The big chill: how to beat nasty winter colds and the flu

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1998 by Sheldon Lewis

Your eyes are red and puffy. Your throat's on fire. We won't even talk about what's coming out of your nose. No, you haven't been invaded by the pod people. You've just come down with one of those nasty cold or flu viruses that infect millions of people each year--most often in the winter months.

The "common cold" is actually an infection of the upper respiratory tract (from our nasal passages down to our throat) that's caused by one of many different viruses. Colds are "acute" infections, meaning they last for a short time, usually up to a week, then disappear.

While a cold is limited to the head and neck areas, an acute viral infection involving the whole body is referred to as influenza (a.k.a. the flu), explains Howard W. Morningstar, M.D., an herbalist and family practitioner in Ashland, Ore. The flu, which typically lasts a week, can consist of cold symptoms plus overall fatigue, muscle aches, joint pains and, to make you really miserable, digestive problems such as vomiting or diarrhea.

It's ironic that in our high-tech world, where you can e-mail your baby's first words to Aunt Martha in Walla Walla, we still haven't found a cure for the common cold. The best we can hope for is prevention. But if we do fall prey, we can relieve the annoying symptoms with a host of natural solutions. These aids are best taken at the onset of symptoms. You should always check with your health professional before using any medicine--natural or otherwise--and if symptoms don't improve within two days, consult him or her again.

HERBS AND VITAMINS

The herb echinacea (pronounced eck-ih-NAY-sha), a member of the sunflower family, was passed down by Native American healers and sold as an anti-infective drug in the 1870s. It fell out of favor in the 1930s with the advent of sulfa drugs. Although many medical claims have been made for echinacea, the best substantiated is that the herb stimulates the immune system, the body's natural defense against infections like colds and flu, according to Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., author of The Honest Herbal (Haworth Press, 1993). No major side effects of the herb have been reported, though in rare cases, people may be allergic to the plant.

Echinacea is available in capsules, tinctures or as tea (not the most pleasant tasting). Morningstar likes tinctures for respiratory infections. When gargled or swallowed, they get right to the infection, unlike capsules, which have to be digested before they start working. Take one dropperful--either "straight" or diluted in a few ounces of water--every hour or two for the first day or two of the illness. After that, he says, the echinacea will probably no longer be useful. For a sore throat, gargle with a dropperful (straight or diluted) and then swallow it.

For the achoos and aches of a cold, Morningstar recommends chamomile tea, a well-documented anti-inflammatory agent. "In my experience, it's about as effective as ibuprofen, with very few side effects," he says. Chamomile's relaxation-inducing properties can also help cold sufferers because "rest is the best medicine for a cold."

Taking extra vitamin C and zinc throughout your cold can boost immunity and improve healing. Morningstar suggests tripling your usual dosage of vitamin C. If that's too much C for your body, you may develop diarrhea; if that happens, "just take less," Morningstar says. And you can take 30 milligrams (mg.) of zinc daily during your cold or flu. Zinc lozenges work best for a sore throat.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Homeopathy, a medical system developed in the 18th century, is based on the principle of similars: That a substance that causes certain symptoms can also cure them. Homeopathic medicines are derived from plant, mineral and animal substances (packages often don't list sources, so you may need to do some research before taking). Each substance, derived from one of those sources, is so highly diluted that little, if anything, remains of the original. It's believed that the substance leaves its "energetic imprint" on the water and when taken as a remedy, spurs the body into healing.

It takes a lot of training to choose the right single remedy, says Anthony Aurigemma, M.D., a homeopath in Bethesda, Md., and New York City. Practitioners look at the total person--how they look and feel both physically and mentally as well their immediate symptoms. Picking the wrong remedy could interfere with the natural functioning of the immune system, cautions Aurigemma, and impair, rather than improve, our ability to fight off infection.

"I don't encourage people to treat themselves homeopathically [with single remedies]," he says. Instead, he recommends buying one of the many premixed homeopathic cold and flu remedies available in natural food stores and pharmacies and taking several doses over a 24-hour period. If you do take a homeopathic remedy, avoid coffee, mint, eucalyptus and menthol for the duration, as they may neutralize the remedy.

WISDOM FROM THE EAST

Whereas western pharmaceutical drugs are meant to kill bacteria--and are generally ineffective against viral infections--Eastern medicine (such as traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurveda, India's ancient system) works to strengthen our body's defenses to fight off infections and relieve the uncomfortable symptoms.