10 Natural Solutions For Boosting Your Immune System

by Alanna Ketler

Everybody gets sick from time to time, some more often than others. Most people do tend to get sick more often in the colder months. Is this because the cold weather causes the cold symptoms? No. It’s because the air is dryer which makes it easier for viruses to travel, and generally people are not getting enough sunlight and water intake. Instead of reaching for that bottle of symptom suppressant, over-the-counter drug, why not opt to heal what caused you to develop the cold in the first place, and boost your immune system?

Below are the top 10 remedies for treating the common cold naturally, and boosting your immune system.

1. Vitamin D

This is one of the most overlooked and perhaps most effective remedies for treating the common cold. It is important to get as much sunshine and fresh air as you can during the colder months, but sometimes it is just too cold, and it’s nice to just curl up inside with a blanket, hot tea and a good movie. Consider taking a high dose of vitamin D3 daily, but even higher when you are sick. Some experts recommend taking 10,000 international units or more of Vitamin D3 to get yourself back to normal health.

2. Honey

Make sure to purchase raw, organic, unpasteurized honey. Not only can this boost your immune system, but it treats cold and flu symptoms as well. Honey has a diverse array of antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial nutrients. It also mixes well with a few of the ingredients that will be mentioned below.

3. Ginger

Like honey, ginger is an amazing healer, which also has anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger has long been known to ease nausea, which can be very beneficial if you have a cold. It also helps to warm the body, which is beneficial in assisting with the expelling of toxins and other invaders. Try mixing some fresh grated ginger root with some honey and hot water.

4. Oil Of Oregano

Potent, yet, disgusting! I kid you not, this powerful oil will open up your sinuses and leave the most awful taste in your mouth – but it works! Each little, disgusting droplet contains antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant properties that can directly fight off cold and flu bugs in your body.

5. Onion

There are many different ways that onions are said to help prevent and even cure colds and flu including: cutting an onion in half and placing it in the room of the sick person. Rumor has it that the onion will absorb the bacteria and the virus. Another modality involves cutting a white onion in half and putting each half against each foot of the person who is sick and securing each onion in place with a sock before bed. These may sound crazy, but many people swear by these techniques. Check out some more information on these methods here. For those who are a bit more skeptical, try eating onions, raw and cooked, whichever way you like, while sick. Onions are rich in sulfur-containing compounds; sulfur is a powerful detox element that helps the body to release toxins.

6. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has extremely high anti-oxidant activity and the oil of cinnamon has strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. To treat your cold, try adding a cinnamon stick to boiling water for 2 minutes or so, drink the water as is or mix it with some honey and lemon.

7. Pepper

The capsaicin that is present in pepper helps to thin mucous and provide relief from congestion. While sick, try eating more pepper on your food than you normally would, or try gargling a teaspoon of black pepper mixed with some warm water. You can also benefit from smelling pepper throughout the day. Caution: this may cause you to sneeze a lot!

8. Apple Cider Vinegar

Because cold viruses tend to cause the body to become overly acidic, which makes it harder for the immune system to fight off the virus, apple cider can do wonders to alkalize the body. While this powerful vinegar has amazing healing benefits which you can read more about here, it is also quite unpleasant. Try mixing it with warm water, honey and lemon to make it a bit more bearable and you’ll be better in no time!

9. Vitamin C

This vitamin is a powerful immune booster and also an excellent remedy for both treating and preventing colds. Many experts believe that an extremely high dose of vitamin C (2,000 mg or more) can be very beneficial for treatment. If this seems like too much for you, consider eating lots of vitamin C rich foods such as peppers, leafy greens such as kale, kiwis, berries citrus fruits, (try juicing these) and many others.

10. Chaga Mushroom

Chaga mushroom, also knows as “The Gift From God” by the Siberians and the “Mushroom of Immortality,” is a fungus that grows on birch trees. There are far too many benefits to list here, so I will stick to how it helps to treat a cold and write a whole other article on all of these amazing benefits of the chaga mushroom. One of the many active constituents of the chaga mushroom is beta glucans, which can boost the immune system, and treat the common cold, flu, allergies and many other ailments. Try boiling a piece of chaga mushroom with hot water and adding turmeric and honey.

Hi, I’m Alanna! I have been a contributor with CE, where this first appeared, for about 4 years now, but have been “awakening” and doing research for 7. Wow, has it been an incredible journey so far! I am passionate about learning new information! I aim to have a voice for animals and animal rights, I also enjoy writing about health, consciousness and I am very interested in psychedelics for healing purposes! Any questions? Feel free to email me: [email protected] “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” -Jack Kornfield