What Are the Best Herbs to Treat Colds and Flu?

 1. Ginger Root (rhizome zingiberis officinalis recens). Ginger root should be added to food or drank as a tea. Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat cold and flu as well as digestive disorders. Remember the reason ginger is served with your sushi is to kill the bacterial and the parasites on the raw fish. For a food it has very strong medicinal properties.

2. Cinnamon Twig (ramulus cinnamomi cassiae). If you are not a fan of ginger you can use cinnamon instead, Cinnamon can be put into your tea, coffee, or on your breakfast cereal in the morning. According to Oriental medicine cinnamon releases the exterior to ward off colds and flu. PLEASE no cinnamon sugar that would create more dampness in your body and lower you immune response.

3. Garlic (allium sativum). We can not forget our old friend garlic. Garlic as you know has been used for centuries to ward out colds, flu, and infection. Start using fresh crushed garlic on your food or in soup, either way you have a powerful food to ward off colds, flu, and infection.

4. Nasty Tea. Nasty Tea is a simple recipe which can be taken as a soup or a tea. It is a classical Chinese herbal formula called Scallion & Soybean Decoction (cong chi tang) which comes from the classic text, Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One’s Sleeve. Add fresh ginger not dried and scallions to cooked miso soup. Drink 3 cups per day, be prepared to sweat. If you want to drink this as a tea, thus the name nasty tea, add honey to kill the taste.

5. Angrographis (Andrographis paniculata).  Important new research has confirmed a host of pharmacological benefits for this herb, including potent anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects. In addition, scientists have discovered that Andrographis paniculata helps boost the immune system, protects against cancer, prevents blood clots and maintains efficient digestive functioning.It has been valued for centuries by herbalists as a treatment for upper respiratory infections, fever, sore throat and herpes.

If you have any questions ask Professor Drew?