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MAIN
Health
Vitamin
& Mineral Guide
Protect Yourself
This Winter
With Natural Cold & Flu Fighters
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Natural remedies such as
green tea can help you fight
cold & flu symptoms.
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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
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