Last Updated on January 23, 2025 by Ashley Adamant
Don’t wait until you have caught a bug to start feeling better. Lower your chances of getting sick and be ready to fight off colds with this herbal immunity tea blend!
(This post was contributed by Melissa Keyser.)
Winter is synonymous with cold, dark days, and warming comforts like blankets, fires in the hearth, but also, colds and cases of the flu. Recently, I made up a batch of immunity-boosting tea that was just too good to not share.
And it all started with a walk.
It was a misty, gray day. One of the last of autumn before the light shifted and plunged us into the dark days of winter (or, theoretically dark days- I’m in perpetually sunny California). I was ambling along the river on one of my daily dog walks, and I spotted a thicket of wild rose bushes, the red rose hips glowing like ornaments against the fading and muted vines. I admired them as I walked past, but continued on my way.
Yet even after I got home, the thought of those hips, perched on the end of their thorny branches, gracefully bending from their own weight, stayed in my mind. Shortly after my walk, I met up with my best friend, and we started talking about her fear for the upcoming winter illness season.
As a pediatric nurse, she’s constantly around sick people and kids, and as a result, she’s also regularly sick throughout the winter. The images of those rose hips, glowing along the river bank, called out to me during our conversation.
I needed to turn them into a tea blend for my friend. Not only to help her manage and recover once she gets sick but to avoid her getting sick in the first place.
Why You Need an Immunity Boost
You know that guy who openly sneezes and hacks down the store aisle, with no concern for other people? Don’t pretend, I know you also give him angry sideways glares and silently judge him, blaming him for that cold you better not get.
Regardless if you’re a nurse like my friend or not, chances are, you’ll be exposed to illness all winter long- in line at the grocery store, the passenger next to you on the bus or the train, the co-worker at the desk next to you.
We all know that general healthy habits are the best way to prevent illness, but there are other sick people out there. But you don’t need to go live in a bubble.
I like to think of this as the winter workplace and social protection tea. Don’t wait until you have caught a bug to start healing. Lower your chances of getting sick by getting your immunity in top shape, ready to fight off anything that comes your way.
Now is the time to rely on our herbal allies, and let nature give us that extra immunity-boost! Make up a pot of this tea, pour it in a thermos, and drink throughout the day to help warm you through the chilly season and protect against winter viruses!
The Herbs of the Immunity Boosting Tea: What’s in it and Why it Works:
Rosehips:
Rose hips are the ripe fruit of the rose, and fresh or dried, they are rich in vitamins and are said to have antifungal and antiviral properties, and contain potent antioxidants. They are reported to have 20 times as much vitamin C as oranges.
Elderberry:
Elderberry has immune-enhancing and antiviral properties and is a powerful natural remedy for treating viral infections like colds, cases of flu, upper respiratory infections and herpes outbreaks. When it comes to herbs for colds, elderberry is basically the best bad-ass you can have at your side.
Echinacea:
Echinacea is one of the most popular herbs in western medicine, and for good reasons- it’s one of the top immune-enhancing herbs. It’s elderberries superpower sidekick. It increases the body’s natural resistance to infections and illnesses and is best taken in small, frequent dosages. Echinacea tea works well on its own, but it doesn’t have the best taste. It’s best blended with other herbs for immune support.
Cinnamon:
Well known as a warming spice used in cooking and baking, it’s also a potent medicine. It is used to boost vitality, improve circulation, and clear congestion. In this tea, it adds its healing powers and also its delicious flavor.
Sage:
Like cinnamon, sage is a common cooking herb and is an easy-to-use remedy. Sage is an herb that “dries” up the body and is a great ally in combatting winter illnesses. It is useful for fighting inflammation, particularly in the mouth, throat, and tonsils.
Rog Skuse
Hiya Ashley 😊, I’m back again,, my daughter suffers terribly from Sinusitis,, would your Fire Cider sort this out for her.. Love what you do, 😊❤️Rog x
Ashley Adamant
Sinusitis is rough! When my husband had it I tried everything, and honestly, I’m not sure anything helped but steam, hot showers and lots of rest.
Carol L
Try a Neti pot! It worked for me. I also suffered horribly from sinus infections and sinus problems. I cleaned up my diet, Eating as organically as possible, cutting out milk (I still consume organic whole milk yogurt and heavy cream), cheese is ok, but no milk. Sometimes you have to cut ALL dairy, no matter how healthy, unfortunately. Limiting grains or cutting them altogether helps as well.
But my real help was the Neti pot. I used it every morning before my shower. I often used in in conjunction with a ACV gargle. (Salt, very warm water a good splash of vinegar and, if I had it, colloidal silver). Gargle, then neti pot one side, gargle then neti pot the other side, and continue until all the gargle and neti solution are gone. The neti solution is basically the same one, just a TEENY TINY bit of ACV, or leave it out altogether. This really helped me and it did work. I noticed one day that i could BREATHE when I woke up and it was nice. No pain in my face, either
Myra Horst
When the recipe says”parts”, is that by weight or by volume?
Ashley Adamant
Volume.
Melinda
Hi Ashley, I made this delicious tea & decided to give it as gifts but want to add to my label how OFTEN it can be taken. I read & understand the legal disclaimer but still, any thoughts/recommendations?
Ashley Adamant
There’s nothing wrong with drinking this daily, and when there’s something going around in the family I have several cups a day for a few weeks at a time. There’s nothing in this tea that should be on a limited dosage (to the best of my knowledge) for a normal healthy person. Personally, I drink it a few times a week normally, and then daily (or several times daily) when I really need a boost. With two preschoolers, in the house…that’s pretty often…
cheryl Boulay
Thank you – Sounds great, I am going to make a mixture. Do you obtain Echineaca Root from the Natural Health Store? Also, where did you obtain your tea strainer? It is lovely.
Thank you, Cheryl
Admin
Thanks, Cheryl! The tea strainer was a thrift store find. I purchase all of my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs: https://mountainroseherbs.com/echinacea-angustifolia-root
Sheryl mulhall
Is it required to simmer elderberries for a certain amount of time so not toxic?
Administrator
It’s not really necessary. There are differing opinions on this so I would say just do what you feel comfortable with. Many people drink tea from elderberries without issue. Any toxicity is in the seed itself which you aren’t actually consuming in a tea.
N
Do you have to decoct elderberries or can you steep them in a hot cup of water like regular tea?
Administrator
I know of several people that steep them in hot water for tea.
Ciel
I saw a neighbor has a rose bush with many rose hips. It’s not a tea rose but a floribunda I think. Can these hips be used if not sprayed with something toxic?
Administrator
You can use the hips from any rose as long as they are not sprayed.