The cold season is in full swing. My significant other half has a really bad cold and makes the absolute worst patient. I can’t wait for him to hurry up and get better! One of the remedies I lovingly gave him was raw crushed garlic mixed with a little bit of olive oil. I wished I had taken a picture of him chomping on the garlic. Hey, but it worked. Today, he is up and about and his usual cheerful self.
Below are a few more unusual remedies you may want to try.
Eating a marshmallow
Adventure Time/Cartoon Network“A marshmallow to ease a sore throat is a very traditional remedy, and a bit slimy!” Eccles says.
Like a hot drink, it will stimulate your salivary glands. There is also research that marshmallow preparations can “help soothe irritated mucous membranes”.
Sage tea
“Sage has antibacterial and antiviral properties,” Eccles explains. However, as with echinacea, if you’re using pre-made teabags, you should check the provenance of the product.
Here’s an easy recipe for fresh sage tea:
To make sage tea, pour 1 cup of almost-boiling water over 2 tablespoons of fresh or 1 tablespoon of dried sage leaves. Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes and strain. Add honey and/or lemon, if desired. Sage tea may also be used as a throat gargle.
Note: sage tea is generally not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation.
Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/sage-tea-for-a-sore-throat-182714
.Steamy shower
Having a hot shower or a hot bath will help clear your airways and disperse that stuffed-up feeling. “Menthol and camphor in Vicks vaporub is good too”, Eccles adds. You could add a drop of vaporub to a bowl of hot water and steam that way also.
Here’s an easy tutorial.
Echinacea
http://wikimedia.orgEchinacea won’t make your cold go away, but it could prevent you from getting a cold in the first place.
In the largest clinical trial ever performed to test the efficacy of echinacea extract*, Eccles found that “compliant prophylactic intake of E. purpurea over a 4-month period appeared to provide a positive risk to benefit ratio”.
However, the quality of the echinacea is really important. “Saying ‘echinacea’ is like saying ‘wine’”, Eccles warns. “You have to think about what we call its provenance. What part of the flower is it, what’s the percentage of echinacea in the supplement?” The higher quality the product, the more impact it will have.
*(Safety and Efficacy Profile of Echinacea purpurea to Prevent Common Cold Episodes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Common Cold Centre and Healthcare, 2012)See the rest of the cold remedies at Buzzfeed
Source: Buzzfeed
