by Victoria Dolby Toews, MPH
The Latest Tools to Survive and Thrive Through the Cold Season
Sure, vitamin C earns its place as a tried-and-true ally, helping you through winter’s germy times, but vitamin C doesn’t have to be the only virus-fighting weapon in your tool belt. Herbs and supplements, including Siberian ginseng, andrographis, beta glucan, AHCC, propolis, and omega-3 fatty acids can also aid your effort to repell winter viruses.
These new allies will surely come in handy, because no matter how thoroughly you wash your hands and shun the company of sneezing co-workers, you simply can’t avoid every cold and flu bug – they are just too wily and widespread, which accounts for why the average American sniffles through an average of two to four colds a year. But don’t throw in the towel! Instead focus on enhancing your own natural immunity, recommends Andrew Weil, MD, Harvard-educated physician and world-renowned pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. “A strong, balanced immune system will allow you to come in contact with germs and not get sick,” he points out. And even if you do get sick, a robust immune system will be better able to return you to good health quickly.
Get to Know “Kan Jang”
A form of ginseng known as Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) “can help you prevent and treat a cold or flu by increasing your ability to cope with stress,” explains Laurie Steelsmith, ND, author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health: How the Secrets of Natural and Chinese Medicine Can Create a Lifetime of Wellness (Three Rivers Press, May 2005) and a naturopath in private practice in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Studies have found that Siberian ginseng can raise your white blood cell count and promote antibody formation,” she adds. Siberian ginseng can do even more for you if you take it combined with an herb called andrographis (a combination known as “Kan Jang”).
Although many Westerners are only just starting to hear about the herb andrographis, it has a long history of use in other parts of the world. In fact, it was used in India during the 1919 flu epidemic and credited with stalling the spread of disease. “Andrographis, also known as “Indian echinacea,” has been used for the treatment of colds and the flu in both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine because of its ability to stimulate the immune system,” says Steelsmith.
Modern scientific research bears out the traditional use of this herb. A review of studies involving almost 900 cold- and flu-sufferers found that taking the Siberian ginseng-andrographis combo eases cold and flu symptoms, and even helps prevent these illnesses from starting in the first place.
Kan Jang even stands its ground when challenging echinacea head-to-head. A group of 130 children sniffling with the common cold were given either echinacea, Kan Jang, or standard medications (such as acetaminophen and nose drops). The children’s symptoms, such as nasal congestion and runny nose, cleared up most quickly in the Kan Jang group.
Mushroom Power
Certain specialty mushrooms (namely shiitake, reishi, and maitake) contain a compound called beta glucan, an immune-boosting fiber-like complex sugar. Beta glucan can also be found in oats, barley, corn bran, and extracted as a dietary supplement.
According to Steelsmith, “beta glucan can stimulate the immune system to help prevent and fight infections.” Laboratory research shows that beta glucan greatly increases phagocyte activity; phagocytes are specialized cells of the immune system that gobble up invading microorganisms.
Few people have heard of AHCC (active hexose correlated compound) yet, but this extract from mushrooms may be worth your attention. Supplements of AHCC were first developed in Japan in the late-1980s and have since been studied in relation to the immune system. Recent research indicates that AHCC can boost the activity of natural killer cells, which target and destroy cells that have become infected with viruses.
Have Your Heard the Buzz?
Bees make something called propolis when they mix resins from plants and trees with wax; this propolis is then coated inside the beehive to serve as an antiseptic layer. And it’s looking like propolis can do the same thing for us. In a study of school-age kids, taking propolis extract was show to protect against colds and similar upper respiratory infections. Other researchers report that children taking propolis (combined with echinacea and vitamin C) daily for the three winter months, caught fewer colds than kids taking a placebo, and when they did come down with a cold, recovery time was quicker in the propolis group.
Fishy Defender
For years, fish oil has impressed researchers in terms of fostering healthier hearts, lowering blood pressure, increasing circulation, and even alleviating depression and anxiety, and now the omega-3s in fish oil are known to be powerful contributors to healthy immune function.
“Research published over the last decade indicates that EPA and DHA, the omega-3s found in fish oil, are an integral part of proper immune development and maintenance in humans,” says Gretchen K. Vannice, MS, RD, a dietician and research educator in the field of omega-3 fats. “These omega-3s reside in cellular tissue, and that is where they provide good defense. Because humans cannot make omega-3s, we must eat them. For adults, experts agree a minimum daily intake of 500 – 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA from fish oil supports good immune function, including resistance to cold and flu. Young children benefit from about half that dose,” adds Vannice.
“It’s critical that the fish oil be fresh and purified in order to work effectively in the body. There is a wide range of products, in terms of quality, on the market. You wouldn’t eat bad fish, so be sure to get a quality fish oil product,” she adds.
Although you probably won’t be able to avoid every cold making the rounds this winter, at least you have a toolbox – full of tried-and-true allies and cutting-edge new friends – that’s sure to lessen your suffering and get you back on your feet faster than ever.
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