Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is a
well known antioxidant vitamin
that is essential in humans;
that is we are unable to
manufacture this vitamin for
ourselves and must consume
Vitamin C through dietary
sources. In its
role as an antioxidant, vitamin C
has the effect of quenching
dangerous chemical reactions
involving free radicals, that
can damage cellular membranes as
well as promote inflammation.
In
the process of fighting
infections, white blood cells use
such free radicals to damage and
kill bacteria, and virally
infected cells. It is important
that the chemicals that are used
by the white blood cells to kill
invaders are kept in check,
otherwise health cells can be
damaged and promote inflammation, which can
ultimately worsen symptoms.
The
use of vitamin C in the
treatment of illness,
specifically in the
treatment of colds, has been somewhat
controversial. This is, in large
part, due to some scientific
evidence that has been
misinterpreted. The level of
vitamin C that has been shown to
be effective in the treatment of
illness is 1-6 grams per day.
It has also been demonstrated
that this dose can reduce the
duration of a cold by as much as 21%. It is
recommended to get vitamin C from a
supplement when ill,
as juices tend to have high amounts
of sugar which can interfere
with the function of the immune
system (see "Avoid Simple Sugar"
section). [13-14]
Zinc:
Zinc
is an important nutrient for
the overall function of the immune system
and has shown antiviral activity
as well. It is important that
all nutrients be represented in
someone's diet to make sure that
their immune systems are
functioning properly, and zinc is
no exception.
The most popular form for
supplementation of zinc for the
common cold is in lozenges. Since zinc lozenges for the
treatment of colds have become
popular, there has been an
explosion of such products on
the market. However, not all
zinc lozenges are created
equally. In some of the original
research, there were studies that
demonstrated that zinc lozenges
did not affect the duration or
severity of cold symptoms. The
reason for this discrepancy is
due to the individual
manufacturer.
The
form of zinc used, as well as
the other
ingredients used in the
manufacturing of the lozenge, are
important factors in determining
the effectiveness of the product. It seems that in order
for zinc lozenges to have their
beneficial effect, the zinc in
the lozenge must ionize in the
in the saliva of the patient. Lozenges used should contain
13-23 milligrams of zinc in the form of
zinc gluconate. Products should
also be
free of citric acid, mannitol,
and sorbitol, all of which can
interfere with the benefits of
the zinc.
Patients using zinc
lozenges recovered from their
colds in an average of 4.4 days, as opposed to 7.6 days in the
control group. There were also
significant improvements in other measures
of symptoms during the cold, such
as; cough, headache, hoarseness,
congestion, runny nose, and sore
throat. [15-18]
Echinacea:
Echinacea is a
member of the daisy family of
plants, and has been used for many years as a
traditional treatment for the
common cold and other
immune-related ailments. Over 300 studies
regarding
the effectiveness of Echinacea
and Echinacea preparations have
been conducted, making it one of the most
etensively studied herbs in the world. Echinacea preparations have
demonstrated an ability to
modulate various parameters of
the human immune system, including numbers and activity
of NK cells and monocytes, which
are indicators of nonspecific
immunity.
The body of
scientific research that has
been accumulated is somewhat
contradictory. For as many
studies that support the
effectiveness of Echinacea, the
same amount of studies seems to
disprove its effectiveness.
There are several possible
reasons for this apparent lack
of consistency: different
species of Echinacea may have
varying effects, researchers may
not be using the correct parts
of the herb, the herb may have
been harvested improperly, or
the herb may have been
administered improperly.
In
the studies that support the use
of Echinacea, the herb has been
shown to have a variety of preventative
properties. Supportive
studies conclude that Echinacea
is a valuable
agent in the standardized treatments
for common colds, as well as other viral illnesses
such as the flu. [19-23]
