An herbal approach to prevent and shorten cold symptoms

Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries that is sometimes called “Indian Echinacea.” It has been used historically in epidemics, including the Indian flu epidemic in 1919 during which andrographis was credited with stopping the spread of the disease.

A Swedish remedy for colds
Over the last decade, a proprietary extract of andrographis (currently sold in combination with eleutherococcus) has become popular in Scandinavia as a treatment for colds. It is beginning to become available in the United States as well.

Reasonably good evidence tells us that either form of this extract can reduce the severity of cold symptoms. It may also help prevent colds.   Although we don’t know how andrographis might work for colds, preliminary evidence suggests that it might stimulate immunity, potentially making it useful for general immune support.

A study in the journal Phytomedicine reported that the herb eased symptoms such as fatigue, sleeplessness, sore throat, and runny nose up to 90%.

Recommended product
A product used in several of the trials at the Swedish Herbal Institute is Kan Jang (available at proactivebio.com).  It can be found online, as well as a number of other similar products.

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