Black cherry for colds, the bark seems to work as an astringent, drying up secretions and mucus. Osha is an antibacterial and antiviral herb, best known for its ability to soothe a sore throat, treat a cough, and relieve inflammation of the bronchial tubes. For a fever that won’t go away, it could promote sweating and help kick out the flu virus before it has a chance to turn full-blown. Many constituents in thyme team up to provide its antitussive (preventing and treating a cough), antispasmodic, and expectorant (thinning the mucus to allow for coughing out) actions. The primary constituents are volatile oils, which include phenols, thymol, and carvacrol. Licorice root benefits a sore throat or cough immensely as an effective expectorant, helping to loosen and expel the mucus that a cough is trying to remove.