For centuries, people all over the world have used herbs as part of homeopathic medicines to treat every illness. Herbal medicine can be beneficial to health, but it is important to remember that for serious health concerns, you consult with a licensed health care practitioner who can give you professional advice and treatment options.
Here are a few household herbs that can be useful to help fight minor cold symptoms or boost your body’s natural immune system if your immune system is healthy to begin with:
Sage
Sage can help with minor indigestion, nausea, and diarrhea. Consuming a cup of sage tea with lemon may help with minor stomach ailments. You can increase your sage intake by using it in poultry seasonings, salad dressings, or potato dishes.
Mint
Mint works wonders as a decongestant due to the menthol it contains, which acts as a natural expectorant. Drinking a cup of peppermint or spearmint tea can help clear your lungs from a cold helping you breathing clear again. Mint can be added to lemonade, added to salads, or eaten in a salad.
Lavender
Studies have given evidence that lavender can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and can aid in combating insomnia. Lavender can also improve cognition and reduce the severity of acute pain. Lavender tea with rose petals and cardamom is a good way of ingesting lavender, as it has few common culinary uses.
Chamomile
Chamomile has a wide array of benefits that, like lavender, are both mental and physical. Chamomile has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms and aid in falling and staying asleep. Physically, chamomile has been shown to aid in easing sore throats, nausea, and diarrhea, and it also has anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties. Chamomile tea is delicious on its own but even better when paired with lemongrass, peppermint, and a squeeze of honey.
