Cold season: Top or flop - 10 home remedies for the common cold put to the test
Gitta Beimfohr
· 23.10.2025
Okay, the comparison within the editorial team is not entirely fair. Some of us simply get every cold virus from nursery school delivered to the house or coughed into our faces on a crowded suburban train. Of course, these are difficult conditions. But even among them, some make it through the cold season remarkably undisturbed. You might ask what their recipe for success is.
Ice bath, sauna or ginger tea - what helps against colds and flu?
Basically, nothing helps against colds and flu. Not even the coronavirus pandemic has produced a universal cure. Anyone who picks up a virus will have to incubate it for a few painful days. That's a fact.
The only thing you can really do: Strengthen the immune system so that it doesn't let in every cold virus, perhaps even shortening or at least mitigating the course of an infection. Here's how:
- Regular sport
- healthy nutrition
- Sufficient sleep
These are the generally recognised pillars of success. But there is probably no-one who does not swear by a personal recipe for success. In our editorial team alone, the ideas vary widely. Spooning onion broth? You have to get that down first thing in the morning. Rinsing your nose with salt water - conceivable. But the way the guys from our freeride department get into a tub of ice water every evening - just the thought of it makes my throat scratch. The question is: is there any point in such torture?
We have collected our alleged 100 per cent tips and sent them to an expert who should know. Sports physician Stefanie Mollnhauer runs the Pro-Formance Institute for Performance Optimisation, where she has been looking after amateur and professional athletes since 1997 with diagnostics and training plans, among other things. Here, too, the topic of strengthening the immune system naturally always plays a role. Especially when breaks have to be taken due to a cold and the originally planned training goals have to be re-targeted.
On the other hand, too many training sessions can also severely weaken an athlete's immune system, which could result in a drop in performance and a higher susceptibility to infections. With more than 500 athletes to look after each year, the sports physician gets to see many immune systems and almost as many insider tips for strengthening them. She has now also evaluated our ten tips from the BIKE editorial team and analysed the sense and nonsense of each.
10 cold defence tips from the editorial team
Tip 1 - Ice bathing
I love jumping into the lake in winter because it makes me feel alive and even makes me a bit happy. It's also supposed to boost the immune system. Last winter, I got myself an ice buoy. My goal: to last five minutes in the water at the end of winter. No chance - even at 2:45 minutes, I didn't get warm for most of the evening afterwards. And no, that didn't feel healthy. So I shortened my sessions to 1:30 minutes and then did five minutes of push-ups and squats to warm up again. My tip: an inflatable plastic barrel is easier to store in the cellar in spring.
That's what the expert says: Leaving the temperature comfort zone is positive stress for the body: noradrenaline and cortisol rise and the sympathetic nervous system is activated. This leads to reduced susceptibility to infection in the short term. However, it has not yet been possible to prove a lasting improvement in the body's defence against infections. Caution: Only try if your health is stable. If you have a possibly unrecognised heart condition or high blood pressure, the temperature shock could be too great!
Tip 2 - Alkaline diet
Viruses feel particularly at home in an acidic environment. I remember always feeling weak and tired and often struggling with colds. Until someone gave me the tip that it could be due to "hyperacidity" in my body. Since then, I've been avoiding meat and eating a predominantly alkaline diet. I have half a litre of smoothie in the morning, in which I mix seasonal fruit, but mainly vegetables such as beetroot and carrots, as well as dandelion and daisies. And lots of grains such as hemp seeds, chia and linseed (omega-3 fatty acids!). At lunchtime I eat a salad, preferably with cold potatoes and citrus dressing (for iron absorption). With this healthy advantage, I also treat myself to a plate of pasta in the evening.
That's what the expert says: Essentially, fruit and vegetables are alkalising. These foods alone are THE basis for good immune defence/immune cell formation due to their density of micronutrients and vitamins. The fibre they also contain is essential for the intestinal flora. The intestinal flora (our microbiome) in turn directly influences how immune cells mature and regulate. Top!
About the "acid-forming foods" by the way:
Bread, cakes and pasta made from white flour, sugar, meat and sausage, fish, milk, eggs, alcohol - but also husked rice can influence the acid-base balance.
Tip 3 - Vitamin C + zinc, vitamin D + magnesium
A training expert once told me: Just eat five different colours of fruit and vegetables every day and you'll have the optimum vitamin package. But if I get the slightest sore throat, I treat myself to an extra boost of vitamin C and zinc (e.g. "Vitamin C 1000 + Zinc + D3 direct" from Taxofit).
I also have my blood vitamin D level checked in autumn. This is because what the body has not accumulated through UV radiation in the summer, it will not make up for in the winter months - and susceptibility to infections increases. As vitamin D is fat-soluble, I take it after meals and also magnesium, because it converts the vitamin D into an active form and makes it easier for the body to utilise.
That's what the expert says: Be careful, extra vitamins can also be harmful if you take too much. My recommendation: It is better to take vitamin C in smaller doses throughout the day (4 x 200 mg). Zinc: In higher doses, it hinders the absorption of iron (important for haemoglobin formation!). Vitamin D can have a toxic effect in the body if it is too high. It is therefore essential to check your own vitamin D level beforehand. Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic processes, an adequate supply is important!
Tip 4 - Nasal rinsing
I once learnt that an intact, well-maintained nasal mucosa is the best protective shield against cold viruses. If the air is persistently dry, air-conditioned or polluted with pollen, it is therefore advisable to use a nasal douche from time to time. This cleanses and moisturises. Pharmacies and drugstores sell the container and the appropriate, precisely portioned salt.
If I still have a cold - perhaps even a sinus infection - I even use the nasal douche twice a day. If my nose is completely blocked, I clear it first with decongestant nasal drops and then rinse through. This allows the saline solution - at least it feels like it - to penetrate to the furthest corner of the infection. It works really well for me.
