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Herbs for Cold & Flu
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It's Cold and Flu season, are you prepared? There isn't much that your
doctor can do for you if you get a cold. You can try some Chicken Soup; it's
actually thought to help, as any hot fluid may. Also, there is Cold-Eeze.
If you get the flu, the big buzz lately is the drug - Tamiflu.
Some people believe that Herbs can prevent Colds and Flu or at least lessen the symptoms
if you do get one or the other. Chinese medicine has been using Herbs for centuries.
There is now some scientific evidence that some herbs have curative properties.
There is a lot of conflicting advice out there - a recent news
story says cough medicine doesn't work. Another recent
news item says that natural cold remedies don't work!
As with anything else, we advise that you do your research and decide for yourself.
Start with our article - "Herbs for the Cold and Flu Season", presented
below. Learn about several helpful herbs and how to take them
or brew them into healthy teas.
After you read our article, follow the Related Links we provide to
other informative and helpful web sites on Herbs for Colds and Flu. Also, please
buy a few of the Books we recommend below. Do your
research now before you have a Cold or the Flu!
Related
Links:
Read
These Books:
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Natural
medicine can help anyone breeze through the cold and flu season without a sniffle; in
fact, it's often better and more complete than conventional medicine. Using herbs,
healing foods, medicinal teas, supplements, and alternative therapies, this eye-opening
guide provides a complete program of prevention and natural cold remedies that are
safe and work with readers' own healing forces. Step-by-step help shows how
to ease symptoms, shorten recovery time, and alleviate related problems such
as cold sores, fever, and congestion. Included are: A delicious medicinal soup to
make at the first sign of a cold; the truth about Echinacea; the danger of taking
antibiotics, and why commercial cold remedies can slow healing.
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Ease
Symptoms, Fight Disease, and Supercharge Immunity--All without Drugs or Chemicals! You're
about to enter a completely different kind of drugstore. One where herbal medicines
are offered right alongside conventional pharmaceuticals. Where bottles of feverfew
stand next to bottles of aspirin, and echinacea has its place among other cold and
flu remedies. The Herbal Drugstore is the only place where you can compare
mainstream drug treatments and their herbal alternatives for close to 100
common health problems. You'll find herbs that have the same healing powers as many
prescription and over-the-counter medications--only they're cheaper and gentler,
with few or no side effects. Whether you need fast first-aid or long-term relief,
The Herbal Drugstore has a remedy for you. Here's just a sampling:
* Immobilized by arthritis? Rub on capsaicin cream, a natural pain reliever made from
hot peppers (page 96)
* Can't sleep? Start snoozing with valerian--it's as effective as Valium, but it isn't
addictive (page 352)
* Want to lose a few pounds? Get a helping hand from psyllium, an herbal alternative
to appetite suppressants (page 448)
* Feeling stressed? Calm jangled nerves with kava-kava--it won't undermine alertness
(page 513)
* Battling bronchitis? Clear up that cough with licorice, a natural expectorant (page
129)
* Need help with high blood pressure? Turn to hawthorn--it has much in common with
beta blockers, except for the side effects (page 326)
The Herbal Drugstore features these and many more herbal remedies--712 in
all! They're profiled right next to their pharmaceutical counterparts, so you can
make your owncomparisons and decide which treatments are best for you.
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Since
its original publication in 1992, Earl Mindell's Herb Bible has become the definitive
guide to the world of herbal remedies. Recognized as today's leading trend
in self-care, herbs can help you heal faster, live longer, and look better.
In this completely updated edition, one of the world's foremost authorities
on nutrition and natural remedies demystifies the language and lore of herbs and shows
you how to choose and use herbs and herbal treatments -- from the traditional favorites
to those on the cutting edge. Here is new and valuable information on how herbs can
treat depression and anxiety, boost energy, improve your sex life, combat aging, prevent
illness, and speed healing.
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The
Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines is researched by pharmacists, physicians,
and nurses. Written by two prominent pharmacists, it gives you the most current
and most reliable information available on more than 300 herbal medicines." "For every
herbal medicine, you'll quickly find the information you want: why people use the
herb, what the research shows, common doses, side effects, interactions with drugs,
important points to remember, references to key scientific studies, a reliable overview
of herbal medicines, an herbal agent checklist to help minimize the risks of side
effects, a glossary of unfamiliar medical terms, and coverage of common nonherbal
alternative medicines.
