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

 

Related Posts

  • Can Reiki help you if you have IBS?

    Reiki is a form of healing therapy originating in Japan and Tibet that is available in some of our clinics.  Over the years practicing massage in clinic, I [...]

  • The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 6

    Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.

    In my last blog post, "Taking a Break", I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency. So now I want to focus on strategies to get you moving… Use an Exercise Ball for a Chair Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance & flexibility. Occasionally bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair. Use the Stairs Walk up and down stairs, rather than take the lifts.  Even if you only walk up or down one flight of stairs and then take the lift the rest of the way it will have a positive impact on your health. Walk & Talk Meeting If you have an informal meeting with a colleague why not suggest a walk & talk meeting, weather permitting you could always go outside and get some fresh air too! Pedometer Using a pedometer will help you asses how many steps you take throughout the day. Taking a roundabout way to your desk, taking the stairs or walking to the next tube station as part of your commute will help you increase the number of steps you take daily. Exercise while you Sit at your desk An Amercian start up company, FitnessCubed, has come up with Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that allows you to do basic exercise while you sit at a standard office desk. (It requires no changes to your existing desk set up.) They have also produced a mobile app that allows you to track your workout and you can also share your work out results – so you could even hold an inter-office competition.

  • Is it time you considered a digital detox?

    For those of your who don't know I have a background in IT.  This means I am very comfortable with technology and love my smartphone.  However I am for once a month to do a digital detox the reason is that I recognise that I live in an "always on" society.  I am inundated on a daily basis with social media updates, text messages and emails.  What's worse are "always on" society ecpects us to be contactable at all times and to respond immediatley.  Its no surprise that research has found a link between heavy smarphone usage and increased anxiety. Did you know that smartphones are actually designed to distract us?  They rob our brains of vitally important downtime preventing them from being creative.  A digital detox allows my brain to reachage and focus on the present.  No one needs to give you permission to go off grid for half a day and you don't need to feel guilty either. A digital detox can start simply as 45 minutes without using a smartphone, laptop, tablet or other device one evening a week and then build up slowly to a couple of hours.  I find regular digital detox is hugely beneficial to my state of mind and can be easily incorporated into your routine. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500888/