Flu
Natural Remedies

Flu - Editor's Choice

Over the years, Earth Clinic readers have sent us many reports about their treatments for Flu. The editors at Earth Clinic consider the below posts to be some of the most helpful and informative and have named them 'Editor's Choice'. We hope that you will find this useful.
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 12/22/2022
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Over the years my children have not always loved the medicines that I have given. They have generally been pretty tolerant and patient, though slippery elm will always be a hard sell for them. :)

Vinegar Tea has been staple in my home for a long time. And now my oldest son gives it to his kids. My 5 year old grandchild loves vinegar tea. My daughter in law makes a large batch of it to give the kids during the day when they are fighting sickness.

It would be better if I had called it, "Honey Tea" from the start. Here is how we make it:

  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2-3 teaspoons honey
  • 6 ounces hot water
  • a dash of cinnamon if desired
  • Mix.

Thats it! Good for cough, colds, flu, sinus infections, stomachache etc.

Pass it on!

~Mama to Many~


Mama's Flu Recovery Remedies

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 12/02/2022
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Our family has had the terrible flu that has been all over the country.

We are mostly better, but the cough lingers (and relapse is common.)

I have been drinking vinegar tea and that has helped some. But this morning, I squeezed the juice of one lemon into a mug and added hot water and that seemed to be more effective for this cough.

My 11 year old has had a relentless cough and, after 2 weeks, was not really improving. I started using the nebulizer on him yesterday with 2 teaspoons 1% hydrogen peroxide 4-5 times a day. To make 1% hydrogen peroxide, I mixed up a jar with 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 cup of distilled water. I then use 2 teaspoons of this in the nebulizer as often as desired. His cough today has been noticeably less. I am using hydrogen peroxide from the drug store in the brown bottle.

I also used that same hydrogen peroxide in the ears (straight 3%, not diluted) for anyone whose ears felt stuffy. This flu has come with some ear and sinus pain after the first week, many of us have found.

We have also been using Nyquil to help us sleep. (Just like the commercial promised back in the 80's.) It seems that returning to normal activity and not enough sleep are the recipe for relapse.

This flu has also had a seriously painful sore throat. My son asked for a throat spray, but the store was out. I made my own - 2 Tablespoons of honey and 2 Tablespoons of warm water and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (not essential oil) I put that in a little spray bottle. It is tasty and helpful. Of course, gargling salt water is ideal, but a yummy spray is a better sell than gargling. :)

Take care everyone!

~Mama to Many~


Hydrogen Peroxide in Ears

Posted by Michael (Chapel Hill, N.C.) on 09/12/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I learned along time ago, that when you feel the 1st sign of a Cold or the Flu, take 1/2 capful of Peroxide, put in your ear, leave in for 2 minutes, empty into a tissue, do the other ear, your chances of getting either is greatly reduced, and if you do get sick, it will be shorter.

I am 71 yrs old, haven't had the Flu since I was 21yrs old. Never had a Flu shot, don't plan on ever having one, people I know get one every year, every year they get the Flu.


Aspirin, Cayenne, and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 02/17/2018
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I was around someone early in the week who thought she had the flu. 48 hours later I was experiencing early flu symptoms. Sore throat, malaise.

I immediately put hydrogen peroxide in my ears. (About a capful each ear.)

I gargled cayenne pepper water. (1/4 teaspoon cayenne in 3 ounces of water.)

I took 2 aspirin.

I repeated the hydrogen peroxide twice before going to bed.

I woke up not feeling the best and repeated the peroxide in the ears, the cayenne gargle and the aspirin.

By afternoon I felt completely fine and have ever since.

I think the earlier that remedies are begun the better!

~Mama to Many~


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by John McMann (Kentucky) on 01/14/2018
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Here is tried and true, southern flu-kicking remedy. Drinking this when I first start to feel sick, kicks the virus out. If taken during cold or flu recovery, helps ease congestion and prevents cough.

8 oz of hot water, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 jigger whiskey, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 shakes of cayenne pepper. Stir and drink slowly. Enjoy.


Cayenne

Posted by Jennifer (Visalia ) on 01/11/2018
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

The cayenne drink is very important to remove the protein layer that the flu virus has surrounding it. Remember the virus is also trying to survive! Drink lots of spicy drinks and then attack the virus with garlic, Colidal silver, hydrogen peroxide....etc.


Vitamin C

Posted by Myway (Delaware) on 11/05/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Unfortunately I'm exposed to sick people every day - and refuse to take the flu shot so, this early fall, I caught the flu bug but this time, I was prepared. Within 6 hours, the flu was gone....here is what I did.

