5 Natural Remedies to Fight Cold and Flu

Image Gallery These lovely flowers are echinacea, a popular natural remedy for colds and flu. Rick Wetherbee

Few of us make it through the winter without a scratchy throat, a runny nose or worse. You can't very well hold your breath all winter, but you can put your immune system in top-notch form to fight colds and flu by employing these natural methods for easing symptoms and hastening recovery:

Vitamin C. While study results vary on using vitamin C to prevent colds, some vitamin C users do report a reduced duration and severity of cold symptoms, indicating that it may play some role in respiratory defense mechanisms. Eating vitamin C-rich foods, such as peppers, guava, citrus fruits, strawberries and leafy greens, is always a great idea.

Zinc. There have been about a dozen studies on zinc lozenges and nasal gels, with mixed results. In a recent European study, children received zinc sulphate (15 milligrams of zinc) as a syrup for seven months, with a doubling of the dose at the onset of cold symptoms. Compared to kids who took a placebo syrup, those taking zinc had significantly fewer colds, and the colds they got were shorter and milder. Side effects with the zinc lozenges include nausea and weird taste. And there have been reports of people permanently losing their sense of smell after using the nasal gels ? a good reason to choose lozenges instead.

Echinacea. Two types of echinacea preparations have repeatedly been shown effective in fighting colds and flu: the juice of the aboveground parts of E. purpurea (marketed as Echinagard), and the alcoholic extracts (tinctures) of the roots of E. purpurea and E. pallida. Though study results are mixed, most experts say that when a good product is taken in adequate and frequent doses at the onset of symptoms, echinacea can shorten the duration and severity of a cold.