As the cold and flu season is upon us I have done some research into ‘cures’ for the common cold.
I have many herbal teas that we use when we’re sick…but I wanted something I could take at the very first symptoms of sickness to knock it out before it became a full blown, week long, snot fest!
Twice in the last month my darling children have passed their colds onto me.
Twice I have at the first sign of sickness made and drank garlic tea.
Twice my cold failed to be anything more than a 24 hour slight dribble and headache.
Garlic has been used throughout history for its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. Recent scientific studies have indicated that a diet high in garlic (more than 2 large cloves a day per person) can reduce the incidence of certain cancers especially those of the intestinal tract and breast cancer.
Here is a good page to look at from the National Cancer Institute on more specifics of garlic and cancer.
When using raw garlic it is important to crush or mince and then let your garlic sit for 15 minutes…this allows the chemical compounds in the cloves to be released.
My garlic tea is simply one clove of peeled, crushed garlic allowed to sit for 15 minutes after crushing. Then I place it in the bottom of a coffee cup and pour boiling water over it. I let it steep for another 15 minutes. Then I remove the garlic and add honey and lemon. I slowly drink the tea while chewing on the clove of garlic.
I will admit that I smell like garlic for at least an hour after this…so I would not do it when headed out to an important appointment!
Now I am not going to say that this is indeed the cure for the common cold but so for the evidence has been compelling. As the colds have lasted from 5 days to a week for my husband kids it has lasted less than 24 hours for me and has had considerably milder symptoms.
Now if I could just convince the rest of my family that the stinking rose really does make a beneficial…if not stinky tea!
So do you have a ‘cure’ for the common cold that you would like to share?
Kim can also be found at the inadvertent farmer where she raises organic fruits, veggies, critters, kids, and…a camel!
Not Dabbling In Normal 
I love garlic but I never thought to make garlic tea to help with a bad cold. Next time a cold is in the early stages, I will give it a try.
Now if I could just find a natural cure for seasonal allergies. October is the worst month for me and I have tried everything and I mean everything. Benadryl is the only thing that works and I can’t take it during the daytime since it makes me sleepy.
My child is sick and I ate 2 cloves of raw garlic in olive oil spread on bread last night. An easy and tasty way to take it in.
I wonder how your tea would be with a kick of ginger? Maybe I’ll find out later today!
Going to check the link on garlic and cancer – thanks.
How is it you only smell like garlic for an hour afterwards? I chopped the tiniest amount of onions yesterday and the smell is still here. Just curious.
Actually it was just my breath that smelled for an hour afterward. Since I crushed the garlic with a wide knife (which easily dislodged it from the skin) and scooped it with the knife and into the mug I never actually touched the garlic with my fingers…yes garlic and onions stay on the skin much longer than an hour!
Unfortunately I am one of those folks that is really not suited to garlic, and I love food made with garlic! If I would drink your garlic tea, I would ooze it out of my pores for hours. It’s terrible- just ask my family! But maybe that would be a preventative for getting the cold in the first place. 🙂
For those to whom FDA certification matters, zinc lozenges (like the brand Cold-EEZ) are, as far as I know, the only thing that has been clinically shown to reduce the duration of the common cold. I’m a fan of home remedies, but when I absolutely need to knock an impending cold on its butt, I use zinc lozenges.
I’ll try garlic tea next time. How does it taste? I’m guessing like garlic?
PS: I’m not in any way associated with Cold-EEZ or any other brand of lozenges.
It actually has no taste at all…but ohhhh the smell, lol! Kim
Way back (mid-50s), in response to anyone’s third sneeze, my mom would finely mince a garlic clove and deliver it to the sneezer in a teaspoon, covered with a big squeeze of fresh orange juice. One would gulp the concoction, then finish off the rest of the orange. Now I’m thinking of reinstating her remedy (adding the 15-minute rest period).
I for one don’t put much stock in the FDA, but I will put this remedy to the test and find out for myself! (THAT I can trust!)