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Enjoy
our exclusive Feature Article:
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Herbs for the cold and flu season
by Sarah
E. White 1/12/06
Every year during cold and flu season it seems like there is a new product introduced
that is supposed to prevent colds and flu or make the illness last a shorter period
of time. While studies have shown conventional over-the-counter remedies for cold
and flu symptoms can actually make you feel ill longer, herbal remedies can be beneficial
for both the treatment and prevention of illness.
I don't know about you, but I much prefer the idea of taking herbal remedies to filling
my body with drugs that might not actually be helpful. So when flu season comes around,
I hit the Internet for the latest research on herbs for cold and flu, and then I go
to the drugstore. It's sometimes hard to tell if preventive medicine is actually helpful.
You might just not get sick because you weren't exposed to any germs. But during the
cold and flu season, germs are everywhere, so I think it's great to have these herbal
remedies on hand just in case you need them.
Perhaps the most well known and most studied herbal remedy and preventative for colds
and flu is Echinacea, an immune-system-boosting herb that helps your body fight invading
viruses. It is effective when taken as a pill or in Echinacea tea preparations. People
12 and older can take 200 milligrams of Echinacea capsules up to three times a day
or five to six cups of tea daily. It is also safe for younger children but the dosage
needs to be cut based on the weight of the child; consult an herbalist for more information.
Though some studies have shown that Echinacea is not effective at lessening the length
of a cold, many people have had success taking it and more study is needed to definitively
say whether it is helpful. I know that I have used Echinacea at the onset of a cold,
or when I feel a cold coming on. It seems to help keep a cold from developing or,
if I already have a cold, makes it go away faster.
Other herbs such as white cedar and wild indigo can be combined with Echinacea to
boost your immune system even further. These herbs have similar effects on the cells
that help your body fight off illness. They can be taken at the outset of illness
or if someone in your family is sick and you don't want to catch it you can take the
herbs to prevent illness. Take the pills or tea for three to five days and repeat
treatment if necessary. Herbalists warn against taking Echinacea for more than eight
weeks straight or if you are pregnant or have an immune-response disease such as HIV
or lupus.
If you've already caught a cold and are looking for ways to alleviate the symptoms,
there are many effective herbal remedies available. Elderberry and peppermint are
helpful for reducing fever and can be made into a tea (equal parts infused in distilled
water). Adding cayenne, cinnamon or ginger can also stimulate circulation and induce
sweating. Ginger is also heralded in Chinese medicine for its antiviral properties,
so drinking ginger tea can be beneficial in helping your body fight a cold (use a
teaspoon of fresh ginger root per cup of water). Another antiviral herb is garlic,
which can be eaten raw or in pill form (which your children may prefer). Inhalations
of goldenseal, chamomile, eucalyptus or thyme can help clean up mucus and clear the
nasal passages. Put a few drops of oil into steaming water and inhale for 10-15 minutes.
A tasty way to clear yourself out, which I really enjoy, is drinking chamomile tea.
Breathe in the steam, then drink the tea.
Ayurveda practitioners recommend ginger, cinnamon, licorice, basil or cloves to stimulate
internal fire when you have a cold with the chills. Up to three teaspoons of herb
are recommended to be consumed daily. A tea made of lemon juice and honey is also
thought to prevent and treat severe colds (we've probably all tried this one at some
point).
Dried balsam fir tea can be used as a treatment for bronchitis, and bloodroot syrup
is beneficial for both bronchitis and pneumonia. And then of course there is lungwort,
used to treat any number of respiratory aliments including influenza, bronchitis,
wheezing and coughs. One to two teaspoons of lungwort leaves steeped in water can
be drunk three times a day to soothe symptoms.
The most effective defense against colds and flu, however, is to eat right, drink
lots of fluids and wash your hands frequently, especially when you are in contact
with sick people. Also get as much rest as you can to keep your body in good shape
and consider using a humidifier or vaporizer in your home to make the air more humid,
which will cause less nasal irritation. And keep a few of these powerful herbal remedies
on hand so you'll be ready when the runny noses start.
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