Health and Fitness – Fitness Made Easy

The vast majority of colds aren’t very serious and will go away on their own.  In some cases,  however,  what begins as a cold turns into a more serious kind of infection,  such as bronchitis or sinusitis.

A cold that doesn’t get better within 2 weeks and is accompanied by wheezing:  pain in the ears,  sinuses,  or chest,  or a cough that brings up greenish or bloody mucus needs to be seen by a doctor.

Uncommonly Strong Remedies for Common Colds

You can take cold medicine and wait it out,  however you can take a variety of nutrients,   herbs,  and other remedies can rev up your virus – fighting immune system,  shorten your cold  ( to as little as  2 or 3 days ),  and mute the symptoms.  Many of these same treatments can help you prevent colds as well.

When someone sneezed,  you duck.  Somehow,  though,  you still manage to catch the common cold,  and the viruses that are partying in your upper respiratory tract are making you feel uncommonly bad:  feverish,  headache,  tired,  and coughing.

You can take cold medicine and wait it out,  however you can take a variety of nutrients,   herbs,  and other remedies can rev up your virus – fighting immune system,  shorten your cold  ( to as little as  2 or 3 days ),  and mute the symptoms.  Many of these same treatments can help you prevent colds as well.

VITAMIN C:   Maximize Immunity

Viral illnesses of all kinds increase your need for vitamin  C.  The trick is to immediately saturate your body with vitamin C once you realize that you’re getting a cold.  You want to take enough of the nutrient so that you get the maximum immune activity to neutralize the infection.

By taking  6000  to  12000   milligrams of  vitamin C  a day for  1  week.   Ideally,  you should take some vitamin C  every hour of the day to maintain saturated body levels.   If  that’s inconvenient,  take it in three equal doses.

If  you develop loose bowels and gases,  which are possible and are harmless side effects of high doses of vitamin C,  cut back on the amount by 1000  milligrams a day until the intestinal upset goes away.  Once you’re feeling better,  continue taking vitamin C;  3000   milligrams a day will help keep colds from getting started.

VITAMIN E:  Double the protection

When your immune system is fighting an infection,  it generates toxic by – products that make it more difficult for you to heal quickly.  Most of those     by – products come in the form of free radicals,  molecules that oxidize and damage your cells.

Vitamin E  works in tandem with vitamin C,  helping to shield your cells from oxidization damage and allowing you to recover more quickly.  It is recommended to take 400 to 800 international units ( IU )  of vitamin E  a day for the duration of your cold.  Continue to take the same dose afterwards,  because vitamin E  has been shown to help prevent  heart disease and many other serious health problems.

VITAMIN A:   Strengthens the Mucosa

The respiratory tract is lined with cells that form a layer called the epithelium.  This is a mucosa lining that helps trap cold viruses before they have a chance to make you sick.  That surface is also lined with virus – neutralizing immune proteins.

At the first sign of a cold,  take 50,000  to 100,000  IU  of  vitamin A a day,  but take that level for only 5 days.  The vitamin accumulates in the liver,  and taking it for longer periods of time could be dangerous.

ZINC:  Stimulate Immunity with Lozenges

Zinc lozenges may work because many people are deficient in this nutrient.  It’s also possible that zinc directly kills the cold – causing rhinovirus.  ( Then again,  zinc lozenges may not work at all.  Some scientific studies show that they work,  but some show the opposite).

Take four to six zinc lozenges a day,  for a total dose of no more than 120  to  140 milligrams.  Again,  maintain that level for no more than  5  days.   since taking this much zinc for an extended period may cause an imbalance in copper levels.

ECHINACEA:  A Time – tested Healer

The herb echinacea has been used for centuries to relieve colds and other upper respiratory problems.  It’s possible that it works by boosting the production of  disease – fighting immune cells,  such as phagocytes,  leukocytes,  and natural killer cells.

The common advice is to take echinacea off and on – using it for a week or two,  then stopping for a week or so before resuming – because of the general belief  that steady use of the herb can depress immune functions. Take a dose of 175  to  225 milligrams two or three times a day.

GOLDENSEAL:  Soothes a Sore Throat

Even though the evidence for goldenseal’s effectiveness is not as strong as the evidence for echinacea,  this herb does appear to strengthen the immune system.  It also seems to combat localized viruses,  which is why it is particularly good for a sore throat.

You don’t want to take goldenseal every day.  Take  175  to  350  milligrams three or four times a day for  10  days to  2  weeks,  starting at the first sign of a cold,  it’s recommended taking echinacea and goldenseal together for the duration of an upper respiratory illness.

GARLIC:  Kills Germs Fast

The evidence for the medical potency of garlic is irrefutable:  just eat a clove,  then ask your friends if garlic is strong.  That memorable smell is full  of  virus – killing molecules.

You can get the benefits of garlic without the strong smell by taking deodorized garlic.  The odour has been removed,  but not the natural medicine.  Take 15  to  30  tablets or capsules providing  300 to  500  milligrams for  5  to 7  days.

After that,  you can keep taking four to six a day to help keep a cold from coming back.

THYMUS EXTRACT:   Put Your Hormones to Work

Supplements containing extracts of  thymus gland are thought to stimulate the body to generate hormones that spark the formation of      T  cells,  which are important virus killers.  Take  350  milligrams of the extract according to label directions for  1  to 2  weeks,  starting at first sign of a cold.

Roberto Garcia (Health & Fitness Specialist) 
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including Fitness DVDs, Health & Fitness Books and Specialist Health & Fitness Supplements.

Tags: colds, coughing, feverish, headache, Immune system, Viral illnesses

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Medical, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.