My symptoms - fever of 101, slight headache, achy feeling, coughing, lethargy - this all happened within 1 hour. You have to hit it early.

1. Take 1,000mg (1 GM) of Vit c every 5 minutes up to bowel tolerance. For me, bowel tolerance was 40 GM (40,000 mg). Note - for some folks, this amount is probably too low. If you have questions, look up Dr. Andrew Saul on YouTube. He will set you straight.

2. Put 1 drop of peppermint oil under each nostril to keep the coughing down. It also helped with the headache. Did this about three times during the day.

3. Spread a quarter size dollar of magnesium lotion on the back of arms, feet, neck - to ease all the aches in body. Makes you more comfortable.

4. Take 2 tsp of colloidal silver 3 times a day.

5. Plenty of green tea. ( I drank about 4 cups the first day with lemon and honey).

Repeat the next day. I went to work the next day, had the Vit c tabs in my pocket, and my bowel tolerance was 13,000 mg. Don't put the Magnesium on till evening - it makes me sleepy.

This protocol is safe for kids and adults. You just have to get to bowel tolerance to make it work!

Good Luck!

MyWay


Apple Cider Vinegar Spicy Drink

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/23/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Spicy ACV Drink for Fall

I don't usually have fresh ginger on hand, but do right now. I have been using it in a warm apple cider vinegar drink. So tasty!

  • 1 cup almost boiling water
  • 2-3 teaspoons honey
  • 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon clove powder
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon freshly sliced ginger root

Mix together in a larger mug or to go coffee mug to keep you cozy when you go out in the cold.

I think I would especially love this if I had a cold or the flu.

~Mama to Many~


BHT

Posted by Deirdre (Los Angeles) on 10/23/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Not long ago, I was flying home to LA and there was a young man sitting next to me who started sneezing and didn't cover his mouth. Instead, he just turned and sneezed at least 7 times into the aisle. When he was done sneezing, there was that nasty virus smell in the air (maybe it's only me, but I can smell viruses when people first get sick... it's a very distinct, gross smell).

At any rate, sure enough exactly 48 hours later, I started getting achy joints and a headache. It was the middle of the day and I took 1/2 capsule of BHT in half a glass of water. My achey joints disappeared by evening. I took another 1/2 capsule of bht the following morning just to be safe. Symptoms COMPLETELY gone after that.

The h2o2 inhalation method used to be my "go to" remedy for viruses, but it didn't always work. BHT has worked for me 100% with minimal dosing (i.e., one at onset of symptoms, another 12 hours later).


L-Lysine

Posted by Merryanne (Florida) on 05/24/2017 113 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I have had great success using L-lysine to kill cold and flu viruses. If taken as soon as you have any symptoms of a virus at 2000 mg 4 times during your waking hours or less say take at breakfast, lunch, dinner and at bedtime, you will be ok the next day,, but, if you wait till the next day then you may have to take the dosage for 2 or 3 days. This really works great!!!


Cayenne

Posted by Kesha C. (Richmond, Va) on 01/19/2011
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Okay..... I tried cayenne and it works for the flu. I wasn't feeling well yesterday almost as if I was coming down with the flu. My ears where achy as well as other parts of my body. I bought some Cayenne Pepper and sprinkled about 1/2 tablespoon in about 6oz of hot Water. I gargled some and drank some. I also bought some soup and sprinkled about a 1/4 tsp of Cayene Pepper in the soup. I instantly felt better. Thank you guys for the tips.


Ted's Remedies

Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 03/04/2010 392 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

The One Hour Flu Cure.

Is it really possible to cure flu in one hour? Yes, but it's usually less than an hour. Not that I wanted it to but as a necessity. One case told me (one of my students) had only one aspirin. The other case is the owner of LPG gas, whose store had to close due to 5 p.m. closing time and didn't want the employees to go home with a bad flu (two of them in fact) and the fact that she hates the idea of taking aspirin more than one.

So the remedies, assuming you have them, is in a full glass of water, aspirin is dissolved, added with 4 drops of 0.1% methylene blue and 8 drops of concentrated Hydrochloric acid. 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt is option to stop the mucus that sometimes occur. Lysine 1000 mg is optional, although lysine is a rare commodity here in Bangkok. It will go stop the flu in less than an hour.

There's just one catch: make sure you wash your hands before eating food and clean the enviroment otherwise you will catch it again the next day or two, and obviously avoid picking nose, a bad habit my students have and recaught the flu 2 more times, before he stopped that habit and never had a flu since.

