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Page 74
| in much less time than generally thought possible. Or, better yet, one can stop a cold or flu from coming on by treating the earliest symptoms. |
| There's good reasoning behind the usual advice to "drink fluids and get plenty of rest." The immune system functions better when one is asleep. Potent immune-enhancing compounds are released by the body during the deepest levels of sleep. With a cold, the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract get dehydrated. This provides a hospitable environment in which the virus thrives. By drinking fluids (particularly herbal teas, water and dilute fruit juices), the respiratory tract is moisturized and the virus is repelled. Drinking orange juice (which is high in fruit sugar) does more harm than good, since sugar impairs white blood cell function and inhibits immunity. It is best to drink juice diluted with water; grapefruit and lemon juice are especially good, as are vegetable juices and soups. |
| Taking 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids every couple of hours is very helpful. If diarrhea develops, cut back on the dose. An effective dose of vitamin A is 25,000 units each day. One 23-mg zinc lozenge every two waking hours for up to one week is beneficial as well. |
| Echinacea is #1, garlic is #2, and goldenseal is #3 on the list of the 10 most popular herbs in the United States today. All three of these herbs are most often used in this country for colds and flu. While both echinacea and garlic are effective for these conditions, goldenseal is probably wasted in acute infections. When cold or flu symptoms begin, taking up to 1 teaspoon of echinacea tincture every two to three hours can nip it in the bud. Once a cold or flu is well-established, echinacea works better in combination with other herbs, such as boneset, elderberry, or astragalus. |
| If one is susceptible to colds and flu it is helpful to take echinacea, garlic, astragalus, reishi or shiitake during cold season and during flu season, echinacea, garlic, osha, el- |
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