With more than 200 cold viruses floating around and a new strain of flu just waiting to claim its next victim each year, it seems almost impossible not to get sick. When a cold or flu hits, you may want to go stock up on to the drugstore and over-the-counter remedies. Before you buy those cough suppressants, decongestants, and antihistamines, though, you should consider nutritional supplements to speed your recovery.
You can try a combination of nature’s most powerful herbs, such as echinacea, goldenseal, and astragalus, to shift your immune system into overdrive so that your body can fight off the infection naturally. To back up this herbal defense team, you can use an array of infection-fighting vitamins and a mineral that can shorten the duration of your cold or flu, lessen the severity of symptoms, or continue to build your immunity until you start feeling like yourself again.
If these and other remedies don’t have an effect, however, you may have to be on guard for other kinds of infection. Be sure to see your doctor if your cold does not improve within 14 days or if you have green or yellow phlegm. And check with your doctor if you have trouble breathing, or if your temperature tops 102°F.
Powerful Herbs to the Rescue
Echinacea and goldenseal, taken in combination, are top cold and flu fighters among medicinal herbal supplements, says Kristy Fassler, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, Kansas snakeroot, and black Sampson, is a potent herb that forcefully stimulates the production of natural killer cells. The aptly named killer cell is a type of white blood cell that fights off viral infections.
While boosting the population of killer cells, echinacea also increases levels of immune system chemicals such as interferon and properdin that kill bacteria and viruses. It speeds up destruction of bacteria and viruses by enhancing the activity of cells called phagocytes.
Similar to echinacea, goldenseal stimulates white blood cell activity and contains antiviral and antibacterial compounds, chiefly berberine. It works well with echinacea because it has properties that enable it to reduce inflammation and mucus production. When you take goldenseal, it helps break up nasal and chest congestion and also reduces the swelling of mucous membranes, says Dr. Fassler.
When symptoms strike, take 300 milligrams of each of these herbs every two to four hours for the first two to three days, says Dr. Fassler. Continue with the same dosage of each three times a day until symptoms disappear.
A Root from the Orient
For thousands of years in China, the herb that has been used to enhance immunity is astragalus root. This potent herb is considered by herbal practitioners to be a tonic that strengthens the body’s resistance to disease. Astragalus can stimulate practically all of the processes of your immune system. It increases the number of stem cells in bone marrow and speeds their growth into active immune cells.
Astragalus also may help boost levels of interferon, one of your body’s potent fighters against viruses, says Chris Meletis, N.D., professor of natural pharmacology at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. A heightened level of interferon can help prevent or shorten the duration of colds and flu. Astragalus even boosts production of white blood cells called macrophages, whose mission is to destroy invading viruses and bacteria.
To stamp out a cold or flu in its earliest stages, take one 500- milligram capsule of astragalus four times a day until symptoms disappear, says Dr. Meletis. Then take one capsule twice a day for seven days to prevent a relapse.
Tap into a Trio of Infection Fighters
It’s a good idea to stock your medicine cabinet with vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta-carotene supplements, say Dr. Fassler and Dr. Meletis. These nutrients help you fight back fast, before the virus takes up residence and multiplies in your body.
Studies show that vitamin C can shorten the duration of common colds and flu and even prevent them. Taken in large enough doses, vitamin C can rev up your immune system by pumping enough fuel into white blood cells to destroy invading viruses and bacteria, says Dr. Meletis.
Vitamin C increases interferon levels and has interferon-like properties itself. It acts as a natural antihistamine that helps dry up watery eyes and reduce nasal and chest congestion, according to Dr. Meletis. It is also a powerful antioxidant that can help prevent the damage that your body endures when viruses or bacteria attack your immune system, he says.
At the first sign of cold or flu symptoms, take 500 milligrams of vitamin C with bioflavonoids or rose hips four to six times a day, says Dr. Meletis. "The bioflavonoids and rose hips strengthen the vitamin C’s infection-fighting power by 35 percent," he says.
Vitamin A is known as the anti-infection vitamin. It battles viruses and bacteria in two ways. By keeping the cells healthy all along your respiratory tract, it provides a barrier that resists microorganisms. If some invading microorganisms manage to breach the barrier, you want to have antibodies and lymphocytes ready to destroy them. Vitamin A helps your body provide those reinforcements.
As soon as you notice cold or flu symptoms, take 100,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A daily for three days, says Dr. Fassler, then reduce the dosage to 25,000 IU for one week or until symptoms disappear. She cautions, however, that these are very high doses, and you need to check with your doctor before taking this much.
Vitamin A’s precursor beta-carotene is brimming with antioxidant power and antiviral properties. It bolsters immunity and protects the thymus gland, the main headquarters where a certain type of white blood cell matures and learns to recognize foreign invaders, says Dr. Meletis.
"Beta-carotene also protects you from viruses by enhancing mucous membrane secretions. By producing the secretions, the beta-carotene prevents the virus from setting up housekeeping in your body," says Thomas Kruzel, N.D., a naturopathic doctor.
If you feel a cold or flu coming on, take 100,000 IU of beta-carotene for 10 to 14 days, says Dr. Kruzel, then cut the dosage to 50,000 IU a day to prevent future respiratory infections.
A Zinc Prescription
Of all the trace minerals found in multivitamins, zinc is probably the most important for keeping your immunity strong. It stimulates the immune system by generating new white blood cells and whipping them into shape to battle viruses. If you have too little zinc, your production of white blood cells may drop, and that can increase your risk of catching a cold, flu, or other upper respiratory infection.
In one study, children who got 10 milligrams of zinc daily for 60 days were much less likely to get respiratory infections than children getting less. In fact, the children who got enough zinc were 70 percent less likely to have fevers, 48 percent less likely to have coughs, and 28 percent less likely to have mucus buildup.
While it’s best to get zinc from foods, you can get what you need from supplements. Be careful not to take too much, though—more is not necessarily better. In fact, doctors recommend taking no more than 15 milligrams a day. If you check with your physician, you can take 30 milligrams a day with food for 7 to 10 days, but don’t take more unless you have your doctor’s consent.
Zinc gluconate in lozenge form has been found to shorten the duration of cold symptoms. In a study, participants who sucked on one zinc gluconate lozenge (containing about 13 milligrams of zinc) every two hours while awake got rid of their coughs, nasal congestion, sore throat, and headaches three to four days sooner than those who didn’t get any supplementation. After checking with your doctor, you can take the lozenges to help shake off these symptoms. Don’t take them for longer than one week, cautions Dr. Meletis, because they can weaken your immune system.
