eastern Europe, ginseng is widely believed to improve overall immunity to illness. It appears that
regular use of ginseng may prevent colds.
There are actually three different herbs commonly called ginseng: Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax
ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and Siberian "ginseng" (Eleutherococcus senticosus).
A double-blind placebo-controlled study looked at the potential immune-stimulating effects of Panax
ginseng when taken by mouth.23 This trial involved 227 individuals at three medical offices in Milan,
Italy. Half were given ginseng at a dose of 100 mg daily, and the other half took placebo. Four weeks
into the study, all participants received influenza vaccine.
The results showed a significant decline in the frequency of colds and flus in the treated group compared
to the placebo group (15 versus 42 cases). Also, antibody measurements in response to the vaccination
rose higher in the treated group than in the placebo group.
So finally we may have a herb that will prevent us from getting the cold afterall!
Recommended Dosage
Panax ginseng: 1 to 2 g of raw herb, or 200 mg daily of an extract standardized to contain 4 to 7%
ginsenosides.
Eleutherococcus: 2 to 3 g whole herb or 300 to 400 mg of extract daily.
A 2- to 3-week period of using ginseng is recommended, followed by a 1- to 2-week "rest" period.
Russian herbal tradition suggests that ginseng should not be used by those under 40 years old.
Safety
The various forms of ginseng appear to be nontoxic, both in the short and long term, in animal studies.
Ginseng also does not seem to be carcinogenic.24-26
Side effects are rare. Occasionally women report menstrual abnormalities and/or breast tenderness
when they take ginseng along with overstimulation and insomnia. Highly excessive dosages of ginseng
can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and possibly cause other significant effects. Ginseng
allergy can also occur.
Some herbalists believe that ginseng can interfere with drug metabolism, specifically drugs processed by
an enzyme called "CYP 3A4." Ask your physician or pharmacist whether you are taking any
medications of this type. Other reports showed ginseng interacting with MAO inhibitor drugs and
digitalis. It is possible that some of these interactions are because of contamination in ginseng and may
not have anything to do with the herb itself.
Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease has
not been established. Chinese herbalists recommend that ginseng should not be used during pregnancy or
lactation.
Ginger
Ginger contains nearly a dozen antiviral compounds. Scientists have isolated several chemicals
(sesquiterpenes) in ginger that have specific effects against the most common family of cold viruses, the
rhinoviruses. Some of these chemicals are remarkably potent in their anti-rhinovirus effects.
Other constituents in ginger, gingerols and shogaols, help relieve cold symptoms because they reduce
pain and fever, suppress coughing and have a mild sedative effect that encourages rest.
Onion
Onion is a close to garlic biologically and contains many similar antiviral chemicals.
Steep raw onion slices overnight in honey. Take the resulting mixture at intervals like a cough syrup.
You can also use more onions in cooking whenever you have a cold.
Anise
Commission E in Germany recommended aniseed as an expectorant for getting rid of phlegm. In large
doses, it also has some antiviral benefits.
Make a tea by steeping one to two teaspoons of crushed aniseed in a cup or two of boiling water for 10
to 15 minutes. Then strain it. Anise is often chewed by Asian Indians after their meals. It is also one of
the ingredients used in "Indian Chai."
Suggested dose: one cup of tea, morning and/or night. This should help you cough up whatever's loose
and also help you fight the cold.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal increases the blood supply to the spleen, an organ that's the staging area for the fighting
cells of your immune system. It is antiseptic and immune stimulating.
The major healing component in goldenseal, berberine, activates special white blood cells (macrophages)
that are responsible for destroying bacteria, fungi, viruses and tumor cells. Several related chemicals in
the herb appear to help the berberine do its job.
Take 10 to 15 drops of goldenseal in an alcohol-free form, known as glycerite tincture, two to three
times a day for seven to 10 days.
Licorice
Licorice contains antiviral compounds that induce the release of interferons, the body's own antiviral
constituents.
Marsh mallow and other mallows
Marsh mallow has been used for thousands of years as a soothing herb for cold-related cough and sore
throat and other respiratory conditions. Marsh mallow roots contain a spongy material called mucilage
that soothes inflamed mucous membranes.
Most members of the mallow family, including okra and roselle, contain soothing mucilage. One way to
take advantage of this is by adding a lot of okra to your chicken soup.
Seneca snakeroot
Seneca snakeroot is used as an expectorant for reducing upper respiratory phlegm in Germany. To
make a tea, use about one teaspoon per cup of boiling water. (This herb is also recommended for
treatment of bronchitis and emphysema.)
Slippery elm
Slippery elm bark contains large quantities of a mucilage that acts as an effective throat soother and
cough suppressant.
Watercress
Use two to three teaspoons of dry watercress to make a tea for treating cold-related runny nose and
cough. Or try an ounce of fresh watercress--it makes a great addition to a salad.
Other Herbs
Various herbs are said to work like ginseng and enhance immunity over the long term, including
ashwagandha, astragalus, garlic, suma, reishi, and maitake.
