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.