Nasal congestion, raw throat, muscle pain and that unmistakable feeling of having been run over by an invisible truck. Every winter, the same ritual: respiratory viruses circulating in full force and medicine cabinets filled with pills, effervescent sachets and miracle syrups.
The question is repeated year after year: to combat colds and flus, are medicines more effective or supplements and natural remedies? The short answer is uncomfortable, but honest: do not perform the same function, nor do they act at the same point in the process.. And, above all, do not have the same impact on the organism in the medium and long term..
Prevention: where naturals play in the first division
Neither antibiotics (useless against viruses) nor anti-influenza drugs prevent us from getting sick. Prevention depends almost entirely on the strength of our immune system and the state of our respiratory mucous membranes. Here, supplements and natural remedies have a clear advantage: act before the virus can take hold.
Among the most supported are the following:
- Vitamin D. Key in modulating the immune response. In winter, levels plummet due to lack of sunshine. Maintaining adequate levels is associated with lower incidence of respiratory infections and milder conditions.
- Zinc. Involved in lymphocyte activation and mucosal integrity. Deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infection.
- Vitamin C. It does not prevent colds on its own, but it helps to reduce their duration and severity, especially in people under physical or mental stress.
- Probiotics. More than 70% of the immune system is coordinated from the gut. A balanced microbiota is a silent but decisive line of defence.
- Medicinal mushrooms (Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake). Its beta-glucans modulate innate and adaptive immunity, helping the body to respond more effectively without overstimulating it.
- Adaptogenic plants and natural extracts such as elderberry, echinacea or astragalus, especially useful in seasonal preventive guidelines.
The great advantage of this strategy is that does not force the body, it accompanies it. When used correctly, these supplements have a high safety profile and no relevant side effects in healthy people.
When the virus is already inside: relief is not a cure
Once a cold or flu has set in, the focus changes. It is no longer a matter of prevention, but of alleviating symptoms and promoting rapid recovery.
This is where conventional medicines come into play:
- Paracetamol for pain and fever.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen) for general malaise.
- Antihistamines and decongestants for nasal congestion.
- Antitussives or mucolytics, depending on the type of cough.
These drugs do not significantly shorten the duration of infection, but they can make it more bearable. The problem is that are not harmless, especially when they are used without judgement or repeatedly every winter.
The most common side effects include
- Gastric irritation and risk of ulcers (NSAIDs).
- Hepatic overload (paracetamol, especially at high doses).
- Increased blood pressure and tachycardia (decongestants).
- Drowsiness, dryness of mucous membranes and mild cognitive impairment (antihistamines).
- Drug-drug interactions, especially in polymedicated individuals.
In addition, indiscriminate use can mask symptoms and encourage an early return to activity, prolonging the actual recovery of the body.
Natural remedies to get out of the box early
When a cold is already present, some natural remedies can help without adding toxic load:
- Zinc in the first 24-48 hours, which can reduce the duration of a cold.
- Vitamin C in fractional doses, as antioxidant support.
- Elderberry extract, with evidence of reduced flu-like symptoms.
- Hot infusions (ginger, thyme, sage), which soothe throat and congestion.
- Honey (in adults), effective for nocturnal cough.
- Real rest, The great forgotten and the most decisive.
So what are we left with?
The evidence and clinical experience agree on one essential point:
drugs relieve symptoms; well-used supplements strengthen the ground.
Using drugs on an ad hoc basis may be reasonable. Making them the main strategy every winter is not. Natural remedies and supplementation don't promise miracles, but work for the body, not against it, and they do so without subsequent invoicing.
In a context where we get sick not because of a lack of pills, but because of excessive stress, sedentary lifestyles, lack of sleep and nutritional deficiencies, perhaps the real question is not what to take when we get sick, but what to take when we get sick. why we come into winter so weak.
And here, nature - well understood and well used - still has the upper hand.
