Flu and Colds - Fight Them With Elderberry Extract

Flu and colds have been a problem for mankind for a long time and there is presently no cure for these maladies which beset us mostly in the winter season. All kinds of natural remedies and home treatments are used to treat colds and flu from chicken soup to a noggin of rum. Many of these treatments can provide some relief but we still await the day when a cure will be found.

Some herbal remedies are used to fight or treat colds and flu. Immune system boosters such as ginseng and echinacea have been found to help some people. Perhaps the most interesting herbal remedy is elderberry. Elderberry has been used as a remedy for colds, flu and sinus infections for a long time. More recently medical studies have found that elderberry does in fact provide immune system enhancement,
anti-inflammatory and virus fighting properties.

Flu can be a quite nasty disease, which can lower the immune systems disease fighting ability and allow pneumonia or other serious illnesses to take hold. For this reason medical treatment should be sought when anyone gets the flu. Whether it be seasonal flu or H1N1 swine flu there are antiviral medications such as Tamiflu which will help.

As an additional help in providing relief, herbs such as elderberry can be used.Elderberry is thought to boost the immune system by increasing the bodies production of cytokines according to a study, involving the proprietary elderberry extract SAMBUCOL, which was done in 2001.
A study of 60 people who had flu symptoms was performed in 2004 and this found that those of them who were given elderberry extract for 5 days recovered four days earlier than the people who were given a placebo.
There is no evidence suggesting that elderberry extract can prevent the flu.The evidence does suggest that it will lessen the severity of the infection and will promote faster recovery.

For best results elderberry extract should be taken, according to the makers instructions, as soon as the first flu symptoms appear. Standardised elderberry extract is available in health food stores in syrup or capsule form.There are possible side effects such as allergic reaction or mild indigestion but this is quite rare.

John Mowatt is a writer who is interested in health and fitness.He also writes on other subjects. You can see his website at gas fire pits and also at:
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