Natural Remedies for Flu: Fast Symptom Relief & Recover

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Dean (Tulsa, OK) on 11/05/2006
★★★★★

I discovered this site a few days ago. I have been impressed. Yesterday I awoke with dark rings around my eyes, fever and sore muscles. The flu was coming on STRONG. I started a new job today too. I went straight to your site and read the grapefruit seed extract cure. They should change the name to bitter fruit, but it has worked. It's awful but within an hour I felt 80% better. By evening I felt 98% better. I can tell it is still there, in hiding, so I will do it 2-3 days like it is suggested. It now feels like that day after your sick which is great because I was really going to be sick. I could tell. Jobs great too. Thanks!

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Genevieve (Bellingham, WA)
★★★★★

I absolutely hate being sick and getting the flu, like I'm sure everyone does. But, I have found something that really helps. GSE, Grapefruit Seed Extract which can be bought at supplement and health stores, really helps boost my immune system. I drop 13 drops in a small glass of orange juice three to four times a day when I start feeling and sick and by the next morning I feel 100% better.

Ginger

Posted by Earth Clinic (USA)
★★★★★

This ginger tea is one of the most powerful teas to clear viruses and toxins from the body. Here's an old Chinese recipe that is very beneficial.

Chop into small pieces 2 inches of fresh ginger and add to a pot of water. Add the rind of one orange and one cinnamon stick. Boil for 10 minutes and drink hot. You will be able to tell how well this tea clears toxins from your body by the changing scent of your perspiration (for the worse).

Cold Showers

Posted by Tim (NSW Kitchener, Australia)
★★★★★

I decided to finish every normal 'hot shower' with a blast of totally cold water, after reading a book by an old healer by the name of Jethro Kloss. Anyway, I am a bad asthmatic, and used to get sick around 6 times per year. When I got sick it really affected my chest, with huge amounts of mucous, and real bad asthma.

Now I rarely get sick (it boosts the immune system as well as circulation), and if I do it's usually just a mildly sore throat. I wish I could better explain the massive difference this has made. Even if you feel sickness coming on, a cold shower will often stop it in its tracks.

ACV, Garlic, Lemon, Coconut Oil

Posted by Rodnique (Louisiana) on 02/18/2021

Could you please give us measurements on each ingredient. Thanks so much.

Vitamin C + NAC + Homeopathy

Posted by Consult68 (Switzerland) on 01/14/2018
★★★★★

Vitamin C + NAC +Haemophilus influenza comp for Flu

We usually use a homeopathic spray to be rubbed in the skin (Spenglersan G = Haemophilus influenza comp) 3 x /day + 4-5 g Vitamin C (preferably Liposomal)/day and 500mg of N-AcetylCystein (alternatively 5 gloves of raw garlic), 2-3 Liters of purified water. Fluid, rest and proper sleep are essential for quick recovery.

Severe cases - can be accelerated by IV or rectal ozone + I.V. Vitamin C, Zinc and NAC.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice

Posted by Schwabbie (Fontana, Ca) on 09/21/2016
★★★★★

Carol's cure all acv and lemon juice drink was the best remedy I tried so far.

I tried the tomato tea and it probably does boost the immune system, but this remedy did stop the thick phlegm that was blocking my airway and causing me to cough like crazy, and it worked almost immediately. I drank this twice yesterday and plan to have it twice today.

Colloidal Silver and Manuka Honey

Posted by Katzie (Calgary) on 12/30/2015
★★★★★

My 14 yr old son had the 'flu for 4 days while at his father's house. When he came home he was still feverish and hadn't been eating. I gave him 1 TBSP Colloidal Silver and 1 TBSP Manuka Honey in the evening. The next morning he was better, eating, drinking, no fever, and he was smiling again. I got the idea to try these from this awesome site! It should be noted that this same "cure" also worked equally as well on his head colds.

