Nature's Cold and Flu Season Essentials
’Tis the season - as the saying goes, but not just for twinkly lights and holiday merriment. We have also long since entered a ripe time for colds and flu, with the added extra of the continuously circulating (albeit milder) Covid. Add to that the stress of the endless end-of-year to do lists, full social calendars and the wet, cold air, especially for those of us in Northern Europe, and the perfect storm for compromised immunity is guaranteed to brew. If you’ve found yourself under the weather or just want to fortify your body’s own responses, we have put together a list of our favourite natural remedies, which are worth having around in the medicine cabinet.
Nature’s Anti-Virals
Long before the advancements in modern medicine, humans have used nature’s own riches in the form of specific leaves, berries and roots to address diseases, often to great success. So much so, that these remedies are still alive and widely-used to this day. While they do not eradicate any serious diseases, there is plenty of evidence to illustrate their immuno-protective properties.
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Black Elderberry
"Elderberry is a dark purple berry traditionally used in folk medicine as an antiviral and anti-inflammatory agent to treat various ailments including dyspepsia, sinus congestion, constipation, diarrhea, sore throat, common colds, and flu.” They have long been thought of as one of most potent substances to aid with managing influenza and cold, and have been proven to shorten the duration for both.
Elderberry via Canva
At the first sign of a cold, opt for those formulations containing least sugars, additives and emulsifiers, like this one or this. Herbal tinctures tend to be alcohol-based, however, there are also great alcohol free options. Elderberry’s naturally great taste also means it's available for children’s consumption in cough syrups.
Echinacea
Historically widely used in North America by native tribes, Echinacea is an herb that has also been hugely popular for decades in Western alternative practices as an immune booster. It’s also been employed to help fight upper respiratory infections and inflammatory processes. As with elderberry formulas, opt for those with least sugars and flavourings, like here and here.
Olive Leaf
Much like with the two above, olive leaf has been considered a traditional cold and flu remedy for hundreds of years, including as a relief for coughs and fevers. Supported by studies, "It has been reported to increase natural killer cell function and to be effective against viruses like HIV, hepatitis B and C, and herpes.” Find some options here as capsules, or tincture.
Vitamin C
Even for those living under the proverbial rock, the importance of vitamin C as an immune-boosting panacea is hard to miss these days. It’s a water-soluble vitamin naturally present in some foods and added to others. Whatever your body doesn’t use from the ingested amounts, gets excreted through urine. But not all vitamin C is created equal.
Research and manufacture has long since moved on from the most basic synthetic formulations of the last century. Its latest form gaining in popularity has been the liposomal kind, which significantly increases absorption, bioavailability, tolerability and retention. "This powerful form of transportation encapsulates the nutrient in a microscopic phospholipid bubble that carries it within minutes directly to the cells, protecting it from the destructive elements of the digestive system” - meaning it is encased in fatty compound, usually in plant based soy or sunflower lecithin, making it far more impactful. Find the liposomal options here and here.
Our other two favorite naturally C-packed bombs are the acerola berry and seabuckthorn (Sanddorn in German). Both rich in anti-oxidants, the former is native to South America, containing 50-100 times more Vitamin C than an organe. It can be easily sourced in various formulations here and here. And with sea buckthorn packing 8-15 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits, it is often touted as a European superfood, utilised in everything from jams to face serums. Its concentrated extract in juice form can be added to your daily routine for preventive measures.
Kimchi
GUT CARE
Each human body stores a vast network of bacteria, extremely unique to each one of us, which is known as the gut microbiome. Research over the last ten years has shown it to play a crucial steak in impacting mood, immunity, inflammatory processes and disease responses in our body, including protection against pathogens. So, while no two microbiomes are the same, the common thread for all is that nutrition plays a key role in the composition and the balance of the said organisms in our microbiota.
Feeding our gut is directly related to how well it then handles whatever else comes our way, including stress and viral infections. Not surprisingly, catching up on two years of missed holiday parties, as fun as they may be, plays a number on our overall health. The plethora of alcohol, sugary Christmas treats and heavier foods can further undermine how well the body responds. So if you’re starting to feel run down, put down the cocktails and cookies, and switch to whole foods, vegetables and unprocessed proteins, as well as fermented snacks like kimchi and sauerkraut to give your gut extra munition. (But watch out for Kombucha, as most, even well-intentioned brands, include a hefty portion of sugars.)
You can always supplement with a full-spectrum probiotic, especially if you’ve just gone through a course of antibiotics. But remember it’s always best to consult a pharmacist or your doctor for which strains of probiotic your body specifically requires at the time. It might not sound sexy, but getting the full picture from a stool test (available at functional medicine practitioners) is most accurate than going just for any probiotic out there. Additionally, if you’re suffering from sinus or cough troubles, this formula is specially geared towards your ailments.
Written by BECYCLE & BEYOND marketing manager & integrative nutrition coach, Katia Varfolomeeva