In case some people are low on aspirin, and by chance happen to have methylene blue 0.1% and hydrochloric acid, this remedy would work. How it works is relatively simple. The methylene blue raise the energy level it works on the same principle of caffeine in a strong black coffee is used instead, and this can be mixed with the aspirin. In case hydrochloric acid isn't sitting around, I think plain distilled vinegar say 2 tablespoons with lemon juice one tablespoon is mixed can be substituted to have a similar effect as the one hour flu cure.

It is important to wash the hands after flu is gone. I prefer to wash my hands in vinegar, or a very weak solution of hydrochloric acid such as 10 drops per glass as antiseptic solution, as virus in general do not die in alcohol gel and other alcohol antiseptic. They also resist fairly well with most chlorine antiseptic solution, but they do not survive well in vinegar, hydrogen peroxide solutions in general. The hydrogen peroxide antiseptic solution should preferably be about 1% concentration when using as hand wash or general cleaning the area to avoid reinfection. Of course if a person were to get necrotising fasciitis, the preferred remedy is not this one, they don't survive well in betadine iodine solution mixed with other chlorine washes.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Cured!!! (Woodstock, Ga) on 09/21/2009
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

ACV, Orange Juice, and Honey!!!

Yea, for Apple Cider Vinegar!!! Thank God for this site! I did a frantic search after my husband and I were both attacked by a wicked flu bug that has lasted almost 3 weeks. We're finally over the worst symptoms; but the cough (especially his) was the very last thing to go...and it wasn't going without a fight. For 2 weeks, we had tried "everything" including OTC drugs. I also had severe phlegm in the back of my throat, and had lots of nasal mucous. Both were extremely difficult to expel; and his cough was so consistent that it caused him headaches and stomach cramping.

I tried the solution of 4 Tablespoons OJ, 2 Tablespoons honey and 2 Tablespoons ACV...within 1 hour we were both relieved of the symptoms and before the day was over, we knew we were on to the cure! We heated our recipe to make it a little easier to digest. It doesnt taste too bad, but its a long way from tasting good, and the strong taste is "oh, so worth it"! Thank you all for your suggestions, and thanks for this site. It is a God-send!!!


Hydrogen Peroxide Inhalation Method

Posted by Sonya (Manhattan, USA) on 08/25/2009
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My husband started feeling symptoms of the flu on Friday, but I didn't feel them until Monday. I started inhaling 3% peroxide to the back of my throat and into my lungs following Bill Munro's instructions right away. I felt immediately better (literally, 5 minutes later) but 20 minutes later I felt the virus returning to my head. Instead of waiting the 2-3 hours for the inhalation like the instructions state, I decided to inhale again. Again my symptoms disappeared almost immediately. I kept inhaling every time I felt the symptoms returning and by midnight, I didn't have any more symptoms. I went to sleep, symptom free and did the peroxide again this morning, after an 8 hour break and will continue to inhale every 2-3 hours now. I am not 100% (mild congestion) but am doing sooo much better than my husband who is still miserable with congestion.

I am coming to the conclusion that the key to this inhalation method is starting it as soon as you feel the symptoms and then continuing it for a day or two. Don't stop doing it even if you feel better! I also think that inhaling every few hours is not enough if you have a bad strain of the virus. Inhaling every time I feel symptoms returning has been the key to kicking this virus. No doubt I will be able to test my findings again this winter, but hopefully not with the swine flu.

Good luck everyone. We need to be prepared for a bad swine flu season!


Coconut Oil

Posted by WT (Spartanburg, SC) on 05/31/2008
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Whether it's Bird flu or the regular flu. If any virus is classified a flu virus, coconut oil will kill it.

Any flu virus is contained inside a Lipid envelope. If this membrane is ruptured the virus dies. Apparently the fats in Coconut oil lyse this membrane on contact causing it's destruction.

I used to get colds just about every year and the flu maybe every 2-3 years. Upon switching to coconut oil for cooking, I've been cold and flu free for nine years now! I've even been around others with my business who were fighting the flu and didn't catch it!

We fry stuff in it once a week or so and I try to eat fried eggs weekly for good measure!

For kids in day care you won't believe the difference it makes! Those days of them coming home with a new bug every few days will be a thing of the past!


Cayenne, Activated Charcoal

Posted by John (New Zealand) on 03/04/2008
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

This is my account of why cayenne pepper 150,000 - 300,000 BTU's kills the flu virus in significant numbers within 20 minutes, and with the use of activated powdered charcoal, is able to continue to do this, yet without hardly any hint of a burning sensation while yet maintaining the same power to kill the flu virus, as though one had taken the same amount of cayenne without the charcoal.

