Top 12 Simple Folk Remedies for Treating the Common Cold

Peppermint, also known as field mint, scientifically named Mentha arvensis L, belongs to the Labiatae family. According to traditional medicine: peppermint has a spicy taste, a cool nature, is non-toxic, treats colds, dispels wind heat, treats fever, headaches, sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, lack of sweating, nausea, and vomiting. It stimulates digestion, treats poor appetite, and lack of sweating. In Vietnam, there are many different species of peppermint. The whole peppermint plant can be used.

In peppermint, the most common essence is essential oils, bitter compounds, and some other active ingredients. The active ingredients in peppermint have the effect of inhibiting the central nervous system, relaxing muscles, anticonvulsants, dilating blood vessels, antiseptic, promoting sweat secretion, and reducing body temperature... Therefore, peppermint is a very common remedy for colds and fever according to traditional medicine and folk experience. In addition, peppermint essential oil is also prepared to treat many cough symptoms or in modern medicine, peppermint essential oil in the form of menthol crystals is prepared to be loaded into plastic tubes for inhalation through the nose and throat. Or menthol crystals are added to ingredients to make peppermint candies...

How to prepare:

• Use 10 - 15g of peppermint, 10 - 15g of Chinese yam.
• Pour about 1/3 liter of water into the pot, cover tightly and simmer for a while, then remove from heat to steam and pour into a cup to drink.
• Then brew and drink another 1 - 2 cups. If you sweat at this point, stop steaming and drink the medicine cold.
  
• You can use fresh or dried peppermint leaves in equal amounts. Each dose of medicine is 8 -15g, brewed into a drink.
• Note: Not suitable for infants.
  

Lemon balm, also known as Melissa officinalis, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Lemon balm has square stems, grows straight, and reaches about 30 - 50 cm in height. Its small flowers are light purple and form clusters at the ends of branches. Lemon balm is both a culinary herb and a medicinal plant. When lemon balm begins to bloom, the whole plant is uprooted, the roots are cut off, and then it is dried or air-dried for later use.

Not only a familiar culinary herb, lemon balm is also a valuable medicinal herb for treating various ailments. The part used is the entire above-ground part with dried flowers of the lemon balm plant. According to traditional Chinese medicine, lemon balm tastes spicy, has a cooling nature, enters the lung and liver meridians, and has the effects of dispelling wind, relieving colds and flu, promoting sweating, preventing convulsions, and stopping bleeding. It is used to treat external wind-cold conditions, measles in children, itchy rashes, and bleeding.

How to use:

• Fresh lemon balm leaves 50g, fresh ginger 10g, crush and extract the juice.
• Use the residue to rub or apply on the spine.
• Use 2 - 3 times daily.

Indian Fleabane, also known as Pluchea indica Less, belongs to the aster family (Compositae). In our country, the plant grows wild and is cultivated everywhere, often used as green fence plants and for medicinal leaves. It is a small tree, about 2 - 3m tall, with slender branches. The leaves are oval-shaped, slightly pointed at the tip, tapering at the base, with serrated edges, fine hairs on the underside, 4 - 5cm long, 1 - 2.5cm wide. The entire plant (leaves, branches, roots) can be used as medicine. Fresh leaves are often used (young leaves and mature leaves) harvested all year round, while branches and roots are usually dried for medicinal use.

In the entire Indian Fleabane plant, there is mainly a characteristic aromatic essential oil. According to traditional medicine, Indian Fleabane tastes bitter, spicy, fragrant, and has a warm nature. It is used to treat fever, cough, abdominal distension, vomiting, detoxification, phlegm, urinary retention, low back pain. It can be used as a decoction or for fumigation. Moreover, Indian Fleabane is also quite effective in treating fever, and relieving pain in the hands and feet!

How to use:

• Fresh Indian Fleabane leaves 2 parts, lemongrass leaves one part, lime leaves one part (about 8-10g each) boiled with water, drink while hot.
• Add water to the residue, boil it, and use it for fumigation.
• Can be used multiple times a day.

Garlic is not only an indispensable spice in every family's kitchen, but it is also a natural antibiotic - an effective weapon against many diseases such as the common cold and respiratory infections; it treats high blood pressure, cholesterol, lowers blood sugar, and prevents cancer... According to some traditional medical books, garlic is a longevity medicine and cancer fighter. Moreover, garlic also has antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-swelling, and flu-fighting effects.

The essential oil from garlic is rich in glucogen and aliin, phytoncides with antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, garlic contains a large amount of vitamins A, B, C, D, PP, carbohydrates, polysaccharides... essential minerals for the body: iodine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, trace elements. Let me introduce some remedies from garlic to treat the common cold and respiratory infections. If you unfortunately catch a cold, try these folk remedies from garlic!

How to use:

• Crush a few cloves of garlic, squeeze out the juice, add water (ratio of 1 garlic juice/10 boiled water to cool down). Every evening, before going to bed, put a few drops in your nose. Be careful not to make it too concentrated, or it may cause burning.
• 15g garlic, 15g fresh ginger, enough brown sugar. Chop garlic and ginger, add 1 bowl of water, simmer until it reduces to half a bowl, add brown sugar, stir well, drink once before going to bed. Treats cold syndrome with aversion to cold, fear of wind, stuffy nose, sometimes fever...
• Peel and clean 3 cloves of garlic. Each time put one clove in your mouth, chew until there is no smell, then spit it out, then chew the second clove. Chewing 3 cloves of garlic can cure cold syndrome with aversion to cold.

