It's true that a cure for colds and flu does not exist, but research has shown that herbal medicines offer the potential to help the immune system stave off these bugs, as well as to speed healing if one does manage to hit you.
Knowing which herbs to use and when in the cold cycle to take them are keys to using them effectively.
The best way to take care of colds and flu is to prevent them in the first place. Two of the best immune strengthening herbs are Astragalus and Schisandra. Begin using them before colds and flu strike.
If you wake up with a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose, take heart: it's not too late to shake it if you use this one-day regiment of:
30-40 drops Echinacea extract or 1-2 capsules every two hours.
500mg Vitamin C every two hours.
1 Tbsp. Elderberry extract every four hours.
Plenty of fluids to process the waste products left by the war between the germs and the body's white blood cells.
One note on Elderberry extract- there are several elderberry-based remedies on the market, but none contain the active principle isolated by Dr. Mumcuoglu in a product called Sambucol TM. (Look for it by name). It was proven to inactivate viruses. IT was effective in clinical trials against all known A and B viruses, something the yearly flu vaccine cannot claim. And just remember this, as you age, your body progressively loses its ability to create antibodies to vaccines: only about half of the elderly who receive flu shots can respond with antibodies strong enough to give them protection. Also, a vaccine is only effective against a single specific virus and there are hundreds of viruses known to cause colds and dozens that cause flu. With vaccines it is impossible to get protection against each. But this elderberry extract is marketed as a health-food product rather than a drug so it cannot claim any therapeutic effects on the labeling.
If you do catch a cold or get the flu from lack of preventative measures and it has persisted for three or four days where your throat, sinus and lungs are severely inflamed, you're coughing up thick phlegm and your chest is tight and sore, now is a good time to try Goldenseal and Osha. Take Goldenseal or Osha only until the inflammation is gone, then stop. Caution: Do not take either of these herbs if pregnant.
Keep your immune system in peak performance. Stop in to Chicory Hill Herbs for information on dosage. Don't be caught short. Be prepared to fight back against colds and flu.
By Judy Burger
