By Jacob Schor
As a practicing naturopathic doctor, my clinic's shelves are filled with different and unusual options for treating colds and flus. I have my choice. So what do I actually bring home.
The truth is not much. A few things I take as protection and a few items that I keep on hand just in case.
Selenium : This mineral isn't on the "Preventing Colds and Flus" lists in most natural health books but it is one of my favorites. It's useful at fighting a variety of obscure viral infections so I figure it might work for preventing common ones as well. I try to take 200 mcg daily. The fringe benefit of this one is cancer prevention. In past studies, this dose was enough to decrease cancer incidence by half.
Echinacea : Dried herb capsules or alcohol tinctures are the most "traditional form" to use, but instead I bring home a glycerine extract instead. It's flavored with raspberry or strawberry and I can get my 7 year old to take it without a fight. We'll use it off and on through the winter. If a school friend gets sick, or one of the family, we'll take it for 3-4 days in a row, anywhere from 10 to 60 drops a day. If I get sick, I'll take alot of it: I try to finish an ounce bottle in the first 24 hours. There are some people who will take Echinacea daily from now to next summer. Whether the effect wears off with repeated use has been debated for years. My suggestion for "chronic users" of Echinacea is to be lazy: take it on weekdays and forget about it on weekends. Personally, I remember to take this 3-4 times a winter.
Sambuccol : This product, a patented extract of Elderberry, is as close to a magic bullet as I've seen for viral infections. I keep a bottle at home year round. When I'm coming down with something, this is the bottle I grab first. I confess I'm actually rather lazy about taking anything else. It's sold either as throat lozenges or syrup. I prefer sucking on the lozenges but plenty of people prefer the syrup. There are a number of copycat products on the market these days which I haven't tried. I am a total fan of the trademarked Sambuccol. The sooner you start taking it at the first hint of illness the better it seems to work.
"Flu Solution" or Oscillococinum : These are both trademarked names of homeopathic medicines imported from France. My wife swears by them. She bugs me to take them when I'm rummaging for the Sambuccol. I do and I think they work. Yet when push comes to shove, I carry the Sambuccol in my pocket and leave these home.
The best solution is not to get sick in the first place. Remember all those lessons from your mom. In this age of antibiotics we often neglect the old standby of public health: good hygiene. Wash your hands. Don't share utensils, glasses, or water bottles. Cover your mouth when you sneeze (Hope your companions cover theirs).
I hope you have a healthy winter. Good luck
Jacob Schor, N.D. received his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at National College in Portland, Oregon in 1991. He served as President of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians from 1992-1999 and maintains a private practice at the Denver Naturopathic Clinic.