8 Natural Foods and Supplements You Should Have on Hand for Cold & Flu Season

Here are some natural foods and supplements that our family keeps on hand every cold and flu season, which has dramatically reduced the incidence and severity of viral illnesses in our household for the past few years. All of these are based on evidence-based scientific research studies.

The first item we started using was vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is normally absorbed in the skin during sun exposure, and helps to boost the immune system. In colder climates where there is less sun exposure and people tend to stay indoors, people tend to have lower vitamin D levels, which reduces the efficiency of the body’s immune system. Multiple studies have revealed that daily or weekly supplementation of vitamin D can cut the risk of developing respiratory infections in half (McGreevey & Morrison, 2017).

Before taking Vitamin D supplements, I typically suffered severe bronchitis symptoms that would last for months every winter. After reading studies about how effective vitamin D supplements were in a regional study in Canada as an alternative to the influenza shot in combatting the flu, I began taking this supplement at a dose of 1000 IU per day. For the next three years I did not contract a cold or any other respiratory infection at all. As I have gotten older, I have upped the dose to 2000 IU/day.

Scientific studies have also shown Vitamin C taken on a regular basis to slightly reduce the length and severity of colds. Oral zinc has been shown to reduce the length and severity of illnesses caused by the cold virus. Our family takes these lozenges at the first sign of a tickle in the throat. We also start taking an oral probiotic or eat yogurt at the first sign of a sore throat. Probiotics were found better than placebo in reducing how often individuals contracted upper respiratory tract infections. Probiotics that come in direct contact with the throat, like yogurt or probiotic gargles, are effective in reducing sore throat, which is where infections often start. Other supplements shown to be effective against colds and flu were licorice root, maoto, antiwei, North American ginseng berries, pomegranate, Echinacea, guava tea, carnosic acid, Bai Shao, and alkaline drinks (Mousa, 2017). 

Once a cough develops, several natural substances have been shown in scientific placebo studies to be effective. In multiple studies honey was shown to relieve cough symptoms in children to a greater extent than no treatment, diphenhydramine, and placebo, and possibly slightly more than dextromethorphan (Oduwole, Udoh, Oya-Ita, & Meremikwu, 2018). Studies have also shown that pineapple, which naturally contains a substance called bromeline, can help suppress coughs (Peixoto et al., 2016). 

Our family discovered oregano oil about 7 years ago, and have noticed a recognizable reduction in the length of respiratory illnesses since taking it. Oregano oil has been shown to be effective against bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including the stomach flu virus (Brochot, Guilbot, Haddioui, & Roques, 2017; Gilling, Kitajima, Torrey, & Bright, 2014). Our family typically fills several drops of the oil into a cellulose capsule and we take it at the first sign of a cold. Usually the next morning the cold is gone or significantly improved. A few extra doses helps to finish the cold off once and for all. 

Our latest discovery is elderberry concentrate. Elderberries have been shown to significantly improve flu-like symptoms (Kong, 2009). Our family adds about 2 Tbsp. twice a day to a cup of warm green tea with honey, and have noticed symptoms resolve in hours. 

Combining all of these remedies, cold & flu season has become much more manageable for our family without having to take over-the-counter cold medicines.

References:

Brochot, A., Guilbot, A., Haddioui, L., & Roques, C. (2017). Antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects of three essential oil blends. Microbiologyopen, 6(4). doi: 10.1002/mbo3.459. Epub 2017 Mar 14.

Gilling, D., Kitajima, M., Torrey, J., & Bright, K. (2014). Antiviral efficacy and mechanism of action of oregano essential oil and its primary component carvacrol against murine norovirus. Applied Microbiology, 116(5). 1149-1163.  doi: 10.1111/jam.12453. Epub 2014 Feb 12.

Kong, F. (2009). Pilot clinical study on a proprietary elderberry extract: efficacy in addressing influenza symptoms. Online Journal of Pharmacology and PharmacoKinetics, 5(32-43). http://omicron-pharma.com/pdfs/ElderberryClinicalOJPK_Published.pdf

McGreevey, S., & Morrison, M. (2017). Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/study-confirms-vitamin-d-protects-against-cold-and-flu/ 

Mousa, H. (2017). Prevention and treatment of influenza, influenza-like illness, and common cold by herbal, complementary, and natural therapies. Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, Jan;22(1):166-174. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27055821 

Oduwole, O., Udoh, E., Oyo-Ita, A., Meremikwu, M. (2018). Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Systematic Review. 2018 Apr 10;4:CD007094. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007094.pub5.