Several herbs, including osha, yarrow, kudzu, and ginger, are said to help avert colds when taken at the
first sign of infection. Other herbs sometimes recommended to reduce cold symptoms include mullein,
marshmallow, and peppermint.
Herbal Remedies
Herbal Fever Remedy
1 ounce dried Elder Flowers
1 ounce dried Peppermint Leaves
½ pint distilled water
Mix the herbs. Place in a quart saucepan. Pour 1/2 pints of distilled boiling water over it. Cover and
allow to steep in a hot place for 10 to 15 minutes (do not boil). When ready, strain into another saucepan.
Sweeten with honey if desired.
This remedy drops high temperature associated with flu quite effectively. In some cases, the
temperature has been reduced from 104 to 99 degrees within two hours!! According to Dr. Dr. Edward
E. Shook, well known herbalist, "there is no remedy for colds and fevers of any description equal to this
simple life-saving formula." More Information.
Other Remedies
Psyllium - Boneset Flu Remedy: This remedy is useful for flu as well as for backaches and headaches.
Peppermint-Rosemary-Elder Flu Remedy: This remedy is good for colds with flu Symptoms.
Echinacea and goldenseal stimulate the immune sys tem. Goldenseal also helps to soothe mucous
membranes. Add 10-15 drops of a combination of echinacea and goldenseal to herbal teas at the first
sign of a sniffle to boost the immune system. Take one dose of an echinacea and goldenseal combination
remedy supplying 250 to 500 milligrams of echinacea and 150 to 300 milligrams of goldenseal three times
daily for five days.
An infusion of boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) may relieve aches and fever and clear congestion:
Simmer 1 cup boiling water with 2 tsp of the herb for 10 to 15 minutes; drink a cupful every hour, as hot
as you can stand it.
A comforting herbal tea may be made from an infusion of equal measures of elderflowers, peppermint
and hyssop. Caution: Take only small doses of hyssop (no more than 1-2g three times daily).
To combat chills, try taking 30 drops of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) or elder (Sambucus nigra) flower
tincture every four hours until your chills are gone.
Use a warming tea made of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Cayenne (Capsicum minimum) and
ground Ginger (Zingiber officinalis).
To help yourself rest and relax, take a cup of chamomile tea twice a day.
Use inhalations of chamomile, eucalyptus or thyme. These help loosen mucus and heal the throat, nasal
passages and bronchial tubes.
Horsetail inhalations reduce swelling of mucous membranes.
At the first sign of the flu, begin taking the Chinese botanical formula Yin Qiao. (This remedy usually is
not helpful after the third day of symptoms.) Take two or three tablets three times a day, up to twelve
tablets in a twenty- four-hour period, during the acute phase of the flu. After the symptoms start to
ease, reduce the dosage to one tablet three times daily for one week.
In a 1995 Israeli study, elderberry extract was found to reduce both the severity of symptoms and the
duration of flu (two to three days in the treated group versus six days in the placebo group). Choose an
extract standardized to contain 5 percent total flavonoids and take 500 milligrams twice daily.
Garlic helps to detoxify the body. Take 500 milligrams (or one clove) three times a day for up to five
days.
Take ginger tea. Ginger tea is antiviral and helps break up the mucus and congestion. Ginger tea is
excellent if the stomach is affected. To make the tea, boil 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger in 2 cups
of water for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Take a cup as needed.
Onion or nasturtium inhalations disinfect.
Ginkgo biloba leaf inhalations kill bacteria and heal the cells of the damaged mucous membranes almost
immediately.
Inhale steam for fifteen minutes three times daily in acute stage. When the condition is improving, inhale
steam in the evening before retiring for a week or so to help heat the bronchial passages.
When feeling more feverish, induce sweating by taking infusions of Catmint (Nepeta cataria) and/or
Elderflower (Sambucus nigra).
To help alleviate and disinfect dry air passages, add 10 drops of tea tree oil to a bowl of hot water or
vaporizer and leave in bedroom overnight. A small handkerchief sprinkled with a few drops of the oil
and left under the pillow may help as well.
At the onset of a flu, drink lindenflower tea with 2 drops of lemon balm oil, thyme tea with honey, rose
hip tea or acerola juice. When you start to sweat, quickly go to bed and continue sweating for one hour.
Change clothes, rub body dry and try to steep. This therapy often stops the flu before it becomes full
blown.
Gargle regularly with sage tea to disinfect mouth, and use sage inhalations to reduce inflammation.
Wash body with an infusion of thyme or juniper needles.
If you are suffering from muscular aching, use an infusion of Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) alone, or
in combination with Catmint (Nepeta cataria) and/or Elderflower (Sambucus nigra).
Chinese Herbal Formula for Flu
Gan Mao Dan (Common Cold and Flu Pills)
This remedy expels Wind-Heat, reduces fever, relieves chest congestion, and stops cough.
