Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Colds

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Black Elderberry Tea for Colds

mr black (Ontario) on 07/16/2023
5 out of 5 stars

Make a tea with black elderberries to help with colds, about 2 tablespoons of berries, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cinnamon to 2 cups water combine everything bring to boil reduce to low simmer for about 10 minutes. I heard you need to cook the berries well because it contains some harmful compounds which are neutralized by boiling.

Bay Leaf, Clove, and Ginger Tea for Colds

Brent (Ontario) on 05/02/2023
5 out of 5 stars

Crush some bay leafs about a small handful, add some cloves fresh or ground powder about a teaspoon, and fresh ginger about an inch to some boiling water, boil for a few minutes on medium then simmer on low for awhile 15 minutes or so. Drink this to relieve chest congestion and open sinuses.

Lisa (NPB, FL) on 10/08/2019
5 out of 5 stars

Excellent, I loved the apple cider vinegar tea. Thank you, throat feels better already.

JT (USA) on 04/02/2020
5 out of 5 stars

Hello, My wife and I swab our ears and nostrils with 3% hydrogen peroxide any time we feel a cold coming on and she hasnt had a cold since 2014 and I havent had one since 2016 ( I felt it coming on that night and stupidly waited til the next morning to swab, LESSON LEARNED ). Now I always swab right away.

Valcie (Uk) on 03/27/2020
5 out of 5 stars

YAY Strengthening the immune system and ward off cold: Take a big cup add Grated fresh ginger Turmeric Pour hot on..then add honey and lemon with a pinch of black pepper, and drink

Joanne (Chicago) on 03/06/2020
5 out of 5 stars

Black Elderberry Syrup Found this stuff in the drugstore and didn't have much hope. It contains no drugs or alcohol, just elderberry concentrate and a bit of agave. It is VERY sweet so it is more palatable if you dissolve a couple spoonfuls in a glass of water. But crikey! The stuff actually works. Take it a few times a day and you will be perking up in no time. I prefer it to the OTC stuff that simply suppresses symptoms. I think if you go that route you end up slowing down the healing process.

Susan (San Francisco) on 03/01/2020
5 out of 5 stars

I woke up with the beginnings of a cold Friday morning. I generally take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C every hour every day. I started taking it (1,000 mg) every half hour and from the hours of 1:30pm – 4:00pm I took it every 15 minutes. I went back to every 1/2 hour after I started getting gassy. I did the same thing on Saturday. Today is Sunday and I’m back to my usual schedule of 1,000 mg every hour and I don’t have a cold anymore. The Ascorbic Acid got rid of it FAST. FYI – I’m a 65 year old female and I’ve never had the flu. I’ve always gotten colds (bad ones). This is the first cold I’ve had where I hardly felt like I had one.

Cindy (California Dessert) on 01/25/2020
5 out of 5 stars

Try elderberry capsules or powder to avoid the cold that leads to the sinus infections. As a teacher I usually get many head colds. Two years running I have only had 1! I seem to still get that darn croup in spite of the elderberry. It’s not tasty swallowed with water out of the nyquil med cups that aren’t in use anymore-unless I add bilberry powder which I understand is good for my eyes. It also comes in syrup (the elderberry) which I sometimes add a cap full to the lemonade in my lunchbox. Cheers

Angie (Walla Walla, WA) on 10/06/2019
5 out of 5 stars

Holy cow I tried the apple cider vinegar and baking soda remedy last night. I had had a runny nose all day and was feeling a cold coming on. I made some fresh ginger tea with some honey and added the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Before I went to bed I also put some hydrogen peroxide in my ears.

Today everything is pretty much gone. I still have a little pressure in my sinuses but I have not sniffed once today.

