What helps fights colds? Part 1

Its that time of year when people tend to get colds, so I wanted to share some tips on natural ways to fight colds.

Vitamin C

The first thing I reach for when I feel I am run down or coming down with a cold is high dose Vitamin C.  There is scientific evidence to suggest that taking vitamin C can shorten a cold by nearly 20%.

Zinc

One study showed that if kids take a zinc supplement they reduce the number of colds they get by 50%.  If you take zinc when you start getting a cold it can help to shorten the duration of the cold.

Pelargonium Sidoides

An African herb is the key ingredient in Umcka ColdCare.  Studies sho that this herbal remedy can help resolve coughs, especially chesty coughs and relieve sore throats.

Salt

For sore thoats, I normally gargle with salt water.  Please be careful not to swollow it as it will make you vomit.  I then make a tea, by adding hot water to a chunk (2 cms) of fresh ginger, a slice of lemon and tea spoon of honey.

References

Strohle, A., Hahn, A. 2009. Vitamin C and immune function. Med Monastsschr Pharm. Feb; 32(2):49-54. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19263912

Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD000980. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;1:CD000980  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636648

Heydarian F, Behmanesh F, Daluee M, Kianifar H, Hematian M. The role of zinc sulfate in acute bronchiolitis in patients aged 2 to 23 months. Iran J Pediatr. 2011;21(2):231-4.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446156/

Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;(6):CD001364.  Update in:
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(4):CD001364    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23775705

 

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