Elderberry, Vitamins C and E

Posted by Cl (Florida, US) on 01/20/2015
★★★★★

Everyone in my family had strep and flu, I was just beginning to feel bad. I read somewhere on this site that Elderberry tea would help, and Vitamin C and Vitamin E. I could not find the Elderberry tea so I got Sambucol Elderberry Extract, I took a teaspoon a day with a small amount of water in it like the box said (The internet said take 3 times a day for 5 days, however I only took it once a day and it worked), I also took 1500 mg of Vitamin C Chewable and 400IU Vitamin E a day along with that, and it knocked it out by day two, I was trying to avoid the strep, right before Christmas when I took my granddaughter back to the doc for a second strep test. I had not been sick at all, but my throat that morning a felt a little scratchy, but I ask the Doc to run a strep test on me while I was there and it was positive, which she put me on an antibiotic, however I never ran a fever or anything with my strep so I think the home remedies helped there and I never did get the flu. I made sure I did not take my Vitamin C within 4 hours of taking my antibiotic.

Now everyone is getting the flu again and I felt like I was trying to get it so I started back on the Elderberry, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. I also do the Emergen-C orange or raspberry if I don't have the chewable C with me and it works really well.

Ginger

Posted by Susan (Knoxville, Tn) on 10/28/2014
★★★★★

Just using the powdered ginger from the grocery store spice aisle worked for me in one dose in 2009 when the H1N1 flu was going around. My son had gotten it and coughed right in my face when I tucked him in bed (I couldn't get him to take anything like ginger for it - he was too young and spit it out), so about 2 days later, I suddenly had a runny nose and little tickles in my upper chest - felt like tiny bubbles popping in my chest. When I realized that what I was feeling was the flu, the ginger remedy I had seen here popped into my head (thank you, EC - love your site and you are my first go-to for so many things now! ) Going with what I had available, I used 1/2 tsp of the powdered ginger and made a tea with it, heating up a mug of water and then stirring the powdered ginger in with a bit of sugar. It didn't taste too good but I drank it and had to swirl the mug around to get the leftover powder on the bottom of the mug into my mouth. Within an hour, the symptoms were all gone. I was extremely relieved, because I had a really nasty virus about a year earlier, that I had gotten pneumonia from, and it had wreaked havoc on my upper respiratory area where the flu was trying to take hold and I was still suffering from recurring chest congestion every time I got a cold at that time. So I was extremely worried that the flu would land me in the hospital, given my pre-existing chest issues. I was SOOOO relieved that the ginger worked to get rid of it so quickly. I had read that ginger has over 100 antiviral components in it, but dry ginger may have fewer of those than fresh ginger, but I would say definitely don't overlook the dry, powdered version if it's all you have!

Honey

Posted by Stormie33 (Albertville, AL) on 12/27/2013

Use honey for any viral illness. Start taking it at first sign/symtom. If in doubt research honey and virus and will find out the great benefits of RAW honey.

Aspirin

Posted by Niceshot (Wpb, Fl) on 12/01/2013

Thank you for aspirin routine & virus. You take one 500 mg aspirin every 55 min. over nearly 4 hours to get to four doses? Just want make sure.

Aspirin

Posted by Bobbyb (Seattle) on 09/21/2015

Dissolved aspirin according to Ted is the only way to take aspirin. I take over the counter cold medicine from the drug store which seems safe. It is dissolved aspirin and I think baking soda.

Aspirin

Posted by Soledad (Spain) on 02/04/2021

I would like to know if there is an alternative to baby aspirin for people with gut problems.

Thanks.

Aspirin

Posted by Dianne (Australia) on 12/18/2022

There is an alternative to aspirin tablets. Willow bark I found also gave me stomach cramps so did further research because I was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Meadowsweet also

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Jennywren (Australia) on 09/16/2013
★★★★★

YEAH. I had a full-blown flu virus and could barely move for the aches and pains. After day six, I gave up on OTC medicine and turned to colloidal silver. I had been taking it in 5ml doses morning and evening but it clearly wasn't cutting the mustard. I upped the dose to gargling and swallowing 20ml every 3-4 hours, and bought a colloidal silver in nasal spray form to spray up my nose every hour or so. I also nebulised colloidal silver into my infected lungs for 5 minutes morning and night. It's important to treat nose, throat and lungs (and even ears) with colds and flus. By day 2 it felt noticeably better and by day 3 it was pretty much gone! (Note: It's important to drink lots of water and take a good probiotic when ingesting this much silver.)

