We all know how it begins. The sniffly nose, the scratchy throat, the hint of a headache.
With the cold weather increasing, so too does the number of people falling susceptible to the common cold. Hello, winter!
What is a cold?
The common cold, although I’m sure most of us are well acquainted, is a set of symptoms that can be caused by over 200 different types of viruses. That’s a lot!
Colds can last 7-10 days or less but don’t worry, there are a few options to help give them the boot.
How do we fight it?
As I’m sure you are aware, antibiotics don’t work against viruses, even those that cause the common cold. Pharmaceutical cold and flu tablets may help reduce symptoms but aren’t treating the root of the problem.
Luckily, nature has provided us with the tools to help our immune system fight back!
- Zinc
Zinc may be the single most important nutrient for your immune function.
It is involved in over 200 enzyme reactions in the body and is essential for the functioning of immune cells, like macrophages and natural killer cells.
My favourite high zinc options are sesame and pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, shiitake mushrooms and lamb.
And if you’re game, oysters can contain anywhere between 16-183mg of zinc per 100g!
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is so helpful for the common cold due to its effect on histamine.
Histamine contributes to the well-known symptoms of runny noses and watery eyes. (Hayfever sufferers, raise your hands!)
Vitamin C enhances neutrophil (another immune cell) activity, which suppresses histamine activity. Helping to put a stop to that runny nose.
You can find it in most colourful fruits and veggies, but a few deserve special mention.
– Brussels Sprouts contain a whopping 663mg of Vitamin C per cup.
– Leafy Kale has around 80mg of Vitamin C per cup.
- Vitamin D
I love Vitamin D3 as it has preventative effects and has been found to be protective against acute respiratory tract infections.
But our levels seem to dip during those pesky winter months when we aren’t outdoors as often. Aussies are lucky though, the sun seems to peek through all year round!
Aim to get outside on your breaks and on the weekend. You’ll not only benefit from the sun exposure, but the sun just feels nice. However, if you are deficient in Vitamin D, supplementation may be necessary.
- Andrographis
Andrographis paniculata is a herb, commonly used in traditional medicine such as Ayurveda.
While maintaining a healthy intake of vitamins and minerals is effective to beat your cold, sometimes we need an extra punch. Andrographis delivers that knock-out blow.
In fact, taking just 1200mg of Andrographis extract a day for just two days has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of tiredness, sleeplessness, sore throat, ear-ache and nasal secretions. Finally, something to beat all those nasties!
What’s your go-to cold kicker?
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