Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsZincVitamin DAstragalusGarlicVitamin CHoneyEchinaceaGinsengGingerElderberryEucalyptus
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Zinc
Vitamin D
Astragalus
Garlic
Vitamin C
Honey
Echinacea
Ginseng
Ginger
Elderberry
Eucalyptus
Some of the most popular natural cold remedies include:
If you’re interested in giving them a try, be sure you are aware of potential side effects, interactions, and contraindications before you do.
This article goes over what research has found about the safety and effectiveness of each of these, as well as what you need to know before using these remedies.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Alternative medicine are not a substitute for standard care for any health condition, including a cold. Ask your healthcare provider before using any alternative treatments or natural remedies.
The 6 Best Immune-Supporting Supplements, According to a Dietitian
Zinc Lozenges
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for zinc is 8 milligrams (mg) for women and 11 mg for men. Those amounts are found in a typical multivitamin.
Zinc lozengescan be purchased at health stores, online, and in drugstores. They’re often marketed as cold remedies.
While the research looks promising, many zinc studies are flawed. Better-quality studies are needed to determine whether zinc really works for colds.
Here are a few points to consider about zinc research:
Eat These 15 Foods to Speed Up Cold Recovery
Possible Side Effects and Risks
Will Taking Zicam Shorten Your Cold?
You can getvitamin Dfrom sunshine, supplements, and a few foods, like fatty fish, milk, and foods fortified with vitamin D.Some studies have suggested thatvitamin D supplementsmight help reduce cold symptoms and make colds shorter.
There is also some evidence that people withlower levels of vitamin Dmight be more likely to get colds. However, more research is needed to determine if vitamin D could help prevent or treat colds.
8 Best Teas to Drink When You Have a Cold, According to Experts
Can Vitamin D Lower Your Risk for Respiratory Infections?
Astragalusroot has long been used intraditional Chinese medicineto strengthen immunity and prevent colds and flu.
Studies on animals and people have suggested astragalus might have an effect on the viruses that cause colds.Other studies that looked at upper respiratory infections did not find evidence that it can prevent them.
Astragalus is also an antioxidant and has been suggested for conditions such as heart disease. It’s being investigated as a possible herbal treatment for people with health conditions that weaken their immune systems.
You can get astragalus in a capsule, tea, or extract form at health food stores. While it’s harder to find, the dried root can often be found in Chinese herbal shops and some natural food stores.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners usually recommend taking astragalus to prevent colds and to treat symptoms if you’re already sick. For example, you could have a bowl of soup boiled with astragalus root one or more times a week during the winter to stave off colds.
If you have certain health conditions or take certain medications, astragalus may:
Should You Take Astragalus?
Garlic is one of the more popular home cures for colds. Many cultures have a home remedyusing garlic for a cold—whether it’s a recipe for chicken soup, a drink made with raw garlic, or just eating garlic as part of a meal.
The cold-fighting compound in garlic is thought to beallicin, which has demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal properties. Allicin is what gives garlic its distinctive hot flavor.
To maximize the amount of allicin in your garlic, get it fresh and raw. Then, chop or crush it. Garlic supplements are also available in pill form.
The study also found that garlic reduced the recovery time in people who did catch a cold. However, more research is needed to confirm these results.
Home Remedies and Self-Care for a Cold
Garlic does have some possible side effects and safety concerns.
Bad breath and body odor are the most common ones. Far less often, garlic may cause:
Consuming large amounts of garlic can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.
You should not use garlic if you:
Garlic may lower blood glucose levels and increase the release of insulin. It should be used with caution if you’re taking drugs that lower blood sugar.
Does Garlic Cure Ear Infections?
In 1968, Linus Pauling, PhD, proposed the theory that people had individual requirements for various vitamins and that some needed amounts higher than the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs).
Pauling proposed that 1,000 mg ofvitamin Cdaily could reduce the incidence of colds for most people. Since then, vitamin C has become a popular cold remedy.
A 2013 review of 30 published studies involving a total of 11,350 participants found thatvitamin C supplements(in doses of 200 milligrams or more) slightly reduced the length and severity of cold symptoms, but did not prevent the common cold.
Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the risk of catching a cold in people who were doing brief, intense physical activity (such as marathon running or skiing), or in people exposed to cold temperatures.
What Are the Health Benefits of Vitamin C?
Honeyis a popular home remedy for coughs and colds in many cultures. In 2007, a study published in theArchives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicineprovided some of the first evidence that honey could help to calm children’s coughs and help them sleep better.
The researchers gave 105 children with colds either honey, honey-flavored cough medicine, or no treatment. All of the children got better, but was honey consistently the top-scoring treatment in terms of symptom improvement (per parents' ratings of their children’s coughs).
It is also believed to have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Dark-colored honey, such as the buckwheat honey used in the study, is particularly high in antioxidants.
More recent research on using honey to treat colds and other kinds of upper respiratory infections has also suggested that it might be useful for symptom relief.
Can Honey Treat Allergies?
Researchers have questioned the usefulness ofechinaceafor colds andflu, but it’s still one of the most popular herbs used today.
Here is what studies have shown:
Although there are several types of echinacea, the leaves, flowers, and stems ofEchinacea purpureahave been researched the most.
Herbalists often recommend taking echinacea every two to three hours with a total daily dose of three or more grams per day at the first sign of symptoms. After several days, the dose is usually reduced and continued for the following week.
Echinacea is also an ingredient inAirborne, a popular over-the-counter (OTC) supplement containing vitamins and herbs.
Although the short-term use of echinacea appears to be safe, the safety of long-term use is unknown.
The most common side effects of taking echinacea:
Some people have allergic reactions to echinacea, including some instances of children developing rashes.
The risk of drug interactions with echinacea is low.
Echinacea and Other Healing Herbs
There are many types ofginseng, but one cultivated in North America calledPanax quinquefolius(North American ginseng) has become popular as a remedy for colds and flu. Compounds called polysaccharides and ginsenosides are thought to be the key active parts of ginseng.
While it’s a popular cold remedy, a 2014 review of research on various herbal remedies for colds did not find evidence that ginseng is beneficial.
In 2020, researchers concluded there are not enough quality studies to make firm conclusions about the usefulness of ginseng for treating or preventing respiratory illnesses in healthy adults.
However, ginseng isn’t recommended in several situations, including:
Ginseng supplements and products may interact with medications, including:
Should You Try American Ginseng?
Ginger root is another folk remedy for coughs, colds, and sore throats. It’s used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat mild symptoms like a runny nose with a clear nasal discharge, headache, neck and shoulder aches, and a white tongue coating.
In Ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India) ginger is also used for coughs and colds.
Hot ginger tea is a popular home remedy for cold symptoms and sore throat. Honey and lemon are sometimes added.
Although normal amounts of ginger in food rarely cause side effects, excessive amounts may cause heartburn and indigestion.
You should not use ginger supplements if you:
Due to possible drug interactions, people with gallstones or people taking blood-thinning medications should ask their healthcare provider before taking ginger.
Taking Ginger to Help With Nausea
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is an herb that has a long history of use as a folk remedy for colds, sinus infections, and the flu.
In preliminary lab studies done in the early 2000s, elderberry extracts were found to fight off influenza A and B viruses. Since then, there has not been much research done on the herb. Most studies that have been conducted looked at flu viruses or COVID-19, not cold viruses.
Researchers have proposed thatanthocyanins, compounds naturally found in elderberries, could be the active component that strengthens the immune system and blocks the flu virus from sticking to cells.
Health food stores carry elderberry juice, syrup, and capsules. Side effects, although rare, may include mild indigestion or allergic reactions.
Use only commercially prepared extracts of elderberry berries. Fresh leaves, flowers, bark, young buds, unripe berries, and roots contain cyanide. Ingesting them could cause cyanide poisoning.
Taking Elderberry for Cold Symptoms
Eucalyptusmay have health benefits, including relieving cold symptoms.For example, inhaling steam with eucalyptus oil can help thin mucus in the respiratory tract.
Some studies have suggested that eucalyptus might also have antiviral benefits.However, whether or not eucalyptus is beneficial as a treatment or prevention for any condition, including a cold, is still to be determined.
