Stock your natural medicine cabinet with these 9 must-have supplements to remedy colds, tummy aches, sleeplessness, and so much more!

Note: This post is sponsored by iHerb in collaboration with Nature’s Way though all thoughts and opinions are of course my own. I ONLY work with companies whose products I genuinely trust and believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to continue offering free content to Body Unburdened readers!

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Call me the Mary Poppins of natural remedies.

Because all I need to do is reach in my natural medicine cabinet and ta da! I’ve got the perfect supplement for whatever ails you. (Well, within reason of course!)

Now this isn’t because I own every supplement under the sun. And let’s be real: there are a LOT of supplements out there all doing A LOT of different things.

And while I certainly used to be something of a supplement hoarder, over the years I realized I was constantly grabbing for the same supplements to ease the run-of-the-mill, general malaise like colds, headaches, stomachaches, sleeplessness, sore muscles, and indigestion.

To stock your natural medicine cabinet, you just need a few multitasking, hard-hitting supplements.

1. Activated charcoal
2. Magnesium
3. Elderberry
4. Echinacea
5. Ginger
6. Oil of oregano
7. Vitamin C
8. Vitamin D
9. Zinc

Let’s take a closer look at these 9 must-have supplements for your natural medicine cabinet.

1. Activated charcoal

Unlike regular ol’ charcoal that you use on the BBQ, activated charcoal is specifically made for medicinal use. It’s designed to be incredibly porous, and all of its magic lies within these pores — they bind to and absorb toxins, preventing them from being absorbed by the body.

Not only does this make activated charcoal a godsend should you experience food poisoning, but it works wonders at helping to alleviate gas.

Activated charcoal benefits:

• Helps treat food poisoning
• Reduces gas and bloating

Bonus! Activated charcoal makes for a great pore-purging face mask when applied topically and can be used to whiten teeth naturally.

2. Magnesium

This one’s a biggie that really ought to be in everyone’s daily supplement protocol rather than just on-hand as a natural remedy. Because it’s estimated that 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium thanks to reduced mineral content of fruits and vegetables as a result of soil degradation. Yes, farming practices do impact our health! This is troubling considering magnesium is required for over 300 vital processes – just about everything from normal nerve and muscle function to energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation.

Supplemental magnesium is especially well known for helping to relax muscles, ease headaches, and promote a restful night’s sleep.

Magnesium benefits:

• Ease headaches
• Promote a restful night’s sleep
• Reduce muscle soreness and cramping

3. Elderberry

Elderberries have been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries. There’s no wonder why: studies have found that flu patients who took elderberry juice recovered more quickly than those who did not (in 2-3 days vs. 6). The doctors who conducted the study concluded:

And because of their proven medicinal value, elderberries have been included in the Mosby’s Nursing Drug Reference for the treatment of colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever.

Elderberry benefits:

• Immune booster
• Prevention and treatment for the flu
• Prevention and treatment of colds
• Prevention and treatment of hay fever

Elderberry syrups are very popular but I prefer capsules like this one – the syrups usually contains a lot of sugar (either from honey or agave nectar), which suppresses the immune system.

4. Echinacea

Another fantastic immune booster, especially when it comes to kicking colds. Scientists from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy reviewed over a dozen studies on the effects of echinacea and concluded that it can reduce the chances of catching a cold by approximately 58% and can reduce the duration of a cold by 1.4 days!

Echinacea benefits:

• Immune booster
• Prevent and treat colds

Supplemental echinacea comes in both capsule and tincture form – whatever you prefer!

5. Ginger

Mmm my favorite spice! But ginger is so much more than it’s unique flavor — it’s been used to remedy stomach aches, nausea, and other GI issues for centuries. One study even found that it helps kill candida, an unhealthy yeast in the digestive tract.

As a powerful anti-inflammatory, ginger can also help to ease aches and pains. One study found that ginger reduces menstrual pain as effectively as medications like ibuprofen and mefanamic acid (great to know, ladies!).

Ginger benefits:

• Eases digestive distress like nausea, stomach aches, heartburn, and indigestion
• Reduces menstrual cramping
• Fights unhealthy yeasts in the digestive tract

6. Oil of Oregano

Oil of oregano is a potent antibacterial but also has antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a hard-hitter and powerful natural immune booster. The oil does come in a dropper bottle, but I use and recommend capsules since it’s so much more convenient (and the oil has a VERY strong taste!).

Oil of oregano benefits:

• Boosts the immune system
• Helps fight off viruses quickly

7. Vitamin C

The immune-boosting benefits of vitamin C are probably what its most well known for. This antioxidant vitamin increases the body’s production of white blood cells and antibodies that fight viruses and bacteria. Vitamin C also helps to reduce inflammation, and so can help reduce aches and pains.

Vitamin C benefits:

• Boosts the immune system
• Fights inflammation

8. Vitamin D

A.K.A. the “sunshine vitamin”, Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin during sun exposure. But here’s the thing: most of us don’t get much sunlight these days, and so the large majority of the population is deficient in vitamin D! So for almost everyone, supplemental vitamin D is a must-have (do be sure to ask your doctor to check your blood serum levels of vitamin D at your next appointment!) since it plays such a critical role in immune and mental health.

Always be sure to use a vitamin D3 supplement like this one – this is the form for vitamin D created by the body.

Vitamin D benefits:

• Boosts the immune system
• Improves low mood

9. Zinc

Another hard-hitting immune booster, zinc is one of my go-tos during cold and flu season. It’s been shown to help reduce the duration of cold symptoms.

Zinc benefits:

• Boosts the immune system
• Reduces duration of cold symtoms

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