NATURAL COLD REMEDIES

 The common cold is an infection of your nose and throat caused by viruses. We typically catch between two and four colds a year.

Symptoms of the common cold, which usually appear one to three days after being exposed to a cold virus, include:

• Runny nose
• Cough
• Nasal congestion
• Sore or itchy throat
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Mild headache
• Mild fatigue or body aches
• Fever less than 102 degrees

Here is a look at the natural more popular and easy to get remedies for the prevention and treatment of  common cold ;

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that is required by more than 300 enzymes in our bodies. It’s found naturally in foods such as meat, liver, seafood and eggs. The full recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 12 mg for women and 15 mg for men, an amount found in a typical multivitamin.

Zinc lozenges are often found in health stores, online and in some drug stores marketed as cold remedies. A number of studies have found that zinc helped to reduce the duration of cold symptoms, especially if people started taking it within 24 hours after the appearance of cold symptoms. Zinc also reduced the severity of symptoms and decreased the duration of symptoms by three to four days. The problem is that many of these zinc studies have had flaws, so better-quality studies are needed. Zinc lozenges may work by blocking the replication of the cold virus (preventing it from spreading) or by impairing the ability of the cold virus to enter cells in nose and throat.

The zinc lozenges used in the studies contained a minimum of 13.3 mg of elemental zinc. The lozenges were taken every two hours during the day, starting immediately after the onset of cold symptoms. The studies that found zinc to be ineffective may have used a dose of zinc that was too low or have had taste-enhancing compounds known to decrease the effectiveness of zinc, such as citric acid (found in citrus fruit), tartaric acid, sorbitol or mannitol.

Zinc lozenges usually contain either zinc gluconate or zinc acetate, providing 3.3 mg of elemental zinc in each lozenge. It's typically recommended that people take one lozenge every two to four hours during the day for a maximum of six to 12 lozenges a day.

Side effects of zinc may include nausea and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Zinc lozenges are not recommended for the prevention of colds or for long-term use, because zinc supplements in excess of 15 mg per day may interfere with the absorption of the mineral copper and result in a copper deficiency.

Garlic

Garlic is one of the more popular home cures for colds. Many cultures have a home remedy for the cold using garlic, whether it’s chicken soup with lots of garlic, a drink made with raw crushed garlic, or if it just involves eating raw garlic.

The cold-fighting compound in garlic is thought to be allicin, which has demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal properties. Allicin is what gives garlic its distinctive hot flavor. To maximize the amount of allicin, fresh garlic should be chopped or crushed and it should be raw. It’s also available in pill form.

In one study involving 146 people, participants received either a garlic supplement or a placebo for 12 weeks between November and February. People who took garlic reduced the risk of catching a cold by more than half. The study also found that garlic reduced the recovery time in people who caught a cold. More research is needed to corroborate these results.

Garlic does have some possible side effects and safety concerns. Bad breath and body odor are perhaps the most common side effects, however, dizziness, sweating, headache, fever, chills and runny nose have also been reported. Large amounts may irritate the mouth or result in indigestion. Garlic supplements should avoided by people with bleeding disorders, two weeks before or after surgery, or by those taking "blood-thinning" medications such as warfarin (Coumadin) or supplements believed to affect blood clotting such as vitamin E, garlic or ginkgo.

Garlic may also lower blood glucose levels and increase the release of insulin, so it should be used with caution by people taking drugs that lower blood sugar. People with allergies to plants in the lily family (including onion, leeks and chives) should avoid garlic. Pregnant women should avoid garlic in supplement form because it may increase the risk of bleeding.

Be smart about supplements. 

A growing body of evidence suggests that both brewer's yeast and North American ginseng are effective in preventing and treating cold and flu symptoms. Sprinkling a teaspoon of brewer's yeast on your food daily or taking a 250- to 500-milligram (mg) ginseng product may end up being a good idea, and both have great safety records. Also, a 50-year analysis of studies supports that taking several hundred milligrams or more per day (for example 250 to 500 mg a day) of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) significantly lowers the risk of pneumonia and helps speed recovery. Keep in mind that pneumonia is the leading cause of death in most flu cases that result in death. Take the nonacidic form of vitamin C, also known as calcium ascorbate, buffered vitamin C, or pH-neutral vitamin C, to avoid stomach irritation.

Eat honey.

Eating honey has more research behind it than you might think. And the research suggests it might reduce the risk of flu infections by flushing bacterial and viral pathogens. A well-done clinical trial of eating one to two teaspoons of honey in the evening compared to taking dextromethorphan (a cough medicine ingredient in most conventional over-the-counter cough products) found that honey may be more effective at preventing and treating nighttime cough. Honey contains a compound that can be converted into a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and that, along with other antimicrobial compounds, may prevent or at least improve recovery from infection. Darker varieties of honey, such as buckwheat honey, have more antimicrobial and antioxidant bang for your buck--and manuka honey is so potent it can be used to treat infections in wounds. Honey is also a popular home remedy for cough and colds in many cultures. A new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine provides the first evidence showing that honey may help to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better. Researchers gave 105 children with colds eith honey, honey-flavored cough medicine or no treatment. All of the children got better, but honey consistently scored best in parents' rating of their children's cough symptoms.The researchers say that honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat and it’s believed to have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Dark-colored honey, such as the buckwheat honey used in the study, is particularly high in antioxidants.Honey isn't recommended for infants younger than one year old, because of the risk of botulism. Regular use of honey at night may also promote the development of cavities.

Ginger

Ginger root is another folk remedy for cough, colds and sore throat. It's used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat coughs and is also for colds accompanied by runny nose with a clear nasal discharge, headache, neck and shoulder aches, and a white tongue coating. In ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, ginger is also used for cough and colds.

Hot ginger tea is a popular home remedy for cold symptoms and sore throat. Honey and lemon are sometimes added.

Although normal amounts of ginger in food rarely causes side effects, excessive amounts may cause heartburn and indigestion. People with gallstones, bleeding disorders and those taking "blood-thinning" (anticlotting and antiplatelet) medications such as aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) should consult a doctor before taking ginger

 Stay heart-healthy. 

It is really that simple folks: heart healthy = immune healthy. I'm often asked if there is an immune-healthy diet? Yes, and it's made up of the same foods that are heart-healthy. Why? A heart-healthy diet--one that is low in calories, high in fiber, high in healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids, high in fruits, and especially high in vegetables--is also the best diet for the immune system. And exercising and not smoking and having low blood pressure, low cholesterol, a small waist, and a low body weight--all components of taking good care of your heart--are all good ways to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Researchers have found that even when you get the flu, you'll tend to have a lower chance of being hospitalized if you are more heart-healthy than those who are less so.

#stayhealthy

Thursday, May 02, 2013