One of the popular herbs that is use widely to help in the prevention of cold and flus is
echinacea.
Echinacea is believed to reduce the symptoms of Cold and Flu and helps in the recovery.
There are three main species of echinacea: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. E. purpurea is the most widely used. It isn't clear if any one type is better than the others.
In Germany, echinacea is the main remedy for minor respiratory infections.
Echinacea is considered to be an immune stimulant. It appears to activate the body's infection-fighting capacity.
There are some evidence that, when taken at the onset of a cold or flu, echinacea can help you get better faster and reduce your symptoms while you are sick. For example, echinacea significantly reduced symptoms such as headache, lethargy, cough, and aching limbs1,4 when administered to people with flu-like illnesses; echinacea administration to people immediately after they have started showing signs of getting a cold,3 resulted in them showing improvement in cold symptoms much sooner than in the placebo group (4 days instead of 8 days). In another clinical trial, echinacea was found to reduce the length of colds by about 30%,5 (the length of illness was reduced from 13 days to about 9.5 days, when echinacea was administered instead of placebo.
Interestingly, the dosage used is important for effectiveness. In a double-blind study involving 180 people with flu-like illnesses, participants were given either placebo or 450 mg or 900 mg of E. purpurea daily.2 By about the third day, those participants receiving the higher dose of echinacea (900 mg) showed noticeable relief in the severity of symptoms. There was no real benefit in the placebo or low-dose echinacea group.
OTHER HERBAL COLD REMEDIES includes the timely and careful
inhalations of chamomile, eucalyptus or thyme to help loosen mucus and heals the throat, nasal passages and bronchial tubes. Horsetail inhalations reduce swelling of mucous membranes. Onion or nasturtium inhalations disinfect. Ginkgo biloba leaf inhalations kill bacteria and heal the cells of the damaged mucous membranes almost immediately.
Inhale steam for fifteen minutes three times daily in acute stage; when the condition is improving.
Inhale steam in the evening before retiring for a week or so to help heat the bronchial passages.
Boneset and sage help to break up congestion and bring down a fever. Take a cup of sage and boneset tea up to three times daily for three to five days.
At the onset of a cold, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger to 1 cup of scalded milk. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and drink while hot. This remedy is very soothing and stimulating.
ANDROGRAPHIS
Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries. It is sometimes called "Indian echinacea" because it is believed to provide much the same benefits as echinacea.
In fact, andrographis was found to both reduce the symptoms and shorten the duration of colds in clinical trials.
Those who were given andrographis19 reported that their colds were less intense than usual, reported less sick leave, they got well sooner.
Andrographis also reduced the cold symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, sore muscles, runny nose, headache, and lymph node swelling.20
As in the case of echinacea, the dosage used is important for its effectiveness. In a double-blind study involving 152 adults compared the effectiveness of andrographis (at either 3 g per day or 6 g per day) versus acetaminophen for sore throat and fever.21 The higher dose of andrographis (6 g) decreased symptoms of fever and throat pain, as did acetaminophen, while the lower dose of andrographis (3 g) did not. There were no significant side effects in either group.
echinacea.
Echinacea is believed to reduce the symptoms of Cold and Flu and helps in the recovery.
There are three main species of echinacea: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. E. purpurea is the most widely used. It isn't clear if any one type is better than the others.
In Germany, echinacea is the main remedy for minor respiratory infections.
Echinacea is considered to be an immune stimulant. It appears to activate the body's infection-fighting capacity.
There are some evidence that, when taken at the onset of a cold or flu, echinacea can help you get better faster and reduce your symptoms while you are sick. For example, echinacea significantly reduced symptoms such as headache, lethargy, cough, and aching limbs1,4 when administered to people with flu-like illnesses; echinacea administration to people immediately after they have started showing signs of getting a cold,3 resulted in them showing improvement in cold symptoms much sooner than in the placebo group (4 days instead of 8 days). In another clinical trial, echinacea was found to reduce the length of colds by about 30%,5 (the length of illness was reduced from 13 days to about 9.5 days, when echinacea was administered instead of placebo.
Interestingly, the dosage used is important for effectiveness. In a double-blind study involving 180 people with flu-like illnesses, participants were given either placebo or 450 mg or 900 mg of E. purpurea daily.2 By about the third day, those participants receiving the higher dose of echinacea (900 mg) showed noticeable relief in the severity of symptoms. There was no real benefit in the placebo or low-dose echinacea group.
OTHER HERBAL COLD REMEDIES includes the timely and careful
inhalations of chamomile, eucalyptus or thyme to help loosen mucus and heals the throat, nasal passages and bronchial tubes. Horsetail inhalations reduce swelling of mucous membranes. Onion or nasturtium inhalations disinfect. Ginkgo biloba leaf inhalations kill bacteria and heal the cells of the damaged mucous membranes almost immediately.
Inhale steam for fifteen minutes three times daily in acute stage; when the condition is improving.
Inhale steam in the evening before retiring for a week or so to help heat the bronchial passages.
Boneset and sage help to break up congestion and bring down a fever. Take a cup of sage and boneset tea up to three times daily for three to five days.
At the onset of a cold, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger to 1 cup of scalded milk. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and drink while hot. This remedy is very soothing and stimulating.
ANDROGRAPHIS
Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries. It is sometimes called "Indian echinacea" because it is believed to provide much the same benefits as echinacea.
In fact, andrographis was found to both reduce the symptoms and shorten the duration of colds in clinical trials.
Those who were given andrographis19 reported that their colds were less intense than usual, reported less sick leave, they got well sooner.
Andrographis also reduced the cold symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, sore muscles, runny nose, headache, and lymph node swelling.20
As in the case of echinacea, the dosage used is important for its effectiveness. In a double-blind study involving 152 adults compared the effectiveness of andrographis (at either 3 g per day or 6 g per day) versus acetaminophen for sore throat and fever.21 The higher dose of andrographis (6 g) decreased symptoms of fever and throat pain, as did acetaminophen, while the lower dose of andrographis (3 g) did not. There were no significant side effects in either group.
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