Symptoms:
.Cough
.Fatigue
.Fever with slight chills
.Headache
.Nausea
.Red eyes
.Runny nose
.Skin rash
.Sore throat
Ingredients:
Lonicera Flower (Flos Lonicerae), Forsythia Fruit (Fructus Forsythiae), Gardenia Fruit (Fructus
Gardeniae), Phragmites Rhizome (Rhi- zoma Phragmites), Red Peony Root (Radix Paeonia Rubra),
Wooly Grass Rhizome (Rhizoma Imperatae Cylindricae), Soja Seed (Semen Sojae Praeparatum),
Mentha Herb (Herba Menthae), Morus Leaf (Herba Mori), Schizonepeta Herb (Herba Schizonepetae),
Aster Root (Radix Asteris Tatarici), Platycodon Root (Radix Platycodi), Citrus Peel (pericarpium Citri
Reticulatae)
Dosage:
20 pills twice a day.
Important Herbs for Flu
Echinacea:
Echinacea has been a traditional favorite for colds and flu. Double blind studies in Germany have shown
that infections with flu-like symptoms clear more rapidly when taking echinacea.1 Echinacea appears to
work by stimulating the immune system. Taking 3�? ml of tincture or 300 mg of dried root powder three
times per day is usually recommended.
Elderberry:
Elderberry is another herb that has been used in treating flu. This herb contains two compounds that are
active against flu viruses. It also prevents the virus from invading respiratory tract cells.
A patented Israeli drug (Sambucol) that contains elderberry is active against various
strains of viruses. In a clinical trial testing Sambucol, twenty percent of flu sufferers who used it showed
significant relief of fever, muscle aches and other symptoms within 24 hours, and another 73 percent felt
better after the second day. In three days, 90 percent were reported completely cured. In a similar
group that received an inactive treatment (a placebo), only 26 percent were improved in two days, and it
took most of them six days to feel well again.
Sambucol also stimulates the immune system and has shown some activity in preliminary trials against
other viruses, such as Epstein-Barr, herpes and even HIV.
In a small double blind trial, patients with influenza2 were found to recover three times faster when
they took one capsule of elderberry extract four times daily compared to patients taking placebo.
You can take the medication or take the herb by making a tea from the herb.
Make elderberry-flower tea by steeping 3 to 5 g of dried flowers in one cup of boiling water for 10 to 15
minutes. Take 1 cup of this tea 3 times daily.
Elderberry flower is generally regarded as safe. Side effects are rare and consist primarily of occasional
mild gastrointestinal distress or allergic reactions. Its safety in young children, pregnant or nursing
women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease is not established.
Astragalus
Astragalus root has been used to enhance immunity for thousands of years in China. This herb is
considered by herbal practitioners to be a tonic that strengthens the body’s resistance to disease.
Astragalus can stimulate practically all of the processes of your immune system. It increases the number
of stem cells in bone marrow and speeds their growth into active immune cells.
Astragalus also may help boost levels of interferon, one of your body’s potent fighters against viruses.
This, in turn, can help prevent or shorten the duration of colds and flu. Astragalus alson boosts the
production of white blood cells called macrophages, whose function is to destroy invading viruses and
bacteria.
As soon as you discover the flu, take one 500- milligram capsule of astragalus four times a day until
symptoms disappear. Then take one capsule twice a day for seven days to prevent a relapse.
Garlic:
Garlic is known to kill influenza virus in test tubes.3 It also stimulates the immune system and wards off
complications such as bronchitis.
Garlic contains several helpful compounds, including allicin, one of the plant kingdom's most potent,
broad-spectrum antibiotics. This herb's aromatic compounds are readily released from the lungs and
respiratory tract, putting garlic's active ingredients right where they can be most effective against cold
viruses.
Holistic practitioners often recommend taking several cloves of raw garlic per day during an infection.
You can also take aged garlic extract, or consume products such as hot garlic bread or toast.
Asian ginseng (eleuthero)
Asian ginseng have immune-enhancing properties, which play a potential role in preventing infection
with influenza. Boneset has been shown in test tube and other studies to stimulate immune cell function.4
This may explain boneset’s traditional use to help fight off minor viral infections, such as the flu.
Wild Indigo:
Wild indigo contains polysaccharides and proteins that are believed to stimulate the immune system. It is
used traditionally to fight the flu5 in combination with herbs such as echinacea, goldenseal, or thuja.
Forsythia and honeysuckle
These herbs are used by Oriental Medicine practitioners to treat colds, flu and other viruses. They have
real antiviral benefits.
At the inception of cold or flu, mix honeysuckle and forsythia with lemon balm tea (lemon balm also has
antiviral properties.) Take this tea before going to bed.
Mullein
A tea made with mullein flowers provides throat-soothing mucilage and also has an expectorant effect.
Herbalists think that this plant contains compounds that inhibit flu viruses. You can also make a tea with
mullein leaf.
Other Herbs
Bayberry
Boneset
Calendula
Ginger
Goldenseal
Lemon balm
Oregon grape
Thyme
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