Public health officials are scrambling to prepare for what may be one of the most challenging flu seasons ever. Seasonal influenza, combined with the continuing presence and possible winter worsening of H1N1, is a daunting prospect. Vaccines for both have been developed, but as of this date, the H1N1 vaccine is still in short supply.
If past experience is a guide, as the seasonal flu peaks in January or February, an estimated 50 million Americans will be infected by it, with an average of 36,000 deaths — and this is not counting the new H1N1 threat.
Prevention is critical. This includes frequent hand washing and avoidance of crowded spaces. The only FDA-approved remedies available for either classic influenza or H1N1 are vaccines and Tamiflu-class medications. Nevertheless, there are principles and practices that can offer immune support and symptom control. The supplements in this article (available online, from health-food stores and pharmacies) may warrant a place in our medicine chest this year as we seek to be as healthy, and flu and cold-free as possible. (Caveat: None of these have been specifically studied for H1N1 flu.)
Taken at the first sign of symptoms, this over-the-counter homeopathic remedy has been shown to reduce both the duration and severity of flu.
In a study published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers found that 17.1% of patients with flulike symptoms who took Oscillococcinum (pronounced o-sill-cox-SEE-num) recovered within 48 hours, compared with 10.3% of those taking placebos. Another published study from the venerable Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009 confirmed Oscillo’s effectiveness in combating the flu.
Particularly for people sensitive to the Tamiflu-class of medications, this is one of the only substances with published effectiveness against influenza.
Important: Oscillococcinum works only when taken within three days of symptom onset.
Dose: One vial of pellets under the tongue, three times daily, for no more than three days. If it hasn’t worked by then, it won’t.
These are important aids to help the immune system as it struggles to fight flu as well as colds. Few Western clinical studies have looked at these formulas, but the experience of practitioners in the US as well as a history of successful use for hundreds of years in Asia indicate that Chinese herbals can be both safe and effective at relieving cold and flu symptoms and can shorten the duration of illness.
These products typically contain six to 10 different ingredients, including herbs such as forsythia, isatis, andrographis and astragalus. Some of the components have antiviral effects… others increase immunity… and others address specific symptoms, such as congestion or fever.
Important: Use only formulations that have been produced in the US, which has the highest quality-control standards. Some herbal products imported from China have been found to contain toxic levels of lead or mercury. Good brands include Wellness Formula by Source Naturals and Cold Away by Health Concerns.
Dose: Follow the label instructions. A typical dose is three tablets taken three times daily, as needed.
I recommend echinacea for general immune support. The herb fell out of favor when it was reported in a 2005 study in The New England Journal of Medicine that it was no better than a placebo for treating and preventing colds.
However, in 2007, The Lancet published a meta-analysis of studies comparing echinacea with a placebo for preventing or shortening the duration of the common cold. Echinacea was found to be effective. The researchers also discovered that echinacea seemed to reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was published in Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics stated that echinacea significantly reduced symptoms when it was taken soon after the onset of symptoms. This finding has been replicated by many other studies.
Echinacea appears to be most effective when combined with other herbs that synergistically strengthen immunity and relieve upper-respiratory infections.
Dose: Follow label directions. I recommend taking echinacea in combination with other herbs, such as black elderberry. Good brands include Esberitox, Insure and Immunotone.
Caution: Don’t take echinacea if you have an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s or lupus. It increases levels of TNF-alpha, an inflammatory substance that needs to be lowered in patients with these conditions.
Inhalation therapy is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms of colds or flu. It also can help prevent illness because it kills viruses in the upper-respiratory tract.
When you’re in a crowded place (such as a movie theater or an airplane), remove the cap from a bottle of essential oil, such as tea tree oil. Take several sniffs with each nostril. Do this every one to two hours. Tea tree oil’s compounds have been shown to have both antiviral and antibacterial effects.
For symptom relief: Pour steaming water into a bowl, along with a few drops of tea tree oil, or any of a number of essential oils (rosemary, oregano or combination products such as Thieves Oil Blend, or even Vicks VapoRub — a blend of camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol). Drape a towel around your head to trap the steam. Then lean forward, close your eyes and breathe in the vaporized oils. It’s the fastest way to relieve congestion and sinus pressure, as well as provide an excellent germicidal effect.
Medicinal mushrooms, including shiitake, maitake and reishi, have been shown to have significant immune-stimulating properties, and people who maintain a strong immune system are far less likely to get colds or flu. Mushrooms are used both preventively and during an illness that challenges the immune system. Unlike many immune-boosting herbs, mushrooms do not seem to lose their effectiveness with prolonged use.
Dose: Eat one or more of these mushroom varieties a few times a week throughout the cold and flu season. Or take a supplement that includes a mushroom blend, such as New Chapter Host Defense.
Vitamin C has been shown to be somewhat effective at preventing and treating upper-respiratory infections. A study published in Advances in Therapy in 2002 found that people taking vitamin C had significantly fewer colds than those taking placebos. They also had a shorter duration of severe symptoms — 1.8 days, compared with 3.1 days for those in the control group.
Zinc oral lozenges often are used to reduce symptoms, including cough, nasal discharge and sore throat.
Caution: Recently the nasal form of zinc in one form of Zicam was shown to inhibit the sense of smell.
Dose: Up to three zinc lozenges daily for maximum of three or four days. For vitamin C, a typical dose is 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily, divided into two or three doses to avoid stomach upset or diarrhea.
Source: Woodson C. Merrell, MD, chairman of the department of integrative medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, both in New York City. He is coauthor, with Kathleen Merrell, of The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel 10 Years Younger (Free Press). www.woodsonmerrell.com