Thanks for your suggestion, I'm going to use this from now on!!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda

Caitlin (Austin) on 01/21/2019
5 out of 5 stars

As long as I keep grains non-existent in my diet, I don't catch colds. But when something is going around my neighborhood and even food carts at the supermarket may have cold germs attached to them I start to feel a sore throat, sneezing, congestion appearing -- especially during flu season. Here's a remedy that I got off Earthclinic years ago that still works quickly and brilliantly if you catch those symptoms when they first start:

1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tablespoon of Apple Cidar Vinegar in 6 oz of water once in the a.m. and once 1 hour before bed. For me, it works EVERY time. Gave this remedy to my daughter one night when she was so congested she could barely breathe. She took it; her boyfriend refused. Next morning, she went to work; he didn't. Took the stubborn lad a week before he finally relented and took "the remedy." He slept like a baby and went on to work, greatly uncongested the next day. As usual, check with your doctor first especially if you are salt intolerant, have stomach issues, or taking medications. Fasting once -twice weekly can also help build up your resistance to colds.

Black Elderberry Syrup Knocks Out Colds Fast

Veronicac (Tx) on 10/11/2020
5 out of 5 stars

I work in different schools for a large school district. I used to get sick a lot. Now I order dried elderberry off Amazon or other websites and make my own syrup. When I feel a sore throat coming on, I take about a tablespoon once an hour. It usually either knocks out the cold completely or cuts the symptoms and time down considerably. You can make a batch and freeze it for when you need it since it can ferment in the fridge if kept too long. There have been studies done that prove elderberry's therapeutic efficacy.

Even my husband, who doesn't like the taste, will ask for it when he is getting sick. It's the only thing I've found that actually works.

Baking Soda for Colds

Paracelsus (Orlando, Fl) on 07/10/2020
5 out of 5 stars

There are many different remedies that work but nothing works as fast and effective as baking soda. At the first sign of a cold or flu, take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water 6x the first day, 4x the second day, and 2x the third day. 95% of the time the cold is stopped in its tracks within the first 24 hours. Works for any viral infection as far as my experience goes, as long as you catch it right away.

EC: Warning: baking soda contains a lot of sodium. Be careful.

Vitamin C for Colds

Raeofsun13 (Colorado) on 12/25/2018
5 out of 5 stars

For colds, this cure has to be done at the first feeling you have a cold. Dose 2500mg every 30-40 minutes until the symptoms subside or you hit bowel tolerance. Bowel tolerance is defined as loose stools or gas. I have done this numerous times and have dosed as high as 30,000 mg in a day before hitting tolerance. The next day, I feel fine. I have been taking Vitamin C for years: 10,000 - 15,000 mg a day is my typical dose. Each person is different and has different needs, our bodies do not produce Vitamin C. During times of stress our body needs more age well. Haven’t had a cold in years since I started on Vitamin C daily.

Here are some articles...

Robert F. Cathcart, III, MD - google Vitamin C Protocol

Linus Pauling - google Vitamin C

Frederick R. Klenner, M.D - google Vitamin C

Amazing book by Irwin Stone can be found on this site - https://vitamincfoundation.org/stone/

http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitaminc.html

http://www.doctoryourself.com/klenner_table.html

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v02n01.shtml

http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v14n12.shtml

Cayenne and Apple Cider Vinegar Tea for Colds

Danaran (Naples, Fl) on 04/29/2018
5 out of 5 stars

1 Mug boiled water

1-2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV w/ "The Mother")

1-2 Tablespoons of raw honey

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

Amount of each ingredient should equal tolerance to the strength of the tea. I don't mind spice but you can start with mild strength. ( EX: 1 tablespoon each of ACV and raw honey and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper)

Drink as hot as you can. Repeat 2-3 times daily. This removed all the phlegm in sinuses and throat and had me feeling better in a few hours.

I felt better within 24 hours. Hope this helps!!

Coconut Oil for Colds

Mama To Many (Tn) on 04/19/2018
5 out of 5 stars

There are plenty of things I typically use for a cold, but I have finally streamlined the process for at least on of my children to simply coconut oil, since it seems to work especially well for him.

My 19 year old was starting with cold symptoms and simply doesn't have time to be sick between work and school. He is not home enough to easily dose with frequent vitamin C and vinegar tea, etc.

