Natural Remedies for the Common Cold

Mike has been feeling under the weather the past couple of days. He's not the one for being taken care of (that's me, thank you) so I've been trying to help make him feel better in small ways. You know I'm into things all-natural, so I've been trying some natural aids to help mike's cold/flu (?) go away quicker. Here's a list of some tried and true and some new and interesting natural treatments. 

1. Vitamin C

A medium orange contains 70 mgs of Vitamin C. Although clinical evidence is mixed, my personal experience has shown Vitamin C at the earliest signs of cold/flu symptoms has eliminated symptoms or shortened duration of the illness.

2. Honey

Warm water or tea with honey helps soothe a sore throat and some studies suggest that 2 teaspoons of honey before bedtime is as effective as OTC cough medicines in children - Mayo Clinic

3. Chicken Soup

Chicken soup: 1. Acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response and 2. Temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining - MayoClinic

4. Humidifiers

Cold viruses thrive in dry conditions, so a humidifier adds moisture to the air and soothes dry nasal passages - MayoClinic 

5. Neti Pot

Although @SarahJensen referred to Neti potting as "waterboarding for hippies" it actually works really well to clear out excess mucous.

Some new and interesting treatments I'm interested in trying are elderberry syrup, and garlic

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*Disclaimer: This is from my own personal research and experience and is by no way a substitute for medical advice*