Curing The Common Cold

This mineral is so common, you can find it in pennies. It also plays a key role in supporting the immune system. Researchers believe that zinc helps the thymus gland produce infection-fighting white blood cells. Studies show that adding zinc to the diet can help provide a boost to elderly people who suffer from impaired immune systems.

Zinc lozenges and nasal sprays have gained popularity as powerful cold remedies. Some researchers have begun to suspect that zinc may take an active role in destroying the cold virus in the body. In one experiment that compared zinc to a placebo, participants who sucked on zinc lozenges every couple of hours found that the length of their cold was cut in half.

The purple coneflower provides echinacea, the popular herbal remedy that people around the world take in the form of supplements or medicinal teas to help ward off infection. Because three different species of the flower are commonly used, the exact nature of echinacea's effect on the body is unclear. But it seems that the herb kicks various kinds of cells in the immune system into action; echinacea seems to be associated with an increase in levels of interferon, which is known to fight viruses.

Echinacea seems to be especially adept at battling colds and flu. One study indicates that people who took echinacea for eight weeks were one-third less likely to catch a cold than were people in a control group. The herb can also be effective at easing the symptoms of people who are already infected.

This preparation, derived from the hearts and livers of wild ducks, is a leading over-the-counter flu treatment in Europe. And it is now becoming more popular in the U.S. for relief against fever, chills and body aches associated with the flu.

Researchers in France and Germany have studied the effectiveness of oscillococcinum in battling flu symptoms. Although there is no consensus on exactly how the preparation acts on the body, clinical trials suggest that oscillococcinum does reduce fever and shortens the duration of flu symptoms, as compared to treatment with a placebo. And because the active ingredients are found in tiny amounts, there is little likelihood of interactions with other drugs.

Extracted from the shrub Andrographis paniculata, andrographis is a staple of traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. But its popularity as a cold remedy in Scandinavia has raised its profile in the West. Clinical studies suggest that andrographis helps stimulate the production of white blood cells.

To test the herb's cold-fighting power, Swedish researchers compared it with a placebo. Patients treated with andrographis were two and a half times more likely to have less severe symptoms, and the symptoms they did have did not linger as long. What's more, a Chilean study found that andrographis diminished cold symptoms after just two days.