NaturalMedications

Herbs for Winter Health

 With a little bit of education and care, there are many herbs that can be used to prevent and help alleviate the symptoms of colds.  A close evaluation of lifestyle and eating habits during the winter is important, especially for those with a tendency towards serious colds.

During the winter decrease dairy, cold cereals and juice consumption (many are mucus forming and cause greater congestion) and increase the "warming" foods such as legumes and broth soups with lots of pepper, curry or garlic to help prevent colds. If you feel those first symptoms of a cold reduce the heavy foods such as red meat that tax the body’s digestive system, thus allowing the immune system more energy to fight the early stages of a cold.

Eating hot, spicy foods (sautéed onions with lots of curry and some fresh ginger or garlic soup for example) can help during the early stage of a cold to cause the body to sweat and hopefully expel the cold quickly. Many herbalists use Echinacea during the early stages of a cold to kick-start the immune system by stimulating circulation and respiration. It is considered paramount in reducing the number of days and degree of the common cold. Echinacea is not meant for continuous use, but only when one feels a cold of flu coming on or has been exposed. Ten to fourteen days is a maximum time for the use of Echinacea.

Another remedy for the early stages of a cold is to make teas of the sweating" herbs, such as ginger, horehound, pennyroyal, elder flowers and mugwort. Take a hot herbal bath after drinking the tea then wrap up and lay under several blankets until you are sweating but not chilled. Rinse off with cool water and go to bed. Sweating during the early part of a cold is wonderful for helping to move the cold causing bacteria out of the system quickly. This method should not be used when you have a fever or are in the later stages of a cold.

Herbal steams of lavender, thyme, sage and eucalyptus are excellent for soothing and opening the nasal passages, and yerba manza can be taken as a tea to disinfect the mucus membranes. For sore throats a mixture of slippery elm bark and maple syrup rolled into a ball which can then be slowly dissolved in the mouth, or a small piece of osha root  tucked between the cheek and gum can be very soothing.

Teas containing one or more of the following: osha, comfrey leaf, peppermint, licorice, cherry bark, rose hips, horehound, yarrow, elder, lemon grass, marsh mallow and ginger are commonly used to reduce cold symptoms. Herbs that are mildly sedative, such as catnip, skullcap, chamomile, lemon balm, lavender and valerian aid sleep, which is probably one of the best (and yet least used) cold remedies.

The medicinal value of many herbs has been confirmed by research, however safety in their use is critical. Some herbs are not recommended to be used by persons suffering from medical conditions such as high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, asthma or during pregnancy. There are plenty of good herbal references available, including a short list below, to help you become familiar with the properties and uses of common herbs. An oncoming cold might be your best excuse this winter to stay home for the day, drink some herbal tea, eat some garlic, take your Echinacea and catch up on some good herbal reading.