Vitamins For Cold and Flu
By Kristy Lee
The most common cause of illness in adults and children are colds or upper respiratory infections. It's commonly believed that we 'catch' colds, but this is not exactly the case. Our bodies are surrounded by over 200 viruses which our body usually combats. However, if we become run down or our immune systems are too weak to combat the infection, we are susceptible to 'catching a cold or flu'.
A few supplements are said to help prevent and treat cold and flu including Echinacea, Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin A.
Echinacea is a natural treatment that is widely used in the treatment of cold and flu. It is said to activate the boy's T-cells which are an essential part of the immune response. Echinacea is believed to have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immulostimulant qualities.
Echinacea has been shown to help treat cold and flu when ingested in large amounts at 1200mg, three times a day for up to 8 weeks, however it should never be taken at this high dosage for longer than eight weeks.
Echinacea is more suitable for generally healthy people who may be susceptible to frequent minor infections. It's recommended that these people take 800mg of the dried herb three times a day in times of weakened immunity.
Vitamin C has also been shown to boost the immune system when 100mg of vitamin C is taken daily. If vitamin C is to be used to treat a cold or flu, it's suggested that 1000mg per day might help shorten the duration of the cold or flu.
Zinc is a vital nutrient that is used in the production of hormones that support the immune system to fight viruses. If 13.3mg of zinc acetate is taken at the first sign of infection, zinc is said to significantly reduce the period of illness.
Vitamin A is said to prevent infections and it is believed that the recommended daily dosage of 5000iu should be easily ingested within a balanced diet through foods like carrots, spinach and capsicum and supplementation is rarely required.
Whilst all of these nutrients and vitamins are said to have benefits for the prevention and treatment of cold and flu, you should not under any circumstances substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this article. The author does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so.
For more information visit Australia's vitamin information website
http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au or visit the Cold and Flu page at http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au/cold_and_flu_relief.aspx for more information about vitamins for cold and flu.
© Kristy Lee 2008. You are welcome to reproduce this article as long as URLs are active and no changes are made to the text.
