The 3 Spices to help Fight the Common Cold

The 3 Spices to help fight the Common Cold

The Common Cold! It happens to us all at some point in our life. Some of us deal with it every year. And some deal with it multiple times a year. It is not necessarily a serious condition but our immune system determines how well we deal with the common cold.  

Why not give the immune system a boost to prevent it from happening? And even if it gets us, we need to be well prepared to deal with it especially during the change of seasons.  

They have pretty similar symptoms, although there is a different virus at work. 

Although there are more than 100 types of Viruses that can be responsible, the most common type of virus behind the common cold is The Rhinovirus. 

The Flu can only be caused by Influenza Virus types  A, B and C. 

The common symptoms for cold & flu are - 

• Runny or Stuffy Nose
• Sneezing
• Body aches
• Lack of energy

It is a Viral Infection of the upper respiratory tract. It is caused by infected droplets in the air or any sort of contact with infected secretions.

There are 3 Spices that are always recommended when you are suffering from the common cold

1. Ginger - The bioactive compounds in Ginger, namely Gingerol  and Shogaol  are quite useful, due to their anti-inflammatory properties to reduce the severity of sore throats that is a common symptom with the common cold.

Research suggests that ginger achieves this by suppressing the pro-inflammatory proteins. Along with this, the abundant antioxidants found in ginger help in fighting infections.  

2. Turmeric - Turmeric aka ‘The Holy Powder’ as it is known in the ancient culture of India, has been the centre of research in the past few decades because of the versatility of this spice. 

Scientists in The University of Michigan used highly advanced equipment to prove that various compounds of Turmeric act as a ‘Biochemical Disciplinarian’ by inserting itself into the Cell Membrane making it stable and orderly.

This optimises the cell to defend itself from disease-causing microbes. In other words, it works at a cellular level to help our system become more resilient in keeping its guard up against the onslaught of the threatening viruses we are surrounded with in our environment.

Although these days most studies tout the benefits of just Curcumin (just one of the compounds found in Turmeric), we believe that our body benefit more from the synergy of all the compounds present in turmeric rather than just having Curcumin on its own!  

3. Cinnamon - "Cinnamon may help you digest the nutrients in food. It increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the digestive tract, improving your ability to digest proteins and fat." according to Australian researchers from RMIT.

This can help a lot as common colds can make your digestion sluggish. Adding to the digestive boost, Cinnamon can also flood your system with antioxidants which your body needs in the common cold. A study gave Cinnamon fourth rank out of 500 foods with the highest antioxidant content.

CONCLUSION

As much as we try to be cautious to protect ourselves from coming in contact with infectious viruses, we must also work on making our internal system resilient enough to counteract the attack.  

Along with regularly using herbs, spices & botanicals can help improve your wellbeing, a healthy lifestyle with ample sleep and regular exercises is sure to increase your odds of living a happy and healthy life!

Note: above article is for information purposes only. If you have specific concerns or persistent health problem, please contact your GP.