Caught a Cold?
It’s that time of year when bugs are rife and we’re more sociable than ever – making a stinking cold almost inevitable.
So what can you do to stay snot-free throughout the party season?
And what’s the quickest way to get over the lurgy if it does strike?
Here, leading medical nutritionist Dr. Sarah Brewer, and author of Eat Well, Stay Well, reveals which of nature’s cold remedies are worth trying – and why…
PELARGONIUM
WHY TAKE IT? To get rid of symptoms of a cold – possibly within 24 hours
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WHAT IS IT? An herbal remedy derived from the root of a South African geranium, Pelargonium sidoides. Locally, it’s known as Umckaloabo, which roughly translates as ‘for a heavy cough and chest problems’
HOW IT MAY HELP: This is my favorite winter supplement.
From personal experience, it is a highly effective treatment for the relief of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, including the common cold, sore throat, cough and blocked or a runny nose.
Symptoms resolve quickly, usually within 24 hours, and you should continue to take it for three days to prevent symptoms returning.
I suggest taking it three times a day at the onset of symptoms.
Trials suggest it stops some types of cold and flu virus replicating by increasing the rate at which the cilia (the nose hairs) move – helping to expel mucus.
It also blocks the landing sites that bacteria need to stick to cell walls. This means they are more easily brought up as mucus is cleared from the airways.
Pelargonium also stimulates the action of immune cells (white blood cells, scavenging macrophages, natural killer cells) that engulf and kill bacteria and viruses.
EVIDENCE: The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of the US National Institutes of Health) states on its website: ‘Pelargonium may be helpful in relieving symptoms of acute bronchitis, acute sinusitis, and the common cold in children and adults’.
Indeed, a study in the Journal of Family Practice stated: ‘Pelargonium sidoides (30 drops 3 times a day) reduced the severity and duration of common cold symptoms and to get patients back to work sooner.’
Other research has suggested the herb is:
- Particularly effective at reducing cough, sputum production, headache and treating a runny nose
- And significantly more effective than placebo in treating acute bronchitis
- Useful for treating tonsillitis, reducing the severity of symptoms and shortening the duration of a sore throat by at least 2 days
TRY: Healthspan’s Pelargonium Cold Relief, £14.95
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