Cold and flu is a condition caused by viruses that produce symptoms, which may vary from a mild to a severe degree. Cold and flu symptoms are quite annoying and they can hinder one’s day-to-day activities. It includes runny nose, chest and throat congestion, sneezing, puffiness of the face, headaches, and cough among others.

Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, however, they can subside the symptoms to a certain extent, but there are natural foods that can help one with the symptoms and one should incorporate them into a daily routine until the cold resolves. The natural foods that soothe cold and flu are

1. Soups
A vegetable soup made up of vegetables or chicken soup helps a great deal to combat the symptoms, but the most important thing is to add a lot of pepper to it which inhibits phlegm production.

2. Tea
Tea plays a vital role in resolving throat congestion. It is usual to have a sore throat that sometimes hurts badly with cold and flu. Hot tea helps in soothing the mucous membranes and muscles of the throat to a large extent and helps inflammation. Ginger tea helps a great deal as it has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that resolve the congestion of the throat and lungs. Tea that is either herbal or in combination with lemon or ginger is one natural food that soothes cold and flu.

3. Honey and Pepper
A spoon of honey mixed with pepper powder subsides even a hacking cough and a terrible throat.

4. Lemon
A glass of warm water with half a lemon or a whole lemon squeezed into it and taken on an empty stomach helps in clearing a patchy and red throat. Usually, the microbes colonize mostly in the throat before they can get further into the airway, so warm lemon water with its antimicrobial properties evades the microbial colonies and prevents the colonization further.

5. Hydration
Warm water is the best thing when you have the flu. Taking warm water at regular intervals improves the congestion and soothes the airway.

6. Spices
Foods that are rich in spices are always good to help with the immune system, especially with the cold and flu. Whatever your diet is, it is good to add a lot of pepper, chilies or chili powder, and turmeric, which all act as decongestants, pain relievers, and natural throat soothing agents. Capsaicin and curcumin compounds present in these help the human system to combat any infection and this has proved to be a natural food to soothe cold and flu too.

Apart from these natural foods for soothing cold and flu, you can keep symptoms at bay by practicing certain methods. Gargling has proven to be an immediate relief with the cold symptoms, especially when one has a sore throat. A glass of water with dissolved rock salt rather than table salt helps to clear the throat and also the airway. It is because the sodium chloride compound present in the salt helps in the inhibition of viruses.

A massage also works wonders. Heat coconut oil on a very low flame and dissolve camphor tablets in it. After they dissolve, allow it to cool for some time and massage this oil on the back, chest, throat, and even on the forehead area and one is sure to find instant relief from the flu symptoms.