How To Cure a Cold: Home Remedies for Cold and Flu

Wondering how to cure a cold? When you start to feel that familiar tickle in your throat or find yourself reaching for the tissues to blow your nose, it’s time to start planning how to get rid of that dreaded cold.

So before you wave your white flag and accept your fate, keep in mind you may be able to fight it off. Especially if you do all the right things, like drinking lots of water, resting and eating healthily. There are also plenty of natural cold remedies and home remedies for cold and flu that can give you a fighting chance of fighting off an illness. Why not give them a try?

Here’s how to combat cold and flu with some natural cold remedies.

5 Natural Cold Remedies You Need To Try

Turmeric (Golden Milk)

Turmeric is a very powerful spice, and it’s known for helping to fight off a perky cold. The trouble is, it doesn’t taste great on its own. Try having a ‘golden milk’, including combination of water, turmeric, ginger, honey and pepper. While it might not sound that appealing, it’s actually a very comforting sweet drink perfectly for instantly perking you up a bit.

Ginger

Ginger has a ton of health benefits, and the strong smelling herbal remedy really packs a punch. It contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe a sore throat and ease a cold. Did you know the Chinese have been using ginger for over 2,500 years to fight colds? It apparently thins mucus and warms the lungs. Oh, and it also aids digestion in case you’re unlucky enough to have a bad tummy, too.

Water

Sure, it’s an obvious one. But still, many people fail to drink enough water on a good day, let alone when they’re ill. One of the best cold and flu remedies is simply to up your water intake to flush all of that nastiness out of your system and keep you hydrated whilst you're fighting off persistent illness.

Garlic

So you might not love eating raw garlic, (or go out in public after having a taste) but chances are if you’re ill, you’ll be confined to the sofa and a duvet anyway.

Garlic contains a powerful antibacterial (Allicin) that can help fight infection. However, it has to be eaten raw for you to benefit from it. Garlic also has compounds that help the immune system fight germs, while some studies show that garlic reduces the risk of becoming sick in the first place. It’s time to get munching!

Hot Tea

One of the best and most simple home remedies for treating a cold is making yourself a nice hot cuppa. Researchers at the Cold Centre at Cardiff University did a study on hot tea and colds and found ‘the hot drink provided immediate and sustained relief from symptoms of runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness and tiredness.’

Natural remedies can do a really good job of helping you beat a cold. So whether you want to stock up on some additional supplies and medicines to make you feel better, or go all natural, pop down to your nearest convenience store for everything you need today.