MAIN Health Vitamin & Mineral Guide

Protect Yourself This Winter
With Natural Cold & Flu Fighters

Natural remedies such as green tea can help you fight cold & flu symptoms.

Recent news from one expert - that flu shots may be entirely ineffective - have confirmed suspicions by many flu sufferers who have taken the jab and still managed to come down with symptoms each winter.

So take a tip from those who have allergies to the traditional flu shot and who have relied on alternate means to help boost the immune system:

Green tea, garlic, black elderberry, and Vitamin C are just some of the more easily available choices indictated in recent studies as either protecting against aches, fever and congestion, or reducing flu's overall symptoms considerably.

In addition, a lesson you probably learned as a child also seems to reduce risk — that is, washing your hands. It's an old preventative still recommended by doctors for reducing flu and cold symptoms and from spreading it to others.

But if you do get the flu, there's still hope.

Green tea - Shown in studies as natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial remedy, it is also recommended by some doctors and medical nutritionists in capsule form as a supplement to your daily vitamin regimen. No matter what the source, green tea is a natural immune system booster that may help you get you through the worst of winter season symptoms.

Black elderberry extract - Well-indicated as an excellent treatment for staving off colds and flu, black elderberry is a natural anti-viral agent. Look for it in capsules, lozenges, or syrup form at your local health food store where it is also generally available in sugar-free formulations for diabetics.

Olive leaf extract - . Also known as oleuropein, olive leaf extract is converted into elonolic acid within the body, a process the drug companies cannot patent. Along with its antiviral and antibiotic indications, in some studies the extract has been shown to lower blood pressure and control suger levels. Look for it at your local health food store in in capsule or liquid form. The typical recommended daily dose is 500 - 1000 milligrams. Consult with your doctor if you are already taking antibiotics, or if you are on a blood pressure or diabetes medication regimen.

Garlic - Used for centuries as a natural antibiotic and antiviral, modern formulations are now available in pill form. Odorless garlic remedies also are available, but some nutrionists recommend that in odorless form the essential ingredient has been removed, and so recommend enteric-coated garlic. The enteric coating helps the pill dissolve deeper in your digestive track to directly combat the flu virus...and doesn't result in garlic breath. Note: since garlic is a blood thinner, consult your doctor if you are currently on an aspirin or prescription blood thinner regimen.

Vitamin C - Popularly known as an immune booster, many studies have shown Vitamin C to have marked benefical effects for people who are malnourished and/or under stress - the perfect description for those of us during the winter holiday rush. Increase your chances of avoiding the bug with maintenance daily doses and increase the dose when you feel the first signs of cold or flu coming on.

Along with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, be sure to get enough rest - and avoid stress whenever possible - and you'll naturally have a good shot at fighting off colds or flu this winter and in every flu season to come ...

More about natural flu remedies around the Web:

BBC Health : Flu

Olive Leaf - Herbs & Supplements

also see in Health -> Alternative Medicine

Myths & Facts About the Flu