If you get the flu, try these home remedies to get better sooner

Chicken soup can put the kibosh on the seasonal bug.

Science now confirms the miraculous brew’s ability to combat coughs and congestion caused by the flu.  Of course, grandmothers everywhere say:  “I told you so.”

A classic recipe of broth, veggies, spices and chicken parts had the power to keep white blood cells from clumping in the airways to the lungs, where they trigger inflammation and mucus, according to Dr. Stephen Rennard of the U of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

At the same time, the tasty soup didn’t hamper the white blood cells’ ability to destroy microbes bent on wreaking havoc with your body, says the study.

Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medical activity.

A mild anti-inflammatory effect could be one mechanism by which the soup could result in the reduction of upper-respiratory tract infections.

Laboratory tests couldn’t pinpoint any one ingredient that gave the soup its ability to heal.  “All the vegetables and the broth showed activity,” says Rennard.  “I think it’s the concoction.

The UCLA School for Medicine says brewing chicken soup creates biochemicals similar to those found in modern medicines.  For instance, boiling chicken releases an amino acid with a chemical makeup similar to a drug prescribed to treat respiratory ailments like bronchitis.  (Or you could say that pharmaceutical companies attempt to create costly drugs that mimic the benefits of good old chicken soup.)

Other theories offered to explain the potency of chicken soup include the ability of its steam to loosen respiratory congestion, the capacity of spices like garlic and pepper to clear out mucus and the brew’s capability to restore fluids.

In a survey of 20,000 family physicians, 60% considered chicken soup the best way to increase fluids in flu patients.  In addition to preventing dehydration, they added, chicken soup also soothes sore throats and provides nourishment.

Elderberries can quicken your recovery

Next time you get the flu, take a spoonful of elderberry extract.  Scientists have discovered that elderberries contain unique compounds that prevent flu viruses from penetrating your cell membranes.

How well does elderberry work?  When a case of the flu broke out in an Israeli communal farm, researchers gave half the sufferers elderberry and half a placebo.

The results:  90% of the people taking elderberries were completely better within three days.  In contrast, the people in the placebo group took a full 6 days to get well.

Elderberry extract is sold in health food stores under the brand name Sambucol.  It keeps fresh for months, so you can stock up at the beginning of cold and flu season.

Endure the fever

If you feel a fever coming on it’s not a good idea to immediately pop some kind of medication into your mouth?  Why not, you say.

Well, if your temperature is under 101 degrees (which you can check with a thermometer), then you body is creating white blood cells to fight infection.  The fever is there to create defenses against flu bugs.

Research on adults has found that anti fever meds make the flu last about 3 days longer in adults.  We don’t know of any research on kids.

Vitamin C wafers and zinc lozenges

Some people use zinc lozenges and vitamin C wafers and let them dissolve together in their mouths at the first sign of a cold.

Research shows that 500 mg of vitamin C daily, or zinc lozenges every 2 hours reduces the severity or duration of common colds.

To stay within safety guidelines, don’t exceed three zinc lozenges a day.

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