Guide to natural healing 2004 handbook for winter wellness: twelve natural remedies that boost immunity, lift your mood and keep the heart healthy
AMERICANS are turning in high numbers to natural supplements for everything from colds to memory lapses. In fact, there are so many options and variations that the real challenge is knowing what to take. If you’re looking for a mood booster, you might think about upping your omega-3s. And if you’re worried about cholesterol, loading up on lycopene may be the key. From acidophilus to zinc, PT canvasses the best natural remedies, be they classic standbys or cutting-edge extracts. Just don’t wait for springtime to try them.
IMMUNITY, COLD AND FLU
ECHINACEA
THIS DAISYLIKE CONE FLOWER, USED AS A MEDICINAL REMEDY SINCE THE LATE 1800s, IS NOW KNOWN AS THE COLD AND FLU SUPPLEMENT. IT ALSO HELPS BOOST IMMUNE RESPONSE.
* HOW IT WORKS Echinacea acts like virus-fighting interferon, which helps resist infection.
* THE LOWDOWN A meta-analysis of 16 trials found that echinacea helps prevent as well as treat common cold symptoms more effectively than a placebo.
* EXPERT TESTIMONY “People should take echinacea before cold symptoms really even begin–when you’re just starting to feel achy,” says Glenn S. Rothfeld, a physician and medical director of WholeHealth New England, an integrative medicine practice in Arlington, Massachusetts. “If you catch symptoms early enough, echinacea can stop a cold in its tracks.”