Folk Medicine Cold Remedies

Folk medicine, or the use of herbs for treating conditions and diseases, has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Although believed to be old-fashioned, outdated and even just plain silly by many people, folk medicine appears to be experiencing a renaissance, and its use is increasing. The common cold is no more curable today than it was in medieval times, and folk remedies may be just as effective for treating the accompanying miseries as anything your doctor prescribes. They could make you feel much better, too.

Those Were the Days

• Long before easy accessibility to medical professionals and the advent of "modern medicine," people relied on the resources that they had on hand for treating illnesses. Even when doctors became more plentiful and available to most, there were still great numbers of rural residents who just couldn't afford formal treatment, were too remotely located or simply chose to reject it. These people continued to practice folk medicine in their own ways with their own recipes. Traditionally, these customs were passed down from one generation to the next.

  Often referred to as "old wives tales," folk remedies for a cold and other conditions are often surprisingly sensible. Many of the herbal substances that your grandparents used are found in modern medicines. They may not have had any idea why a particular herb worked, they just knew that it did.

Boneset Plant Cold and Flu Remedies

• The common perennial boneset plant can be found near streams and in marshes and swamps in eastern North America. It's also known as sweating weed, cross wort, fever wort, teasel, ague weed and Indian sage.

  While all parts of the plant are safe and medicinally valuable, the leaves and stems are best for treatment of a cold. Dried and ground, they are used to make one of the best tonics for multisymptom cold and flu relief. Boneset tea relieves aches, pains and fever quickly and efficiently. It also aids in clearing mucous congestion from the upper respiratory system, as well as acting to gently ease constipation discomfort.

  Steep 1 to 2 heaping tsp. of dried boneset in a cup of boiled water for 15 minutes. The tea will taste a little bitter, so add a couple of teaspoons of honey to it. Reheat if necessary, and drink it as hot as you can tolerate it. Repeat up to once every hour for fever, or every two hours for cold relief.

  A common variation calls for creating a bedtime toddy from the same recipe. Use a large mug and fill it about halfway with the steeped boneset tea. Add 2 tsp. of honey and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. The original recipe recommended filling the rest of the mug with moonshine, but you can use your favorite whiskey. Drink quickly at bedtime, and bundle up very well because this toddy will cause you to sweat profusely, and you don't want to get a chill. You will sleep very deeply and soundly, and you'll likely feel a lot better after a full night of much-needed rest.

  If you have a sore throat with your cold, boneset tea will bring you instant soothing relief. Steep 2 tsp. of ground boneset and 2 tsp. of ground ginger root in a cup of boiled water for 15 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. each of honey and lemon juice. Drink slowly once every hour.

Apple Cider Vinegar Cold Remedies

• Apple cider vinegar has been commonly used for folk cold remedy preparations for many decades worldwide. The ascorbic acid is an excellent source of vitamin C, and it lends itself well to enhancing other herbs.

  When you think you might be getting a cold, peel a whole clove of garlic and put it in a quart jar full of apple cider vinegar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid to begin to ferment, and allow the jar to sit undisturbed at room temperature out of direct light for 24 hours. Keep the vinegar tonic refrigerated thereafter for up to two weeks to avoid further bacterial growth in it. Heat 4 oz. of the tonic, just enough to warm it up, and add 2 tbsp. of honey and a tbsp. of lemon juice. Drink it quickly, because the taste is pretty strong. The antioxidants in the garlic will help spread the tonic quickly through your body, the vinegar will clear your sinuses and congestion as well as relieve coughing, and the honey is soothing for your sore throat. You can take this apple cider vinegar tonic every two hours.

  A quicker variation of the vinegar tonic is probably also more palatable to those who don't particularly care for garlic. Just warm 4 oz. of apple cider vinegar and dissolve 2 tbsp. of honey and a tbsp. of lemon juice in it. Many old-timers just take a tablespoon of the vinegar every hour or two.

  Dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of borax and 1/2 cup of honey in a quart of warm water. Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper and ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon. Cover the jar with a lid and shake well until everything is well blended. There's no need to refrigerate the cold remedy, but it's best to keep it out of direct light. Warm and drink ½ cup every two hours.

Umcka Cold Remedies

• Umcka remedies for respiratory illnesses are traced back to ancient African tradition, where the root crop extract is now a major export worldwide. Today, umcka is used as the highly effective main ingredient in many natural commercial cold preparations. This miracle herb not only relieves cold and flu symptoms safely, but bronchial, sinus and throat irritations as well. Umcka makes coughs more productive and reduces the severity and duration of congestion, coughs sore throats and general malaise associated with colds and flu. Umcka is readily available from your local health food retailer, marketed as "ColdCare" products by Nature's Way, among others.