Natural Flu Fighters
You might not have heard of herbs like andrographis or astragalus — real tongue twisters, but they’re nothing to sneeze at! These herbal remedies are natural flu fighters. Here’s how they may keep you healthy.
It seems no one is immune from pesky cold and flu viruses, and they can be very hard to shake.
DeeAnn Haag says, “I’ve taken several over-the-counter drugs when I had a cold or flu, when any of those symptoms came on.”
DeeAnn has a thyroid condition which affects her immune system. When she gets a virus, drugs like antibiotics just don’t work. “I had a lot of irritating side effects happen on those. I mean, it took care of some of the symptoms but never really took care of the cold,” she says.
Chiropractor and herbal specialist, Mark Akers, D.C., of the Whole Life Healing Center in Denver, Colo., explains, “We’re talking about a chemical toxin that goes in and kills bacteria. So, that creates a toxic overload to the body.”
Akers says supplements like andrographis, astragalus and zinc are good ways to build your natural immunity to cold and flu viruses.
“Herbal remedies offer a very nontoxic, low side-effect approach that’s very effective towards kicking out the bad bugs when they set up housekeeping in you,” he says.
And when viruses do visit, DeeAnn says they don’t linger as long. She says, “I found with alternative medicine, the more I take up-front, the quicker things would be released in me. I had great success with that.”
Herbal remedies can give you a head start to keep the bugs at bay. Doctors also emphasize maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, using alcohol in moderation and trying to keep your stress level low. Consult your physician before considering herbal remedies to check for allergies and possible side effects.
