Edited & Shared by Sally Cross;
Therapeutic, Life & Relationship Coach,
Herbal & Menopause Coach/Educator.
Just in time for the cold and flu season, I share with you this Cold & Flu Protocol, including clinically effective supplements that target the immune system to help decrease the frequency, severity or duration of cold and flu symptoms.
Protocol development in integrative medicine is not typically a simple process. Each individual requires individualised care, and what works for one person may not work for another. Decreasing the risk of developing a cold or flu is possible through prophylactic supplementation, especially among high-risk populations, such as in children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems.
In the event a cold or flu does occur, the suggested supplementation may decrease the duration and severity of symptoms.
The ingredients present in the protocol below reflect research findings that demonstrate efficacy when used prophylactically and therapeutically to support physiological immune function in regards to cold and flu.
Vitamin C
Adults: 1 g daily as an ongoing maintenance dose, or 3 to 4 g daily at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness.
Children: 1 to 2 g daily as an ongoing maintenance dose.
Reduces the duration of the common cold by approximately a half-day, or by 8% in adults and by 14-18% in children.
Reduces time of confinement by approximately six hours and fever duration by approximately a half-day, relieves chest pain and chills by approximately eight hours when given an extra therapeutic dose at the time of onset of cold.
Improves antimicrobial and natural killer (NK) cell activities, lymphocyte levels, chemotaxis, delayed T cell responses, sympathetic nervous response, and induces anti-reactive oxygen species activity.
Decreased duration of cold by 59% and increased weekly activity levels by 39.5% when compared to placebo in otherwise healthy adult males.
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
400 mg, once per day, minimum 8-16 weeks in healthy adults as a preventative measure.
Reduces the duration of colds or acute respiratory infections by approximately 5-6 days.
Reduces the incidence of colds by 25%, the incidence of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, and the relative risk of respiratory symptoms by 48%.
Reduces total symptom severity score for sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, malaise, fever, headache, hoarseness, earaches, and cough.
Echinacea purpurea
Prevention: 0.9 mL, three times per day (equivalent to 2400 mg of extract), minimum 4 months.
Acute: Up to 4.5 mL liquid extract (equivalent to 4000 mg), once per day at the first stage of cold development.
Reduces the relative risk of cold development by 10-58%.
Reduces days with symptoms by 26% and symptom scores by 23%.
52% fewer patients requiring concomitant use of aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen.
Reduces the incidence of cumulative viral infections by 26% and recurring infections by 59%, including influenza virus and parainfluenza virus.
Increases associated counts for white blood cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and natural killer cells, and suppresses superoxide production in the later phase of the cold by neutrophils (Goel 2005)
Zinc
75-100 mg of elemental zinc as zinc acetate or zinc gluconate lozenges, once per day, within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms, minimum 1 to 2 weeks cold.
Reduces cold duration by 33%, or by approximately 1.65 to 3 days in healthy adults cold.
Zinc acetate equivalently reduces the duration by 40% and zinc gluconate reduces the duration by 28%, while other sources indicate greater efficacy with zinc acetate in healthy adults.
Reduces the incidence of cold symptoms after 5-7 days in healthy adults and children.
Reduces the duration of muscle soreness by 54%, cough by 46%, voice hoarseness by 43%, nasal congestion by 37%, nasal discharge by 34%, scratchy throat by 33%, sneezing by 22%, and sore throat by 18% in healthy adults.
Reduces the incidence of common cold development, absence from school, and antibiotic use in children.
Improves anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profile via reductions in plasma interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), TNF-ɑ, MDA, HAE, and 8-oHdG, and increases in IL-2 mRNA in mononuclear cells in healthy adults.
Reduces duration of symptoms particularly when given within the first 24 hours of symptom onset.
Wishing you a healthy, happy season!
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