Fall officially kicked off September 22 and wouldn’t you know it: I woke up with a sore throat and the sniffles. Thanks, autumn!
Everybody has a favorite folk remedy, right? At the first sign of a cold, my mom swears by drinking a glass of orange juice and eating one green onion. So random, right? But she never, ever gets sick.
Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I attack it by dosing myself with echinacea and tons of water and I’m telling you, I haven’t had a cold since before Jake deployed more than a year and a half ago. I buy all my echinacea tinctures from local apothecary Soothing Herbals.
I’m aware of that 2010 study showing that echinacea is no more effective than a placebo at curing colds, but study shmudy! If it is the placebo effect at work, rather than the herb (or OJ and green onions!), that’s even more intriguing since it suggests the extent to which attitudes, expectations and beliefs play a role in combatting ailments and illnesses. A fascinating article in The New Yorker last year explored how the placebo effect might be on its way to becoming its own branch of medicine (I couldn’t find the entire article online, but you can check out the abstract here).
My favorite cold combatting concoction: Combine 1-2 droppers of echinacea to a glass. Add 1/4 cup fresh juice and top with seltzer from my beloved Sodastream (greatest invention ever, these things). Drink 3-4 glasses a day until symptoms go away, which usually happens in a day or so.
The trick, I’ve found, is to dose myself at the first inkling of a cold. If I wait until the cold takes hold, it’s too late; I’m sick and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
What about you? What are your favorite folk remedies for curing the common cold? And do you think it’s the remedy itself or the placebo effect?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I use elderberry concentrate, a few drops in a glass of juice. It is available in health food stores. My brother told me it was the only remedy of it’s kind shown in tests to shorten the duration of a cold when taken after onset.
I’m a big fan of Airborne. Ever since I’ve started using it my colds only last 1-2 days. I start with 2 tablets in 16 oz water, and then continue taking 1 every 4-5 hours until the symptoms resolve. I also make sure I exercise. I feel like it clears the infection out of the body faster.
Airborne: Good to know, Beth.
I use echinacea, elderberry, ginger and tulsi. I wrote a post about the actions of these herbs anad how they kicked my cold in just one day:
http://www.soothingherbals.com/2012/09/how-to-head-off-a-cold-nip-it-in-the-bud-with-herbs/
My favorite cure for a common cold? About 10 days in the Cayman Islands.
Not a cure, but it sure does help ease the symptoms before bed – we call it grandma tea, because my Grandma Ginny swore by the medicinal qualities. 1 mug piping hot lipton tea, 1/2 shot good rum, 1/2 shot of lemon juice, honey to taste. Does seem to help relax the bronchials and send you gently off to the land of nod.
We have used Zicam with some success. I will agree that some time in the warm sun.. does tend to make it seem like you get well faster too..lol! I definitely think that in some way, we have some control over getting sick. I am sure many people will be able to think about all the times that you are busy, busy, busy.. and when you finally get a chance to “take a break”.. vacation.. weekend.. you get a cold! Now, it could be that all the stress that came before made your immune system weaker.. but I kind of think that you subconsciously “know” you can finally afford to take the time to be sick.. so that is when it hits you!
2 shots of Wild Turkey 101 before bedtime. For those who don’t want to try that my wife swears by Zicam but it has never worked for me.
The John Wayne method of curing colds!
If I’m paying attention and notice a slight irritation in my throat (the first place mine start), I go to bed “on time” with a little Vicks on my throat and lightly under my nose. Eight hrs of sleep and a little Vicks assist will keep a cold away.
The steam treatment keeps my colds very short (1 or 2 days) and very mild.
If I’m too late and the cold’s caught me, I boil a little water, dissolve a generous spoonful of Vicks, and hold my head over the pot with a towel covering my head to keep the steam in. I alternate inhaling the steam through my mouth and nose before bed and upon waking. I sometimes include Kat’s recipe to make me go to sleep quickly, only I prefer “Jack” instead of rum.
Hey Jessie, When was it I met you in Buchanan? 2 months ago at least. Finally I get around to checking your blog, and find cold remedies. Zinc, echinacea, and at bedtime, a hot toddy of whiskey, honey, fresh lemonjuice, and boiling water. Also if I can find it, I chew on fresh hot horseradish, which seems to clear out everything. Is there a time I can chat with you about something? If you want to call me, I’m at 463-5439.Love, Katie
If you we’re not successful at keeping the cold away I have a great cough remedy. We use ginger and molasses or ginger and honey. You can grate your own fresh ginger or just use the powder, mix it in with the honey or molasses and eat a spoonful. The ginger suppresses the cough and the honey or molasses coats the throat.