Wash your hands and then try these kitchen remedies

Washing your hands could be the best way to get those bugs before they get you.  Since viruses cause colds and flu, the antibacterial chemical in those soaps will have no effect on them anyway.  If you want to get clean, plain old soap will do, and wash regularly before touching food or your mouth.  It’s the actual motion of washing your hands that gets rid of most bacteria.

Andrographic paniculata

If you haven’t heard of this herb before, you’re not alone.  We hadn’t until we read about it in Prevention.
Using a supplement containing this herb can improve cold symptoms by up to 55%, according to a review of studies by Canadian docs.  See separate article for more on this herb.

Astragalus

Astragalus is a Chinese herb that boosts your body’s resistance to cold, flu, and other viruses.  It has antiviral and antibacterial properties and boosts the body’s production of T-cells.  Unlike Echinacea or goldenseal, you can take astragalus every day with no adverse effects.

It is available at health food stores and Chinese markets.  You can take it in supplement form, or you can buy the whole root and use it when cooking.  Simply add the root to your favorite soup, stew, or rice dish.  Let simmer for 30 minutes, then remove the root and discard.  It leaves no discernable taste, but packs plenty of medicinal wallop.  Try it in some chicken soup – you’ll be giving those germs a powerful one-two punch.

Black tea

Some researchers believe that black tea will kill viruses.  While as yet untested on humans, why not tee off on tea.  It seems that black tea works better than the green variety, and store-bought iced teas worked just as well as the home-brewed kind.

Chicken soup

Chicken soup as a cold remedy goes back long before your grandmother’s day.  In fact, in 60 AD, an army surgeon to Roman emperor Nero wrote of it in his journals.  A thousand years later, another physician stated “Chicken soup is recommended as a medication as well as an excellent food.

Drink fluids

Drink 8 glasses a day of water if you can.  Hydrating your body helps it to defend against cold viruses.

Echinacea

First you heard that Echinacea could stifle colds, and then you heard otherwise.  Well, now the latest word is that it can.  Recent research says it shortens colds by a day and a half, and decreases the chances of catching a cold by 58%.

A review of the 2005 study
A 2005 study cast doubt on the herbal supplement’s effectiveness, but that study tested extracts at doses far lower than many experts typically recommend.  Click here to see what Web MD had to say about the 2005 and previous studies.

The latest recommendation
According to Prevention Magazine, you should try EchinaGuard, a well-studied supplement, available at health food stores.  The recommended dose in capsule form is 3,000 mg.

Read what Health Journal has to say about the herb.

Warning: The herb can interact negatively with some drugs, so check with your doctor before using.   Also, it is not for every day use through the year.

Gargle with warm salt water

The salt water helps to sooth inflammatory irritations.

Garlic

This cooking superstar fights colds.  Garlic boosts your immune system, thanks to the substance allicin.  Allicin is released when you crush the cloves, and is what gives garlic its flavor and aroma (some say it “stinks”).  Allicin breaks down into smaller chemicals called sulfur compounds that jump start your immune system and help your body get rid of harmful toxins and microorganisms naturally.

Mincing fresh garlic seems to be the best way to get all of the benefits of allicin (if others can stand your “smell.”  You can also try garlic powder or supplements, but they may not work as well.  Whatever type you consider, talk with your doctor if you’re taking blood-thinning medication like warfarin.

Ginseng

Only 32% of ginseng users got colds after 4 months, compared with 62% taking a placebo, according to a U of Connecticut Health Center study.  A repeat study in Canada showed that those taking ginseng had 25% fewer colds after 4 months than those taking a placebo.

Recommendations:

• Prevention recommends COLD-FX, which contains Panax quinquefolium (aka American ginseng). It’s available at drugstores.
• Prevention recommends Kold Kare, at drug stores and online, as directed.

Rest

Get plenty of rest.  You want all of your energy to be at work resisting any cold virus.

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