That's what the expert says: There is no positive evidence that nasal rinsing with isotonic saline solution improves mucosal function. Nor can they reach the "furthest corner of the infection". However, they can temporarily alleviate symptoms such as nasal congestion, nasal discharge and a feeling of pressure.
Caution with decongestant nasal drops: these may only be used for a few days, otherwise there is a rebound effect and there is a risk of addiction!
Tip 5 - Drink a lot
Drinking a lot is always a good thing, but especially when it comes to flushing viruses that have already been harboured out of the body more quickly. My experience: if I drink a lot of hot tea in autumn and winter (even without a cold), I don't have to turn the heating up so high and this directly improves the breathing climate. Even outside the home!
That's what the expert says: Drinking plenty of fluids indirectly supports the immune system: mucous membranes in the nose, throat and bronchial tubes are hydrated and can therefore better fight off pathogens. Especially warm (not hot!) drinks such as herbal teas. But: Unfortunately, viruses that have already been harboured cannot be flushed out of the body in this way!
Tip 6 - Off to the sauna!
Sweat, cool down, sweat. In other words: dilate and constrict blood vessels. Sauna sessions are the perfect vascular training. A circulation boost for the metabolism, cardiovascular and immune systems. From autumn onwards, I try to fit in a sauna session once a week.
That's what the expert says: Sauna causes positive stress - very good. But as with ice bathing (tip 1), please only do so when you are absolutely healthy, as it is an additional strain on the body. According to studies, one to two Finnish saunas per week have been shown to positively modulate the immune system and improve mucosal function.
Tip 7 - Onion principle
Onions are also considered an old household remedy because they have a cough and expectorant effect (mix onion with honey, leave to infuse overnight and take the decoction by the spoonful). But I'm talking more about dressing in layers on the bike.
In autumn, I try to avoid a film of sweat on my skin or even a stop at a beer garden with a damp jersey. It's better to stop more often to put on or take off a layer and take a spare vest with you for a break than to have to shiver your way home afterwards.
That's what the expert says: Both the old "home remedy" and the clothing strategy of this "onion principle" are absolutely recommendable measures.
Tip 8 - Grandma's chicken soup
"So that you can regain your strength", Grandma used to say. And after a hot chicken soup, I really do feel that my nose is much clearer and the urge to cough stops, at least for a while.
That's what the expert says: Chicken soup can certainly provide noticeable relief from cold symptoms. However, the reasons for the improved mucus clearance are the warmth and the supply of fluids, not any specific active ingredients in the chicken.
Tip 9 - Training break
With minimal signs of a cold, light cycling often helps me get over it. As if I had sweated out the virus in time. But if my throat starts to scratch, I know that the pulse peaks of a real mountain bike ride are off limits.
If I still feel the need to get some exercise, I might go for a walk through the forest. This also keeps the mucous membranes going. If I have aching limbs, a cough or even a fever, I don't exercise at all so as not to put any additional strain on my cardiovascular and immune system. Even if it's difficult, I don't start training again until at least two days after the last symptoms.
That's what the expert says: If a cold is just starting to set in, light cycling, i.e. at most in the basic endurance range (GA1), is okay. But then please only do a short lap of no more than 1.5 hours. A six-hour ride under light load is also exhausting and would put too much strain on the body.
Tip 10 - Ginger, turmeric & co.
Ginger, ginger, ginger. As soon as the temperatures start to drop in autumn, I buy a 0.7-litre tub of ready-made ginger juice from the health food shop and drink a first shot of it straight in the morning, mix myself a spritzer at lunchtime and have it again as tea in the evening. For more fruit flavour, an additional freshly squeezed orange works well.
For me, it keeps colds away quite well. Others also swear by the anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric or a combination of both roots (also available as granules for infusion, e.g. from Doppelherz aktiv "Heißer Ingwer + Curcuma").
The expert: Ginger contains vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and sodium as well as healthy essential oils. It has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect and stimulates blood circulation and digestion. Caution: In high doses / regular intake, it can interact with medication
with medication (e.g. blood thinners)!
Ginger juice recipe for 10 shots:
- 100 g ginger root
- Juice of three organic lemons
- 50 ml honey
Puree the whole thing in a powerful blender - done!
10 tips against the common cold - summary & conclusion
To summarise, we can conclude from these 10 tips: Anything that gets the nasal mucous membranes going and keeps them supple is definitely helpful. Shock therapy in the ice barrel also strengthens in the short term - because this radical treatment exposes the body to a kind of "natural stress". Just like danger and flight in prehistoric times, when it was usually fatal to fall ill in the first place. "But be careful!" warns Stefanie Mollnhauer. "Leaving the temperature comfort zone by ice bathing, but also in the sauna, is only recommended if you are absolutely healthy!" If you have a possibly unrecognised heart condition or high blood pressure, the shock could be too great. This also applies to cold water pools first and then jumping straight into the sauna (drop in blood pressure).
Nutrition is also important - but grandma's chicken soup has had its day.
Our colleague Adrian will probably have to find a new recipe for his immune defence. Unfortunately, grandma's chicken doesn't contain enough strengthening cysteine to slow down the white blood cells in the mucous membranes. "Unless you firmly believe in it," says Mollnhauer, "Dr Placebo always helps somehow. Just like all the other tips, by the way." Well, an occasional infection is not a bad thing and is also supposed to strengthen the immune system.
The expert: Stefanie Mollnhauer, sports physician at pro-formance.de
The sports physician and former racing cyclist and mountain bike racer has been a practising doctor since 1997. As CEO of Pro-Formance, an institute for performance optimisation, she also writes books and holds workshops on the topics of training, performance diagnostics and burnout prevention.
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