Eucalyptus oil is included in many OTC cold and flu remedies.It is considered safe in products that contain small amounts.
Possible side effects of eucalyptus oil in these products include:
Eucalyptus should be taken as directed. Taking pure eucalyptus oil should be avoided.
Poisoning is possible, the symptoms of which can cause:
Taking less than one teaspoon of pure eucalyptus oil can be fatal.
Eucalyptus and Other Essential Oils for Bronchitis
Summary
The research to back up claims that natural remedies can help with the common cold is mixed. It’s possible that some ingredients in alternative cold symptom relief products, like vitamin C and eucalyptus, could have some health benefits.
However, using herbal remedies also comes with risks and can interact with other prescription or OTC medications you take.
As with any dietary or herbal supplement, talk with a healthcare provider before taking the supplement to be sure it’s safe for you.
30 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health.Zinc.
Rondanelli M, Miccono A, Lamburghini S, et al.Self-care for common colds: the pivotal role of vitamin d, vitamin c, zinc, and echinacea in three main immune interactive clusters (physical barriers, innate and adaptive immunity) involved during an episode of common colds—practical advice on dosages and on the time to take these nutrients/botanicals in order to prevent or treat common colds.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2018;2018:5813095. doi:10.1155/2018/5813095
Hemilä H.Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage.JRSM Open. 2017;8(5):2054270417694291. Published 2017 May 2. doi:10.1177/2054270417694291
Oregon State University.Zinc.
National Institutes of Health.Vitamin D.
Mount Sinai.Astragalus.
Su G, Chen X, Liu Z, et al.Oral Astragalus (Huang qi) for preventing frequent episodes of acute respiratory tract infection in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;12(12):CD011958. Published 2016 Dec 1. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011958.pub2
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Astragalus.
Bayan L, Koulivand PH, Gorji A.Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects.Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014;4(1):1-14.
Cerullo G, Negro M, Parimbelli M, et al.The long history of vitamin C: from prevention of the common cold to potential aid in the treatment of COVID-19.Front Immunol. 2020;11:574029. Published 2020 Oct 28. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.574029
Hemilä H, Chalker E.Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;2013(5). doi:10.1002/14651858.cd000980.pub4
National Institutes of Health.Vitamin C.
Paul IM, Beiler J, McMonagle A, Shaffer ML, Duda L, Berlin CM Jr.Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.12.1140
Harvard Medical School.Got a cold? Try some honey.
Turner RB, Bauer R, Woelkart K, et al.An evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections.N Engl J Med. 2005;353(4):341-348. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa044441
inde K, Barrett B, Wolkart K, Bauer R, Melchart D.Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.1 (2006): CD000530.
Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al.Echinacea for treating the common cold: a randomized trial.Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(12):769-777. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-12-201012210-00003
Karsch-Völk M, Barrett B, Kiefer D, et al.Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(2):CD000530. Published 2014 Feb 20. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Echinacea.
Allan GM, Arroll B.Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence.CMAJ. 2014;186(3):190-199. doi:10.1503/cmaj.121442
Antonelli M, Donelli D, Firenzuoli F.Ginseng integrative supplementation for seasonal acute upper respiratory infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Med. 2020;52:102457. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102457
Medline Plus.American Ginseng.
Omer AK, Khorshidi S, Mortazavi N, Rahman HS.A Review on the antiviral activity of functional foods against COVID-19 and viral respiratory tract infections.Int J Gen Med. 2022;15:4817-4835. Published 2022 May 10. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S361001
Colorado State University.Guide to poisonous plants.
Chandorkar N, Tambe S, Amin P, Madankar C.A systematic and comprehensive review on current understanding of the pharmacological actions, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications of the genus Eucalyptus.Phytomedicine Plus. 2021;1(4):100089. doi:10.1016/j.phyplu.2021.100089
Mieres-Castro D, Ahmar S, Shabbir R, Mora-Poblete F.Antiviral activities of eucalyptusessential eils: their effectiveness as therapeutic targets against human viruses.Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021;14(12):1210. Published 2021 Nov 23. doi:10.3390/ph14121210
Medline Plus.Eucalyptus.
Mount Sinai.Eucalyptus.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