I have also read much about the benefits of fresh garlic. AND it is easy to grow!
If you can get everyone to eat it then you stop noticing the smell. I’ve found it also keeps away mosquitos and stray bullets.
When I was a kid we either got garlic, garlic oil, or a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to cure colds. Don’t know if it was the cure or the fear, but we rarely got sick.
My cold prevention medicine is to take two teaspoons of brandy (or similar) in a small medicine cup. Allow it to coat the throat and swallow. Works well if taken at the first sign of a scratchy throat. Plenty of fresh air in the home (even in the winter our homes need to have a good air exchange.
Garlic helps rid our bodies of many ills. If you don’t like eating raw garlic, roasting it in the oven until it is soft will still keep most of it’s valuable properties and not give your breath an odor.
If you do get a cold, boil water, ginger, lemon juice, cayenne pepper together. Don’t boil too long, just get it to the boiling point. Add ingredients to taste. Put honey in at the end after boiling. Honey is not for taste: it has anti-bacterial properties in it. I drink this during cold and flu season. It’s just good. Make a big pot: it’s better the next day.
I will try this the next time I feel a cold coming on. Good advice.
-Brenda
Garlic! Not only for colds, but flue, sinus infections, any time either one of us is feeling under the weather. Not so comforting as tea though, we take it raw, 2 cloves whirred up in the blender with a cup or two of juice and a teaspoon of ginger to make it easier on the stomach. Not for the faint of heart, but it never fails to bring results. Will have to try that tea though.
I always crush a few garlic cloves and crush some homegrown oregano and some cayenne peppers in the bottom of a bowl. I allow it to sit for 15-20 min then pour some of my heated home canned tomato soup over it and then add a dab of butter. This works like a charm. Whenever I’m starting to feel sick I eat this for every meal and usually I can keep the cold from actually coming on. I also drink oregano tea and breath eucalyptus steam.
Awesome!! I will definitely try this out and I appreciate the links about the benefits of garlic! Our family loves to live as natural as possible and we are doing al we can to prevent illness this year by keeping all of our beneficial bacteria boosted up. I take the adult chewable from Vidazorb and our kids take the kids chewable called Belly Boost. We love probiotics and now I can stock up on garlic too just incase – thanks!
I have had ginger, lemon, honey tea, but never with garlic. I’m a big fan of garlic, so it might work for me! I know April and chiotsrum said cayenne would help…why would that be? I’ve heard of that before…
Also as a side tip, I heard that chopped garlic mixed with yogurt could also be good for you – it tastes better than it sounds!
I mince up some fresh garlic cloves, then cover with honey and let set for a bit. Take by the spoonful two to three times a day – don’t chew, just let it slide on down.
Ahhh…garlic. I make a concoction we labeled “Shot in the Arm” which is similar. A heaping tablespoon or two of minced garlic in a mug left to steep in salty chicken broth then chugged down fast… leaves a cold far behind, we get the same 24 hour result, too. it pretty much just tastes like a savory soup!
I came across this post a while ago, now I have an impending cold. Have some garlic at the ready. Will tell you if it works for me…here’s hoping.
Interested to find out if it worked for you. Thanks 🙂
Will this tea spoil? can i preserve this after how many days? tnx a lot 🙂
My daughters won’t touch the tea but they will however eat hummus and garlic butter on their bread. I make a extra garlicly hummus for my autistic daughter and she eats it up with gf corn chips. It kicked her last cold right away! I had to get creative for them but it was well worth it to avoid the Dr.
If you add a tiny bit of sea salt, it tastes like soup broth 😉
It works. I have a clove (or two or three) every few hours and am rarely sick longer than 24 hours. Also managed to get rid of my daughter’s RSV in 3 days giving her garlic twice a day….though it’s easy with her. She is 2 and LOVES garlic. I can hand her a raw garlic clove and she will happily munch away like it’s candy.