7 Ayurvedic remedies experts say can ease your cold, flu and Covid symptoms – from guduchi and ginger to tulsi and triphala

Two traditional Indian medicine practitioners provide natural remedies for common colds, flu – even Covid-19- symptoms, such as sore throats, fevers and coughs

Most of these plant-based ingredients are available in powdered form; for fresh holy basil leaves or stems, consider growing your own

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Liquorice powder is an Ayurvedic remedy that can help relieve cold, flu or Covid-19 symptoms, say experts. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:15pm, 6 May 2022

Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old natural medicine system that originated in India, has been promoted throughout the pandemic as a means of relieving the symptoms of Covid-19, the flu – even the common cold.

Two experts in Ayurveda – Nidhi Pandya, a third-generation National Ayurvedic Medical Association-certified practitioner in New York, and Aiswarya Santhosh, a graduate of the Ahalia Ayurveda Medical College in Kerala, India – share their top Ayurvedic remedies for fighting symptoms like sore throats, fevers and coughs.

Guduchi

Guduchi’s antioxidant, antiviral and antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties make it a clear winner as a medicinal herb, Pandya says. “Guduchi, commonly known as giloy, is my number one pick,” she says.

Also known as Tinospora cordifolia or heart-leaved moonseed, it is best consumed as a tea or in tablet form.

Nidhi Pandya is a third-generation National Ayurvedic Medical Association-certified practitioner in New York.

Yashtimadhu

Also known as licorice powder, this herb helps improve voice quality, is good for throat disorders, is a good expectorant (it helps expel phlegm from the lungs) and heals respiratory diseases, Santosh says.

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