It is one thing to know that powerful cayenne tincture or powder is sudden death to the flu virus that attacks so many tens of millions or more times a year around the globe, but just as vital is that mixing of it in a ratio of at least 1 part cayenne powder to 4 parts activated charcoal making this remedy available to everyone other than the "super human's" that only could prefer the hot mix to the flu symptoms, besides, those kind of freaks of nature are unlikely to succumb to the flu anyway, so you can see how important the inclusion of charcoal is, if the remedy is to be of any use to the average person that has too much apprehension of the burn to take it in sufficient quality and quantity to kill the flu virus.

Fact one is merely a matter of observance:

That if one is fortunate enough to be in a position to take at least one heap teaspoon of African Bird's Eye pepper (good quality and condition that is), and it has been mixed with at least four equally heaped teaspoons of activated powdered charcoal, and even better, had at least one to four spoonfuls of powdered barley green added (making sure that there is enough water in the mix to make a watery slurry rather than a paste, because this is to be drunk not eaten), that aesthetically removes the grittiness and helps lessen the need for as much charcoal, if it has been obviously a flu virus, the headache and fever symptoms drop off 100%, with loose stools possibly remaining, for 3-7 days but more in the case of the less serious flues.

It seems, to my experience, that the more deadly flu strains have been the easiest to kill.

Like the common cold, the milder and more common varieties seem to cause diarrhea (although losing headache and fever just as quickly, as the more serious strains).

Fact two is:

Anyone denying this assertion, while at the same time not supplying a better account, for why this observable fact one occurred, is telling us more about themselves (and the insufficient way that they view the world) rather than truthfully disproving the efficiency of cayenne and charcoal to painlessly and healthfully solve a very uncomfortable problem with horrible headaches, fever and loss of work time either in the work force, home care or the school attendance.

Just think of the number of hours lost to a nation's economy from all of the strains of the flu virus alone let alone other possible "bugs" that this remedy could also deal to. One I know for sure is pneumonia, which I think is bacillus. I think that it is unacceptable that there is many container loads of the best quality African Bird's Eye cayenne in the pods still exported from Africa at around $4/kilo, making $70,000 a container, to disappear into the confusion of middlemen, certainly never to be seen in health shops or such like where it can save lives more than as bottled hot chilli sauce or something useless like that.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mark T (Kingston, Tn)
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

When I was a young kid, one day my sister came home and said that she had the best snack at a friend's house on the way home from school. She said that she would find out exactly what it was and that she would make us some one day. Her friend's grandmother had taken garden fresh cold thinly sliced cucumber slices and thin slices of sweet vadalia onion, sprinkling a fair amount of salt and pepper and then covering them with White House Apple Cider Vinegar(5% Acidity) letting them soak for ten or fifteen minutes.

The girls used little wooden skewers to stab the sour & tangy vegetable concoction and used a small round soup spoon to sip the sour vinegar juice - they also had it served with an ice cold 6 oz bottle of Coca-Cola over ice (Talking about the acids, lol!!!).

I had always has a taste for sour things like pickles, mustard, sauerkraut, and plenty of ACV on my turnip greens. After having this concoction once I soon developed a craving for it. It seemed whenever I was sick and had a fever, sore throat, ear infection or just about anything I would always crave the sour taste of these cucumbers, onions, salt, pepper, and plenty of fresh apple cider vinegar and would start out nibbling on them slowly until after ten or fifteen minutes began feeling better.

No sooner that I would finish them it was no time until I was feeling so much better. Even before I heard that ACV was really good for you in my mind and my heart I knew that there was something really special about apple cider vinegar because every time I consumed it I seemed to get over what was ailing me in no time and was heeled and it sure did make a believer out of me. It just works and I began to swear by it to all of my family members and to anyone else that I could testify too because I wanted them to get the same fast relief from ACV that I had received..

My sister that had turned me on to this supposed snack that turned out to be a healing remedy already liked this concoction and it didn't take much to convince her that it ! was a powerful aide in healing just about anything that ailed you. My sister and I still have the cravings for this vinegar concoction and my niece has also taken up liking the concoction also. I know that it's not for everyone because there are some out there (like my fiance) that can't stand the thought of eating or drinking anything with ACV on or in it.

Good luck to all of you that are willing to try this powerful anti-oxidant, it will change your life.



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