Zinc

Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 01/10/2013 2042 posts
★★★★★

When I was young and otherwise healthy I would get 2 or 3 terrible colds (flu) per yr. Fast forward with aging and a severe and chronic toxic condition, I might get 1 cold per yr and then only briefly. I take nutritional supplements by the handfuls but one that seems the absolute essential immune support is Zinc. Zinc is one mineral that is terribly lacking in the western diet AND seems to be the cornerstone of the immune system, so it is almost necessary to supplement in every person to prevent such as the flu. A healthy Thymus is also critical. Some researchers believe that the power of Zinc is the strengthening of the Thymus.

Neem

Posted by Firstchild (Westerville, Ohio, Usa) on 01/09/2013
★★★★★

I cannot offer enough praise for Neem. I used the salve several years ago for cellulitis on my arm. It was suggested to me by an owner of the health food shop I frequented. It was a mildly scented green salve. I decided to try it, as well as the capsules of Neem Leaves for internal use. In a few days, the salve, alone, worked to remove this weird bumpy rash that had been present for more than a month. I didn't even need the capsules. But luckily, I had them on hand last year when my neighbor came down with an awful upper respiratory virus. She hates antibiotics, but she had a fever and heavy lung congestion. I told her to try my Neem capsules, as my more recent research discovered Neem was anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-microbial. Like using goldenseal and echinacea rolled into one. She took 2 capsules 3 times per day. I was so surprised when she called me the next day and told me she felt 75% better just over night! Her congestion was almost gone overnight without a single side effect! So, fast forward to Christmas of 2012. The family was coughing and ill on Christmas. I started coming down with the flu. I was sneezing relentlessly, starting to get that itchy throat and coughing. I was determined not to be miserable. I took 2 Neem leaf capsules starting Christmas night before I went to bed. Symptoms were completely gone when I awoke. By noon, I was starting to get that scratchy throat again, so I decided to keep up with the Neem. I continued to take it 3 times a day for 3 days and I am happy to say that I never fully developed influenza. I think it could be a lifesaver for those who suffer from this nasty flu. Look it up. It's incredible and available from very prominent herb and vitamin companies

Magnesium Foot Bath

Posted by Francisca (Zug, Switzerland) on 03/03/2012
★★★★★

A little tip that helped me two weeks ago when I was feeling very ill with the flu. My legs were hurting big time so after dinner I made a hot footbath with nigari (the only kind of magnesium chloride we can get). Amazing, while before it felt like someone was cutting my legs off and my head was also feeling weird right afterwards I had no more discomfort. Worth trying..... I knew that a hot footbath can cure a headache because it pulls the blood away from the head and in this case it relieved me big time!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Kasia (Toronto, Ontario ) on 11/30/2011
★★★★★

Hi there,
I wanted to thank everyone on this site for some great remedies. I am 5 and half months pregnant and I suffered with a very long and vigorous sinus and chest flu. My symptoms were a mild high temperature (37.5 -38) not high fever but enough to make me feel horrible. Coughing, sinus pressure with no ability to breathe through my nose. The symptoms lasted for 5 days until I decided to take serious action. For 3 days after 5 days of suffering I did the following steps 2 to 3 times a day until my symptoms disappeared!

Step 1:
Boil 3 cups water
Peel 3 large cloves of garlic and cut in half and add to water. Take water off heat and add half cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add half cup of honey. Let mixture sit for 20 mins and then strain and drink.

Step 2:
Nasal irrigation
Buy a neti pot or Neil Med saline nasal rinse. Make sure not to make your own salt water solution it's not as balanced at the one you buy specifically for nasal irrigation. This helps soooo much but after 3 days of constant use.

Step 3:
Apple cider vinegar steam
Get _____s original apple cider vinegar
Take one cup of vinegar and one cup of water
Bring to a boil and breath the steam with a towel over the pot. Make sure the mixture is not boiling while you breath the steam. This may burn while you breath through your nose, make sure to keep your mouth and eyes closed. Breath the steam for 5 min intervals. If it burns a lot them lift head up higher. This works the best!!!!! It just takes a few days of patience!

Step 4:
Take extra vitamin c. Preferably the powder that you can drink. Do not exceed more than 2000mg. Do these steps every day for 3 days and I promise you will feel soo much better if not totally healed. Cheers,
Kasia