Peixoto, D., Rizzo, J., Schor, D., Silva, A., Oliveira, D., Solé, D., & Sarinho, E. (2016). Use of honey associated with ananas comosus (bromelin) in the treatment of acute irritative cough. São Paulo Pediatrics. 2016 Dec;34(4):412-417. doi: 10.1016/j.rpped.2016.03.006.

It's Time to Change Your Lifestyle

In the past few years my husband and I have witnessed four close relatives die and numerous friends die of cancer, or get diagnosed with cancer. As a young person, cancer seemed like a distant, rare disease and I don't remember knowing very many people who had cancer. Now, everywhere we turn friends and friends and family are turning up with cancer. We hear people saying things like, "why are so many people getting cancer?" and "I wish they would finally discover a cure for cancer."

 The truth is, we do know what causes cancer. Scientists have uncovered most of the facts about cancer, and are making amazing breakthroughs. There are literally thousands of evidence-based research studies on scholarly websites outlining everything from the locations of exact gene mutations causing specific cancers to what food products fight cancer the best and which are the most harmful. We know that cancer is caused by genetic mutations to cells, and we know a lot now about what kinds of things and environments make those mutations happen. We know that there are some genetic factors are involved causing some people to inherit a greater risk. Still, so much is known now that can be done to prevent cancer. So why aren't people taking these preventative measures more seriously?


I get it, I really do. I spent most of the first four decades of my life popping candies of all colors and sweets (especially chocolates!) into my mouth, feasting on barbecue pork steaks, hamburgers, French fries, and the like. These things are comfort foods, and I enjoy eating them as much as the next person. But there is nothing like friends and family dying all around you to give you a wake-up call.
The National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society now tell us that over 1/3 of Americans have or will have cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 3 people! And, if that's not bad enough, the numbers are rising, and the worldwide incidence of cancer is expected to double by the year 2030.
Ever since my husband and I decided to radically change our diet to prevent cancer (since I have already had tumors with suspicious cells, and my husband has a strong family history of cancer), we feel sometimes like others perceive us as odd. Really, we don't know why more friends aren't listening to the latest research and taken seriously the warnings about how we as Americans live is killing us. We get the flu vaccine when the risk of dying from the flu is less than odds of getting cancer. We take shelter in our basement when there is a tornado which will likely not touch our house. Yet one thing we can do that will help to prevent 1 out of 3 of us from getting cancer, we don't do.


The American Cancer Society also has a few words of wisdom to share, which come from evidence-based research:

1.      Stay away from tobacco, the cause of 1/3 of cancers in the US.

2.      Be as lean as possible throughout your lifetime – stay slim!

3.      Get regular physical activity, cardio several times a week – cancer dies in oxygen rich environment.

4.      Breathe deeply – again, cancer hates oxygen

5.      Limit sedentary behavior – inhibits the lymph and circulatory systems

6.      Limit processed and red meat (best to limit animal protein to 5-10% of diet).

7.      Eat raw fruits and vegetables – at least 2 ½ cups a day

8.      Choose vegetables, whole fruit, and other low-calorie foods instead of calorie-dense foods such as French fries, potato and other chips, ice cream, donuts, and other sweets.

9.      Emphasize whole fruits and vegetables; choose 100% juice if you drink vegetable or fruit juices.

10.  Limit your use of creamy sauces, dressings, and dips with fruits and vegetables.

11.  Eat whole grains like oats and brown rice instead of refined grain products like white rice or things made with wheat flour (that means no donuts, white bread, bagels, pasta, most boxed cereals)

12.  Drink very little alcohol

13.  Eat organic as much as possible – avoid foods that might have pesticides and herbicides like soy, wheat, corn in particular which are often farmed with these

14.  Eat whole foods – that means avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, additives, and any

15.  Avoid foods packaged in BPA plastics

16.  Limit intake of ocean fish – although a lean meat, the risk is rising of mercury and radiation contamination

17.  Avoid meats with nitrites

18.  Avoid meats that are charred or heated at high temperatures – that means no grilling, frying, etc. Better to boil, bake, poach or broil.

19.  Avoid foods that are genetically modified (GMO)

20.  Avoid animal protein that is fed antibiotics

21.  Limit your intake of refined carbohydrate foods, including pastries, candy, sugar-sweetened breakfast cereals, and other high-sugar foods.

So I challenge you to take charge of your future and make some changes. Read over these things carefully and see which ones you can slowly incorporate into your lifestyle. Little changes go a long way. You may be saving your own life, and the life of your whole family. We need to learn to eat to live, not live to eat. And I hope you will discover that many of the good things for you are actually quite delicious. I hope you find as I have that I no longer crave the things that are bad for my body.

American Cancer Society. (2018). Stay healthy. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/healthy.html
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2018). Cancer statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics