How to fight off a cold quickly!

[Mindi912]

Even better....Jala Neti!

Since I started practicing Jala Neti about 5 years ago, my chronic sinusitis has completely disappeared.

http://www.jalanetipot.com/

I've tried that and agreed it's great and seriously does work like a bomb.

I just buy saline solution rather than trying to mix the salt water myself.

[Tishalicious]

Hot curry.

Onion, chilli and curry spices have good anti-cold properties.

When I feel the cold, I get the meanest bombay chicken I can, load it up with onions and 'enjoy'.

Helps with the sweating too.

[LoveANurse]

antibiotics pronto.

[javyn]

A cold is a virus. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. IE, antibiotics are useless in this case, and more detrimental than good if you value your probiotics in your gut, which antis will wipe out.

[BadBarbie]

Drink as much orange juice as your body can take all day. go go go!

[bambifox]

FRESH LEMON..lots and lots of FRESH LEMON. I just squeeze 1/2 lemon in every cup of hot tea...and drink about 4-6 cups/day. In 24-48 hours..my cold is GONE!!!

[SearMeCarefully]

I second the ginger tea suggestion - although I've never had it with garlic.. cut up ginger root, boil in water for awhile, add some lemon and honey - always seems to work when I feel a cold coming on

[someday]

i've been taking vc boosts w/ added v's & m's calledemergency 2 ward off colds & it has helped.

w/ that said i've also been having frequet lympatic drainage massages since i'm an esthetician. i really do believe they have helped with more than warding off illness.

[javyn]

With all the megadoses of Vitamin C, L-Lysine, MSM, Chlorella, Spirulina, and a zinc supplement....I shouldn't get a cold...ever.

Gf's been sick since last week with the flu, bedridden, and I don't even have the sniffles.

[Champion510]

For me.. I know when i get sore throat.. it's almost there so I take 2000 mg of vitamin C and that usually works.. I take vitamin C usually everyday (1000 mg) which helps keep your immune system up also

[kayla_b]

For me.. I know when i get sore throat.. it's almost there so I take 2000 mg of vitamin C and that usually works.. I take vitamin C usually everyday (1000 mg) which helps keep your immune system up also

I need to start doing this again, I used to take those 1000mg Vitamin C pills from Costco, but I've stopped the past year+. Thanks for reminding me again.

[javyn]

One gram of vitamin C with every meal is a good rule of thumb to go by. Protein is a great vitamin C chelator too and will make it go farther when taken with food.

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/forum/

No need to worry about rose hips, bioflavinoids, natural sources, etc etc. The body cannot tell the difference between ascorbic acid and natural vitamin C. All animals except for humans, gorillas, some parrots, and guina pigs produce their own vitamin C, and do not produce rose hips or bioflavinoids.

[Vadim Beliaev]

No need to worry about rose hips, bioflavinoids, natural sources, etc etc. The body cannot tell the difference between ascorbic acid and natural vitamin C. All animals except for humans, gorillas, some parrots, and guina pigs produce their own vitamin C, and do not produce rose hips or bioflavinoids.

and why do you think that is?
animals dont need to absorb ascorbic acid from the digestive tract, WE DO.

[Mata Leao]

Slam the vitamin C! I take 4000mg a day and if I feel a cold coming on I up it to 6000mg. I haven't been sick in ages though and I give all the credit to vitamin C.

yeah but vitaminc will help prevent not fight a cold.... best thing ive done for colds is cold fx i dont know were u live but here in edmonton canada its done the trick... but yeah a high vitamin c dose year around is good since its water soluble and any that ur body dosent need it just gets flushed...
also grape seed extract is alot more potent than vitamin c so u can add that to ur stack just for the future.. its good for u

COLD FX... love it.

[IzzyJ]

i bought a jala neti pot!!!!

..............now to work out how to use it!

[javyn]

Not sure what you are talking about Vadim...I megadose C myself and was suggesting others do the same. I was simply stating that you don't need to spend extra money on rose hips, or biovlafinoids, or 'natural' vitamin c supplements, ascorbic acid is just fine.

And yes, you CAN fight a cold with Vitamin C, you just need to take MUCH more if you are already sick. I'm talking 10 grams plus per day. See the recommendations on the Vitamin C Foundation's website. If your stomach has trouble with that much acid, you can always buffer the ascorbic acid powder with baking soda. It makes a nice, tart fizzy drink.

Izzy: http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/neti.html

[bebeklein]

Go to a Vietnamese restaurant and order some pho soup. I usually get a steak and flank combination. It's like chicken soup to the 29879349387 degree. And make sure you add the chili sauce to it.

It looks like this http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2008/0...odle-soup-pho/

I was sick twice and the first day I went out and ate this and it cleared it up both times.

I ditto the lemon suggestion (I will add honey to the spoon too). actually add it to some tea, honey and brandy and make yourself a hot toddy.

[bebeklein]

I've also read that Vitamin C really only helps people whose bodies are under a great deal of stress....like coal miners and marathon runners.

lol on coal miners

[bebeklein]

Even better....Jala Neti!

Since I started practicing Jala Neti about 5 years ago, my chronic sinusitis has completely disappeared.

http://www.jalanetipot.com/

My sister has had sinus problems (even had a surgery to remove polyps (sp?) or something like that) and she uses this too.

[Komadori]

FRESH LEMON..lots and lots of FRESH LEMON. I just squeeze 1/2 lemon in every cup of hot tea...and drink about 4-6 cups/day. In 24-48 hours..my cold is GONE!!!

If you can get ahold of miracle fruit, you can just eat the lemon straight on, I'd figure.

And me. With a cold now. :/ Mostly weak and not coughy yet. Been taking zinc and airborne so far.

[Vadim Beliaev]

Not sure what you are talking about Vadim...I megadose C myself and was suggesting others do the same. I was simply stating that you don't need to spend extra money on rose hips, or biovlafinoids, or 'natural' vitamin c supplements, ascorbic acid is just fine.

And yes, you CAN fight a cold with Vitamin C, you just need to take MUCH more if you are already sick. I'm talking 10 grams plus per day. See the recommendations on the Vitamin C Foundation's website. If your stomach has trouble with that much acid, you can always buffer the ascorbic acid powder with baking soda. It makes a nice, tart fizzy drink.

Izzy: http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/neti.html

I meant that
animals dont produce bioflavonoids because they are not required to absorb dietary ascorbic acid, they synthesize it.
Humans are reliant on dietary ascorbic acid and it must pass through their digestive tracts and be absorbed before we can do anything with it.
This is where bioflavonoids come in.
Sure you may absorb pure ascorbic acid, but it will not be absorbed as effectively as a preparation that also contains bioflavonoids.
Another point is that you should use estered and neutral forms of vit c, not pure ascorbic acid, because of possible stomach irritation from high doses of it.

[javyn]

crap, crap, crap, crap. Ascorbic acid is cheap, and if you take it with protein, it will absorb just fine. IMO the only reason they put bioflavs and rosehips in C is to jack up the price of this otherwise inexpensive supplement.

[TheBlasterMan]

zicam cold remedies are said to work wonders......... although ive never had much luck with them. Its best to start therapy during the onset of symptoms.

[Vadim Beliaev]

crap, crap, crap, crap. IMO the only reason they put bioflavs and rosehips in C is to jack up the price of this otherwise inexpensive supplement.

of course

Amy Bigus, Deanna Massengill, and Christy Walker

Thanks to the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy
for the use of this article!


Bioflavonoids

* Once known as "Vitamin P" and semi-essential nutrients
* 4000 flavonoid compounds have been characterized and classified
* Group of plant pigments that are largely responsible for colors of many fruits and flowers
* Useful in treatment and prevention of many health conditions

Four categories:

* PCO (Proanthocyanidins)

* most potent PCOs are those bound to other PCOs
* exist in many plants and red wine
* commercially available sources are from grape seeds and bark from the maritime pine

* Quercetin

* serves as backbone for other flavonoids such as citrus flavonoids: rutin, quercitrin, hesperidin
* these derivatives have sugar molecules attached to the backbone
* most active of the flavonoids

* Citrus bioflavonoids

* include rutin, quercitrin, hesperidin, naringin
* standardized mixture of rutinosides known as hydroxyethylrutosides (HER)
* clinical results have been obtained in treatment of capillary permeability, easy bruising, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins

* Green Tea Polyphenols

* derived from tea plant camellia sinensis
* produced by steaming the fresh cut leaf
* polyphenol indicates presence of phenolic ring in the chemical structure
* polyphenols = flavonoids
* polyphenols in green tea: catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, and proanthocyanidins
* epigallocatechin gallate = most significant active compound

Dietary Sources

* Citrus fruits
* Berries
* Onions
* Parsley
* Legumes
* Green Tea
* Red Wine

Average Daily Intake = 150-200 mg

Beneficial Effects

* referred to as "nature's biological response modifiers" - modify body's reaction to compounds such as allergens, viruses, and carcinogens
* powerful antioxidants by giving protection versus oxidative and free radical damage
* prevents formation of oxidized cholesterol through antioxidant effects
* greater antioxidant effects than Vitamins C, E, Selenium, and Zinc

PCOs

* increase intracellular Vitamin C levels
* decrease capillary permeability and fragility
* scavenge oxidants and free radicals
* inhibit destruction of collagen

* crosslinks collagen fibers to reinforce the natural crosslinking
* prevents free radical damage

* inhibits enzymatic cleavage of collagen by enzymes secreted by leukocytes in inflammation and microbes in infections
* prevents release and synthesis and compounds that promote inflammation and allergies (histamines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes)
* antioxidant effects are beneficial in:

* aging process
* chronic degenerative diseases (heart disease, arthritis, and cancer)
* fat and cholesterol oxidation

* antioxidants are produced by:

* inhibiting xanthine oxidase noncompetitively(oxygen free radicals)
* on the cellular level: PCOs are incorporated into the cell membranes along with the antioxidant effects offer great protection to cells against free radical damage.

Quercetin

* anti-inflammatory activity due to inhibition of initial processes of inflammation

* inhibits manufacture and release of histamine

* potent antioxidant activity and Vitamin C sparing action
* beneficial effects for diabetics

* helps prevent diabetic cataracts, and retinopathy
* enhances insulin secretion
* protects pancreatic beta cells from free radical damage

* antiviral activity

* activity vs. herpes virus type 1, parainfluenzae3, polio virus type 1, and respiratory syncytial virus
* in vivo, inhibits viral infection
* may be of some benefit in the common cold

Citrus Bioflavonoids

* antioxidant effects
* increase intracellular Vitamin C, rutin, hesperidin, and HER
* beneficial effects on capillary permeability and blood flow like PCOs
* anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects like quercetin

Green Tea Polyphenols

* potent antioxidant effects
* increase activity of antioxidant enzymes in the small intestines, liver, lungs, and small bowel
* inhibit formation of cancer causing compounds like nitrosamines in vitro

* suppressing activation of carcinogens
* trapping cancer causing agents
* forms of cancer that green tea prevents best:

1. cancers of GI tract (stomach, small intestine, pancreas, colon)
2. cancer of the lungs
3. estrogen related cancers (inhibits estrogen interaction with its receptor)

* consumption of green tea with meals inhibits formation of nitrosamines (nitrites combined with amino acids)

Principle Uses

PCOs

* Treatment of venous and capillary disorders

* venous insufficiency
* varicose veins
* capillary fragility

* Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration
* Prevention of heart disease and strokes
* Lowers blood cholesterol levels
* Shrinks size of cholesterol deposits in the artery
* Inhibits platelet aggregation and vascular constriction

Quercetin

* In vitro, helps virtually all inflammatory and allergic conditions

1. asthma
2. hay fever
3. rheumatoid arthritis
4. lupus

* Beneficial in diabetes and cancer

Citrus Bioflavonoids

* Venous insufficiency
* Improve microvascular blood flow and clinical symptoms (pain, tired legs, night cramps, and restless legs)
* Improve venous function
* Relieve hemorrhoidal signs and symptoms in pregnant women

Green Tea Polyphenols

* Used principally to prevent cancer

Available Forms

PCOs

* Grape seed extract (92%-95%) and pine bark extract (80%-85%)
* Used interchangeably, but grape seed extract is preferred
* Grape seed extract is considered more potent and more effective than pine bark extract because only grape seed extract has gallic esters of proanthocyanidins which are the most active free radical scavenging PCOs

Quercetin

* Available in powder and capsule forms
* For anti-inflammatory effects, combination of Bromelain (pineapple enzyme) may provide additional benefit by enhancing absorption of quercetin
* Amount of Bromelain should equal quercetin

Citrus Bioflavonoids

* Mixed preparations are most widely used
* Least active and quantified source of flavonoids

Green Tea Polyphenols

* Commercial preparations that have been decaffeinated and concentrated for polyphenols (60%-80%)
* 1 cup = 300-400 mg of polyphenols
* Downside = this dose also contains 50-100 mg of caffeine

Dosage Ranges

PCOs

* Preventive and antioxidant=50 mg/day of grape seed extract or pine bark extract
* Therapeutic purposes dose=150-300 mg/day of either extract

Quercetin

* 200-400 mg taken 20 minutes before meals three times a day

Citrus Bioflavonoids

* 2000-6000 mg/day

Green Tea Polyphenols

* For green tea extract standardized for 80% polyphenols and 55 % epigallocatechin gallate, the dose=300-400 mg/day

*Look for level of epigallocatechin gallate and total content of polyphenol

Safety Issues

PCOs

* safe, no toxicities, no side effects

Quercetin

* Well-tolerated in humans
* no side effects when taken in large quantities for long periods of time
* safe for use in pregnancy
* allergic reaction may occur-uncommon, but should result in discontinuation of product

Citrus Bioflavonoids

* extremely safe
* no side effects
* safe in pregnancy

Green Tea Polyphenols

* no side effects or toxicities
* if product contains caffeine, overconsumption may result in a stimulant effect

Interactions

* Do not interact with any drugs
* citrus bioflavonoids containing naringin may interact with drugs

1. naringin is found in grapefruit juice
2. can increase oral bioavailability of drugs like nifedipine, felodipine, verapamil, and terfenadine
3. inhibits breakdown of various drugs including: caffeine, coumarins, and estrogens

* Vitamin C-Bioflavonoids may enhance the effects of vitamin C

References

* Evans CA and Miller NJ. "Antioxidant activities of flavonoids as bioactive components of food." Biochemical Society Transactions. 24(3):790-795, 1996.
* Hertog Michael, et al. "Flavonoid Intake and Long-term Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer in the Seven Countries Study." Archives of Internal Medicine. 155:381-386, 1995.
* Kandaswami Chithan, et al. "Ascorbic acid-enhanced antiproliferative effect of flavonoids on squamous cell carcinoma in vitro." Anti-Cancer Drugs. 4:91-95, 1993.
* Lale A, Herbert JM, et al. "Ability of Different Flavonoids to Inhibit the Procoagulant Activity of Adherent Human Monocytes." Journal of Natural Products. 59:273-276, 1996.
* Murray MT. "Flavonoids." Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. p. 320-331.
* So Felicia, et al. "Inhibition of proliferation of estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by flavonoids in the presence and absence of excess estrogen." Cancer Letters. 112:127-133, 1997.
* Wiseman H. "Role of dietary phyto-oestrogens in the protection against cancer and heart disease." Biochemical Society Transactions. 24(3):785-789, 1996.
* Xiao-duo Ji, et al. "Interactions of Flavonoids and Other Phytochemicals with Adenosine Receptors." Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 39:781-787, 1996.


Thanks to the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy for the use of this article.

why dont you just stfu

[EDKsurly]

Hot tea
-1/2 a mug of Green Tea, the other 1/2 filled with OJ. Little bit of Cinnamon and honey. Clears me up good, quick ;D

[brasileira]

EEk i'm sick!!! can feel a cold coming on!

anyone got some kick arse remedies to get rid of a cold?

someone has suggested a glass of vodka, straight, and wrap myself in a doona and sweat it out but i don't drink!!!! lol.

same concept as what this person told you but i've never tried with alcohol lol. drink a lot of water then put on a sweater (or two) and a warm blanket.. and you should be good when u wake up in the morning
also i dont know if you want to do this but ever heard of a neti pot? kinda gross but works for me
i hope u feel better

[MMA.All.The.Way]

if you get a blocked nose and your sinus' are blocking up,
try mixing a glass of warm water, with a half a teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of bi-carb soda.
you have to snort it up your nose and spit our your mouth.. which is the downside, but works wonders.


over a few days it completly cleans out your sinus'.

[Myshell87]

Does anyone have any remedies for a VERY sore throat??

I had my work xmas party on friday and ever since i havent felt 100%, i woke up this morning with a really sore throat and a stuffy nose, i tried gargling, but that hasnt helped at all.

I really cant afford to be sick atm as im going away in a week.

[Spire]

Does anyone have any remedies for a VERY sore throat??

Honey. It has antibacterial and antibiotic properties, and tastes great.

Drink some tea with honey in it (instead of sugar - if you use sugar that is), or have some honey on toast, or just honey by itself. Whatever works.

[brasileira]

if you get a blocked nose and your sinus' are blocking up,
try mixing a glass of warm water, with a half a teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of bi-carb soda.
you have to snort it up your nose and spit our your mouth.. which is the downside, but works wonders.


over a few days it completly cleans out your sinus'.

that's what a neti pot does =)