I just gave him 1 tablespoon of coconut oil morning and night. He readily takes it knowing how it helps him. The cold lost the wind in its sails quickly and I only dosed him for a few days.

I turned his morning dose into bulletproof mocha coffee but he took the evening dose off the spoon.

Here is how I make mocha bulletproof coffee for him:

1 cup hot coffee
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Blend in vitamix.

~Mama to Many~

Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears for Colds

Keisha (Tucker) on 04/17/2018
5 out of 5 stars

Yesterday I felt I was catching a cold that my kids had and did the peroxide in the ears remedy. I poured 3% into the cap and poured from the cap into one ear. Wow! Sent a shiver down the spine when it hits! Waited a few mins, then poured into the other ear. I can't believe it but I felt better within the hour and today back to normal.

Apple Cider Vinegar Always Works for Me!

Jdemmy (Kansas City, Missouri) on 01/23/2018
5 out of 5 stars

Have used apple cider vinegar many times for various issues like colds, sore throats, congestion, etc. Sometimes the problem is gone within a couple hours, sometimes it takes up to a day with several doses. But it always works! As far as dose: usually 1-2 Tbsps ACV, 1 tsp honey added to a full cup hot water.

Turmeric and Ginger Tea For Colds

Manuela (Medford, Ma) on 12/19/2017
5 out of 5 stars

I am fairly new to natural remedies but I am getting a lot of good information on this site and others. I have always suffered from colds that very often turn into horrible sinus infections. These occasionally turned into bronchitis and even pneumonia in the past from infected post-nasal drip. The nasal congestion is unbearable, severe and very painful, the whole head is affected and sleeping is impossible. Needless to say I am petrified of getting colds. Well, I just felt another one coming on a few days ago, but this time I beat it. I spent one day miserably congested and unable to breathe - the second day I made a tea with organic ingredients only, as follows:

1 tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp black pepper
1tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey

Boil one cup of water, add turmeric and ginger, let steep for a few minutes, add pepper, lemon and honey then strain the tea into a mug and drink it.

After I drank, I could feel a little change in the congestion, it was subtle. It would lessen, then come back. So I was discouraged, but then I fell asleep for a while and when I woke up I was completely decongested and could breathe freely thru my nose! That was 3 days ago, I have been drinking one cup a day and the cold is 95% better! This to me is nothing short than a miracle because I know the misery I can experience with my sinuses. I will continue for the next few days just in case, and as needed if symptoms come back. But in the meantime I am thrilled that it did not progress and make my life hell for weeks. Now I feel have a defense against this condition. Please give it a try, it may work for you as well.

God bless.

Mama's Thai Pumpkin Soup Recipe for Colds

Mama To Many (Tn) on 11/19/2017
5 out of 5 stars

Okay - I have another recipe for colds and immune support. I am so excited when I find a way to get goodies like fresh ginger and garlic into recipes that actually taste amazing. My husband and I LOVED this one. I think I will be making it often this fall. And it is super simple!

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Blend:

1 14 ounce can pumpkin
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
¾ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoon fresh ginger root

Blend in vitamix (or regular blender if you don't have one).
Heat on stove until hot. Or put in a crock pot on low for 2 hours.

~Mama to Many~

Honey Lime Drink for Summer Colds

Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 06/13/2017
5 out of 5 stars

We have a bit of a summer cold going around. I offered one child some hot vinegar tea but no one wants a hot drink when it is hot outside. So off to the kitchen to make a healing summer cold drink.

1 tablespoon of raw honey
1 ounce of hot water to dissolve the honey
3 ounces of cold water
juice of 1 lime
ice

Dissolve honey in hot water. Add cold water, lime juice and ice. Mix. Enjoy!
My kids loved this drink. It tastes like limeaid.

Son: Mommy, what is in this?

Mommy: Lime juice, honey, water

Son: What in this is good for a cold?

Mommy: Lime juice, honey, water

Lime has vitamin C, other nutrients and is alkalizing.

Honey is antiviral and antibacterial.

Water is hydrating.

So there you have it. A yummy drink for when you are sick or when you are not! :)

~Mama to Many~