Perilla leaves, also known as shiso, beefsteak plant, or wild basil, are a type of herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. This plant grows up to 0.5 - 1.0m tall and is cultivated widely as a culinary herb for its aromatic leaves, which are used fresh in salads and various dishes.

The parts of the perilla plant used for medicinal purposes are harvested and dried in the shade. In traditional Chinese medicine, perilla is believed to have a spicy taste, a fragrant aroma, and warm properties. Its leaves are used to induce sweating, aid digestion, alleviate colds, and treat flu. The stem and branches aid digestion, while the seeds are used to relieve asthma, treat coughs, and alleviate phlegm. Therefore, perilla is considered a valuable medicinal herb.

Implementation:

• Crush 20g of fresh leaves, add boiling water, stir well, and strain to obtain hot water.
• Mix 10g of chopped leaves with hot porridge, eat, and then rest to induce sweating.
• Repeat 2 - 3 times a day to quickly recover from the flu.

Ginger is a plant primarily cultivated in Asia and tropical regions. The most commonly used part of the ginger plant is the rhizome, also known as ginger root. It is a herb with a spicy taste, warm nature, and strong aroma, making it a distinctive spice in cuisine. The unique fragrance and flavor of ginger come from its natural oils, with gingerol being the most important bioactive compound in ginger rhizomes. According to many studies, gingerol exhibits potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and anti-swelling properties.

Since ancient times, ginger has been a familiar folk remedy, widely used to support digestion, alleviate nausea, prevent bloating or indigestion, stimulate appetite, and effectively treat common colds and flu. Moreover, modern research has also demonstrated the efficacy of ginger in reducing nausea during pregnancy or after surgery; relieving early-stage joint inflammation, headaches, hypertension, preventing diabetes complications, and reducing the risk of cancer.

Implementation:

• Slice fresh ginger, coriander seeds, crush garlic cloves, brew into medicine, and drink warm.
• Additionally, consuming ginger, garlic, and perilla leaf porridge will expedite recovery and yield higher efficacy.
• Performing 2 - 3 times a day will expedite recovery.

Gừng là một loại thực vật được trồng chủ yếu ở châu Á và các khu vực nhiệt đới. Phần được sử dụng nhiều nhất của cây gừng là thân rễ, hay dân gian gọi là củ gừng. Đây là một loại thảo dược có vị cay, tính ấm, mùi thơm nồng nên thường được sử dụng như một gia vị rất đặc trưng trong ẩm thực. Hương thơm và mùi vị độc đáo của gừng đến từ các loại dầu tự nhiên của nó, trong đó quan trọng nhất là gingerol. Đây cũng là hợp chất có hoạt tính sinh học chính trong củ gừng. Theo nhiều nghiên cứu, gingerol có hoạt tính chống oxy hóa mạnh mẽ, chống viêm, giảm đau, tiêu sưng.

Từ ngàn xưa, gừng là vị thuốc dân gian rất quen thuộc, được sử dụng rộng rãi để hỗ trợ tiêu hóa, giảm buồn nôn, ngăn tình trạng đầy hơi hay khó tiêu, kích thích sự thèm ăn và giúp giải cảm, chống lại bệnh cảm lạnh và cúm thông thường một cách hiệu quả. Ngoài ra, các nghiên cứu hiện đại cũng đã chứng minh tác dụng của gừng trong việc giảm buồn nôn trong thai kỳ hoặc sau phẫu thuật; giảm triệu chứng viêm xương khớp ở giai đoạn đầu, đau nửa đầu, tăng huyết áp, phòng ngừa biến chứng tiểu đường, giảm nguy cơ ung thư.

Cách thực hiện:

• Gừng tươi thái lát, hạt rau mùi, hành củ đập dập cả dễ đem sắc thành thuốc và uống ấm.
• Ngoài ra, bạn có thể ăn thêm cháo gừng, hành, tía tô thì bệnh trong người bạn sẽ khỏi nhanh hơn và hiệu quả cao hơn.
• Thực hiện 2 - 3 lần mỗi ngày sẽ giúp bệnh nhanh khỏi.

Ancient civilizations regarded onion as a potent remedy. In traditional Chinese medicine, onion is considered mildly spicy and has the effect of dispelling cold, harmonizing the stomach, promoting circulation, and detoxifying. The white part of the onion is the main ingredient used to treat colds and flu. Onions are known by many names such as onion blossom, onion bulb, pearl onion, often used as a seasoning mixed with food and to eliminate food odors. When used as a seasoning, onions are chopped or crushed to sauté and create a stimulating aroma to stimulate gastric secretion. Onions can be used fresh or pressed into onion oil.

Onion is not only a seasoning vegetable but also a nutritious health food indispensable in meals. The strong and fragrant smell of onions acts to overpower odors, enhancing the aroma. Additionally, it can break down egg white substances into peptones (a type of organic compound with disease-resistant properties) to enhance the body's protein absorption ability. Foods with onions also have detoxifying effects, promote stomach and intestinal digestion, making onions known as 'health seasoning food.'

Implementation:

• Take 30g of fresh onion bulb, 10g of fresh ginger, 10g of sweet basil, brew, drink hot, and cover yourself to induce sweating.
  
• Combine onions with perilla leaves, mint leaves, kinh giới, lemongrass, and bamboo leaves, each 10g. Then put all in a pot, pour boiling water to steam thoroughly. After steaming, drink a bowl of leaf water and cover yourself tightly.
• Continue for 3 days, and your flu will be quickly resolved!