Herbs for the common cold

Achoo! Has anybody else been sniffling lately? All the sneezing, nose blowing and congestion this past week has led me to feel like a snuffleupagus. My nose is so inflamed it feels like an elephant’s trunk. Have you ever tried to search for a word you cannot spell? It took me 24 hours to figure out how to even come close to spelling snuffleupagus. I didn’t know if it was a real word or one I had made up in my cold-affected head. Snuffleupagus was a character on Sesame Street. Now I remember.

Plants have been used as medicine since before recorded history, so I thought I would turn to some common herbs and spices for my very common cold. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea and other Echinacea species) may help boost the immune system. They reviewed some clinical studies and found that the occurrence and duration of the common cold was decreased by 58 percent in individuals taking Echinacea. UMM also recommends peppermint because of its menthol content, which they state makes for a good decongestant. http://www.umm.edu.

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is one of several items recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil. This herb has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. It is an adaptogen which means it helps protect the body. Also, olive leaf extract (Olea europa) has been shown in lab studies to suppress certain viruses including the common cold. Dr. Weil states that “oleuropein, the extract, is a bitter substance removed from olives during processing”. https://www.drweil.com.

The University of Rochester suggests eating extra oranges, grapefruit, peaches or red peppers due to their high vitamin C content. They also mention thyme or jujube tea for a cough and garlic for a runny nose. If you have difficulty sleeping due to your cold, then they recommend eating some celery before bedtime due to its sedative powers. http://blogs.rochester.edu/thegreendandelion/2013/02/natural-remedies-cold-and-flu/.

Another online source from the University of Wisconsin suggests taking honey at night. They state honey has “been found to be as good as or better than dextromethorphan or antihistamines, which are ingredients in most over the counter remedies”. They recommend one-half to two teaspoons before going to bed. Never give honey to children under the age of one. https://www.uwhealth.org/news/do-favorite-cold-and-flu-remedies-actually-work/45099.

For the brave, check out this home remedy for a cough recipe posted by Bonnie McMillen with the University of Pittsburg. I’m thinking if it doesn’t cure a cough, it will definitely make you stop thinking about it for a good long while. I would have some milk or yogurt on hand to put out the fire in your mouth that may very well occur. http://www.pitt.edu/~cjm6/sp99cough.html.

Dr. Josh Axe shares a homemade vapor rub recipe on his website. https://draxe.com/homemade-vapor-rub/. It contains olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils.

Prevention is best, of course. Some of the best ways to avoid catching the common cold are to wash your hands and stay away from folks who are sick. However, since avoiding people during the holiday season can be particularly tricky, the Mayo Clinic has additional suggestions for cold prevention here. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/symptoms-causes/syc-20351605.

Kelley Rawlsky has an M.S. in horticulture and is the director of Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticulture education and therapy to the community. For more information: PeopleAndPlantsTogether@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.

Originally published in Broomfield Enterprise - Dec 17, 2017