Winter Immunity: Home and Herbal Remedies to Keep Cold and Cough at Bay

Abstract

In winters, there is a steady increase in the instances of common illnesses like cold, flu, cough, and allergies because the body’s immune system is at its weakest in this season. To give the body enough resistance to fight against winter diseases, it is important to enhance the functioning of the immune system, so that minor health problems can be easily managed at home.

For keeping cough, cold, and other winter ailments at bay, Ayurveda recommends the regular use of certain beneficial kitchen ingredients that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and analgesic properties. These ingredients include ginger, garlic, onion, honey, ghee, turmeric, and spices like cardamom, black pepper, and cinnamon. Ayurvedic experts recommend the addition of these immunity-enhancing ingredients to the daily diet in winters, in order to enable the body to fight illnesses and infections.

In addition to the home remedies for preventing and managing common winter ailments, certain herbal manufacturing companies also offer some immunity-boosting herbal formulations including Planet Ayurveda based at Mohali, Punjab (India). These formulations, prepared from pure and natural herbs can strengthen the immune system which is naturally designed to fight off infections and keep the body healthy.

Home Remedies to Keep Cold and Cough at Bay

Some time-tested home and herbal remedies which can improve the body’s immunity during the winter season are:

1. Ginger-Cardamom Tea

Ginger and Cardamom tea can keep cough, cold, and flu at bay during winters by keeping the body warm and strengthening the immune system. This tea combines the goodness of ginger and cardamom. Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory actions as well as its anti-bacterial and analgesic properties because of its active compound ‘gingerol,’ while cardamoms contain abundant antioxidants, Vitamin C and other essential nutrients.

2. Honey and Spices combination

The combination of honey with certain spices – such as nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, and ginger – is also an effective home remedy for fighting cough and cold in winters. The anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of honey, along with the proven health benefits of warming spices, can treat infections of the upper respiratory tract, manage allergies, clear stuffy nose, and relieve a sore throat.

3. Turmeric Milk

Turmeric milk – or Haldi doodh – is a simple yet effective home remedy that can be prepared by mixing some turmeric powder in a glass of hot milk. This remedy can treat a number of winter ailments – especially cough, cold and congestion – because turmeric contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds, while milk contains healthy fats and amino acids.

4. Black Pepper-Tulsi-Ginger Decoction

This decoction – commonly called ‘kaadha’ – can ease chest congestion, clear blocked nose, and soothe the respiratory tract because of the beneficial properties of black pepper, tulsi and ginger by improving immunity. To prepare this decoction, black pepper, tulsi leaves, and chopped ginger are boiled in a cup of water. Black pepper and ginger are known for their anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, while Tulsi is a potent medicinal herb with immune-modulatory property that can treat several winter ailments including asthma, bronchitis, flu, and sinusitis.

5. Healthy Balanced Diet

Eating a healthy balanced diet can also improve winter immunity by providing the required nutrition to the body. Winter fruits and vegetables like carrots, spinach, beans, beetroot, oranges, pomegranate, etc. are packed with fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant compounds that boost the body’s immunity levels to a great extent. Moreover, the intake of nuts, seeds, and sprouts in winters can also support healthy immunity.

6. Cloves and Cinnamon Tea

Cloves and cinnamon are two commonly-used spices that can be boiled in water for a few minutes to prepare a soothing tea. The consumption of this tea can work wonders for the immune system during winters. The regular intake of clove-cinnamon tea, with some honey added to it, can provide relief from cold and cough symptoms. Cloves contain rich amounts of antioxidants and can also work as an expectorant to help clear stuffy nose by eliminating mucous. Cinnamon can relieve cold, stimulate the blood to keep the body warm, dry out a runny nose, and reduce congestion.

Herbal Remedies from Planet Ayurveda

Here, Planet Ayurveda offers its various potent herbal formulations to boost immunity and tackle cold, cough and flu. These products are:

1. Brahmi Chyawanprash

Brahmi Chyawanprash is a jam-like product which is prepared from a number of potent herbal ingredients like Brahmi (Bacopa monieri), Amla (Emblica officianalis), and several other herbs. The herbal ingredients of the chyawanprash are widely known for their properties for improving overall health by warding off the potential risk of diseases.

The regular use of Planet Ayurveda’s Brahmi Chyawanprash can strengthen the immune system, support a healthy brain, enhance the functions of the nervous system, rejuvenate the body, and manage degenerative changes undergone by the body due to illness.

2. Tulsi Capsules

The preparation of these capsules involves the use of pure and natural extracts of ‘Tulsi’ herb (Ocimum sanctum), which is considered a natural immuno-modulator. The Tulsi herb can also effectively manage auto-immune disorders, Skin problems, Diabetes, Chronic Sinusitis, and Chronic Rhinitis.

Tulsi capsules from Planet Ayurveda is an excellent herbal product for winter immunity because the capsules can improve the functioning of the immune system, reduce the negative effects of environmental toxins, and provide abundant bioavailable antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins A and C to the body.

3. Kaas-Har Churna

This churna – herbal powder – is prepared from several beneficial herbal ingredients including Mishri (crystallized sugar lumps), Vanshlochan (Bambusa arudinacea), Pippali (Piper longum), Ela (Eletteria cardamomum), and Dalchini (Cinnamomum zeylanica).

Winter immunity can be boosted with the regular use of this churna because it can relieve cold, cough, and chest infections. This churna can support the respiratory system, and treat health conditions like Chronic bronchitis and Bronchial asthma.

4. Immuno Plan Syrup

This amazing herbal product for enhancing winter immunity contains standardized extracts of a number of well-known immunity-boosting herbs, including Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Mahua (Madhuca indica), Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), Jeevanti (Leptadenia reticulate), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), and Amalaki (Emblica officinalis)

Planet Ayurveda’s Immuno Plan Syrup can protect the body against the various infections which can occur because of a weak immune system. Apart from building resistance to infectious diseases by strengthening the immune system. This syrup can also manage respiratory disorders like asthma and seasonal allergies, treat auto-immune diseases, and promote fast recovery from infections.

Conclusion

The above-discussed home and herbal remedies can effectively provide winter immunity to the body, enabling it to fight the common diseases, allergies, and infections which are associated with cold weather conditions. These home and herbal remedies comprise traditional treatments for strengthening the body’s immunity and managing cough, cold and other illnesses that commonly occur during the winter season.