Organic Cold Remedies

You cannot cure a cold, but you can ease cold symptoms and reduce the duration of a cold with organic remedies. The best way to treat a cold is prevention. Once you have a cold, people have many over-the-counter medicine choices. Many natural cold remedies soothe cold symptoms and you can incorporate them into your daily diet as preventative treatment.

Vitamin C

• Vitamin C is a commonly used natural remedy for preventing colds. Although vitamin C won't have much effect once you catch a cold, incorporating vitamin C into your daily diet can prevent colds and reduce the duration of a cold when you do get the sniffles. Fruits, particularly citrus fruits, and natural fruit juices are your best sources for vitamin C. Drink more orange juice, eat lots of fruit or combine fruits rich in vitamin C into a delicious cold-fighting smoothie to prevent colds.

Echinacea

• Echinacea is an herb with antibacterial properties that fight viral and bacterial infections. Echinacea fights colds by increasing levels of properdin, a chemical in the immune system responsible for protecting the body against viruses and bacteria. Take echinacea at the first sign of a cold to ensure a quick recovery.

Garlic

• Garlic contains antibacterial properties, such as the potent, natural antibiotic allicin, that boost the immune system and help fight infection. Incorporating garlic into your meals when you have a cold will ease symptoms and result in a faster recovery. You can also fight a cold with onions and leeks, which contain similar infection-fighting properties as garlic. Incorporating garlic, onions and leeks into your regular diet can also help prevent colds.

Ginger

• Loaded with antioxidants as well as antiviral and pain relieving properties, fresh ginger helps prevent and treat colds, sore throats and inflammation of mucus membranes and reduces pain and fever. Ginger also contains a mild sedative that will help you get the rest you need when you have a cold. Drink ginger tea or soak fresh ginger in hot water, add ginger to fruit smoothies or incorporate ginger into your meals to both treat and prevent colds.

Lemon and Honey

• Lemons alone are rich in cold-preventing vitamin C, but pairing lemon with honey can soothe cold symptoms when prevention doesn't work. Hot tea or hot water sweetened with honey and lemon is a traditional natural remedy for soothing a sore throat and can also provide temporary relief from clogged breathing passages.

Peppermint

• Hot peppermint tea can relieve a variety of cold symptoms. The peppermint acts as an expectorant, helping to expel mucus from the lungs and respiratory passages, as well as a decongestant, helping to clear sinuses. Peppermint can also relieve painful headaches and reduce a fever by causing your body to sweat and cool down.

Chicken Soup

• Chicken soup is your go-to cold-fighting meal, and not just because sticking to liquids when you have a cold prevents dehydration. Chicken soup may also temporarily relieve some cold symptoms. Not only does the selenium in the chicken boost your immune system, but the warm soup soothes a sore throat while the steam provides temporary relief from nose congestion. High processed foods, even soups, won't do anything to treat your cold, so avoid eating canned soups and make your own chicken soup using organic ingredients. You can also give your chicken soup an extra cold-fighting kick by adding infection-fighting garlic and onions.