By Dr. Kirsten West DC, MS
You know the feeling. A tickle in your throat as you’re falling asleep. A wave of chills in the middle of the afternoon. That heavy, run-down sense that something is coming.
Most of us respond the same way: we hope it passes, push through the day, and run to the store once we already feel terrible. But when you are prepared, you can support your body at the very first signs and symptoms of a cold or flu. Starting support early, while your immune system is just mounting its response, may help lessen how hard an illness hits and how long it lasts.
Last fall, I wrote about how to strengthen your immune system before you get sick, with chiropractic care, muscle testing, acupuncture, meditation, sleep, and less sugar. This post is the follow-up: what to do once a cold or flu is actually coming on, and the five natural remedies I keep in my own medicine cabinet every season here in Black Mountain.
Why the First 24 to 48 Hours Matter
When a cold or flu virus gets in, it starts copying itself quickly. Your immune system is racing to catch up. Support you give your body in that early window lands while the battle is still small, which is why natural remedies tend to work best when you start them right away rather than on day four.
It helps to know that your immune system works in layers:
Barriers. Your skin, the mucous membranes of your nose and throat, and the lining of your gut are the first walls a germ has to get past.
First responders. When something gets through, white blood cells such as natural killer cells and macrophages move in fast. Fever and inflammation are part of this response: they make your body a harder place for a virus to copy itself.
Targeted defense. Over the next several days, your body builds antibodies and specialized T cells aimed at that exact germ, and keeps a memory of it for next time.
Calm-down and repair. Once the threat is cleared, your body turns inflammation back down and repairs tissue.
Each remedy below supports one or more of these layers.
The 5 Natural Remedies I Keep on Hand
These are all single-herb or whole-food products from Supreme Nutrition Products, which contain only the herb itself, with nothing added. Every body is different, so I use Applied Kinesiology to check which ones fit each person best.
1. Illicium (Star Anise): My Flu-Season Go-To
Star anise is the plant that supplies the starting compound used to make the prescription flu medicine Tamiflu. As a whole herb, it is traditionally used to help the body resist viruses, and it’s the first thing I reach for at the first sign of flu.
Supports your first responders.
2. Elderberry: The Whole-Family Remedy
Research suggests elderberry may help block certain viruses from entering cells, and it appears to work best when started early. It’s gentle enough for the whole family, with the right dose for each age.
Supports your barriers and first responders.
3. Camu: Whole-Food Vitamin C
This Amazonian berry is one of the most concentrated natural sources of vitamin C in the world. Your white blood cells burn through vitamin C quickly when you’re fighting something off, which is why how much you take changes once you’re sick.
Supports your first responders and recovery.
4. Takesumi: For Stomach Bugs
Not every bug is respiratory. Takesumi is carbonized bamboo, which binds unwanted substances in the gut so your body can pass them out. Because it can also bind medications and supplements, it needs to be taken 2 hours apart from them.
Supports your gut barrier.
5. Astragalus: The Daily Immune Builder
Astragalus is one of the most widely used herbs in Chinese medicine for building resistance to colds and respiratory illness. It’s a strengthening herb meant for before and after illness, so it should be paused during a fever. (For more on immune support through the lens of Chinese medicine, read our acupuncturist Pomai’s post, Autumn Attunement: Cultivating Harmony within Our Metal Element.)
Supports your targeted defense.
Two Daily Foundations for Cold and Flu Season
Remedies work best on a well-supplied body. These two are worth taking daily from fall through spring:
Vitamin D3 with K2. Vitamin D helps your immune cells respond to germs and then calm back down afterward. Many people in the mountains of Western North Carolina run low by midwinter, so it’s worth testing your level through simple blood work. K2 helps your body put calcium where it belongs.
Zinc. Your immune cells need zinc to develop and communicate. Take it daily with food for prevention, and keep zinc lozenges on hand for a scratchy throat.
What to Do When You Feel a Cold or Flu Coming On
When I feel something coming on, I don’t wait. I start a specific combination of these remedies within hours, and I adjust the amounts over the first two days depending on how my body responds.
The right combination looks different for a healthy adult than for a child, someone who is pregnant, or someone managing a chronic condition, which is why I tailor it to each person.
In the meantime, a few things help everyone:
Rest. Sleep is when your immune system does much of its work.
Drink warm fluids: water, broth, and herbal teas.
Skip sugar and alcohol, which can slow your immune response.
Let a mild fever do its job unless you are very uncomfortable or it climbs high.
Dosing and timing matter a lot in those first two days, so if you have questions, I’m always happy to walk through them with you.
When Your Immune System Needs More Than a Medicine Cabinet
If you seem to catch every bug that goes around, take weeks to bounce back, or never quite feel well between illnesses, your immune system may be overloaded long before a virus ever shows up.
Many things can constantly bombard the immune system and leave less in reserve for fighting off a cold or flu:
Hidden inflammation patterns that keep your body in a low-grade state of alarm
Food sensitivities that irritate the gut, where most of your immune system lives
Chronic infections or exposures, such as Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, or mold
Ongoing stress on your nervous system, which directly affects immune function
A medicine cabinet helps you respond to a cold or flu. Finding and addressing what’s wearing your immune system down helps you get sick less often in the first place. Through functional medicine and Applied Kinesiology, I look for these underlying patterns and build a plan to clear them.
When to Call Your Doctor
Natural support works alongside medical care, not instead of it. Contact your doctor or seek care right away if you notice:
Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
Chest pain or pressure
Confusion, or being hard to wake
Fever above 103°F, or any fever lasting more than 3 days
Signs of dehydration: very little urine, dizziness, or not keeping fluids down
Symptoms that improve, then return worse
If you are pregnant, over 65, or have a chronic condition such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, call your doctor early. Prescription flu antivirals work best when started within the first 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do the moment I feel a cold coming on?
Start your natural remedies right away, rest, drink warm fluids, and cut back on sugar. Support in the first 24 to 48 hours tends to make the biggest difference.
Is elderberry good for the flu?
Research suggests elderberry may help block certain viruses from entering cells, and one study found that people who started it within 48 hours of flu-like symptoms recovered sooner. It works best when started early.
Is star anise the same as Tamiflu?
No. Star anise supplies shikimic acid, the starting compound used to make Tamiflu, but the whole herb is not the medication. It is used traditionally to support the body’s response to viruses.
Can kids take natural cold and flu remedies?
Many of these remedies, like elderberry tincture, are gentle enough for children, but dosing depends on age and weight. Please ask us before giving any remedy to a child.
Is there a holistic doctor near Asheville who can help with immune support?
Mindful Wellness Space is in Black Mountain, about 15 miles east of Asheville. We support immune health through functional medicine, chiropractic care, Applied Kinesiology, and acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
A Final Note
The best time to stock your medicine cabinet is before the first sniffle.
If you have questions about any of these remedies, or wonder whether something deeper is affecting your immune system, I’m always happy to talk. You can reach us at 828-357-8199 or schedule a visit.
Wishing you a healthy, restful season.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This post is for general education and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
