Supplements are gaining popularity amongst the health conscious. With notable studies and research, herbal medicine is proving effective at remedying a number of ailments. One particular supplement could help fight off symptoms of cold and flu and ensure the body’s immune system is in tip top form.
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According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dry winter air allows the flu virus to survive and transmit itself.
Additionally, NIH research suggests that the coating of a flu virus becomes tougher at temperatures close to freezing, making them more active, more resilient and easier to transmit in the winter.
Taking a supplement that can help fight these factors could make a huge difference to one’s health.
According to research, echinacea could help prevent colds and flu.
Echinacea is a popular herbal supplement that’s available in many commercial products.
One of the common ways to use echinacea is to drink it in tea. The amount of echinacea tea you need to drink to reap its benefits varies depending on the tea itself and how strongly its brewed.
Echinacea can also be found in liquid tincture, tablets, ointments, capsules and extracts.
What is Echinacea?
Echinacea is a plant whose roots and leaves have been traditionally used for medicinal purposes.
Echinacea plants are also called “purple coneflower,” and three species of plants in the echinacea classification are used as herbal supplements.
Echinacea plants can be found in eastern and central North America.
They have been identified as having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties.
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How echinacea can help prevent flu?
Drinking echinacea tea has been found to be effective in shortening the duration of one’s flu symptoms.
Studies have shown that echinacea can reduce the odds of developing a cold by 58 percent and reducing its duration by one to four days.
Taking echinacea regularly may also influence the flu vaccine tube more effective at starving off the disease.
Echinacea is available in tablets, tinctures, ointments, capsules, extracts, and, of course, tea.
Four grams (two teaspoons) of dried echinacea root boiled in eight ounces of water is considered a “serving” of echinacea tea by the Mayo Clinic.
Two to three servings per day are recommended to keep the immune system healthy; up to five servings are acceptable when you’re already sick.
Echinacea is also available in dry form which allows a person to control how much echinacea they actually ingest.
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