The Common Cold And Immunity.

Why do some people get lots of coughs and colds while others seem to cruise through winter with barely a sneeze? There are many factors for this and acting early is the best to make the most of our immune responses. There used to be the assertion that the only reason the cold increased spread of viruses or bacterial that trigger immune system reactions that we call a cold was because we were inside closer to each other more. But that no longer holds as many research papers see a variety of reasons that contribute to illnesses we know of as colds.

While immune status does play a big role, it important not to confuse how important it is to allow your body to respond to the ‘invasion’ of a particular pathogen with the desire not to experience these uncomfortable reactions. The first line of defense is the sneeze. Clearly the body trying to expel the invader, so use tissues to clear the nose and use a saline nasal spray or warm water with salt (to the taste of the ocean strength) to flush your sinuses. Do this very gently one nostril at a time, spitting the warm water from your mouth. This is very effective to clear the nasal passages and reduce the likely hood of sinus infections. Using a ‘vapor chest rub’ or essential oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme, oregano in hot water and breathe through regularly will also assist. At the first sign of a sore throat gargle with warm water with either salt, sage, thyme or olive leaf and get some manuka or similar honey to soothe.

Some of the most important factors that can dampen our response is using paracetamol or Ibuprofen to block our immune response and therefore prolonging the illness as well as poor diet, prolonged stress, lack of sunlight on our skin to activate Vitamin D synthesis and lack of good sleep.

It seems our ability to fight infection is significantly reduced by inadequate sleep. Research has shown that 20 minutes of meditation helps fight infections! So relax and get plenty of sleep if you’re run down and allow yourself to rest. Recent studies on type 2 diabetes has found that eating sugar has a measurable decrease in immune function, so keep sugary foods to only a treat, not every day.

Supplementation to boost immunity depends not only on what you take but also when. Vitamin A, C and D work best when taken prior to getting a cold. This includes cod fish liver oil for the kids (eg. Hypol) as this is full of vitamin A and D that is vital for immune function. Astragalus is a Chinese herb that has shown real promise in clinical trials in boosting immune cell count, as does Shitake and Reishi mushrooms. Zinc and selenium are important for fighting infection and is effective taken as a preventative as well as when you have a cold. Echinacea has shown repeatedly to be most beneficial when taken during the early phases of a cold,

thus useful to take as winter takes hold to boost what we know of in Chinese Medicine as your ‘defensive Qi’.

Food is medicine so time of year eat nourishing warm slow cooked foods. Salads and raw foods are difficult to digest when your body is adjusting to the cold, while cold drinks also put cold in our tummies while the body is trying to keep warm so drink warm water and hot teas and lots of healthy soup. Keeping yourself warm inside and out is paramount as it supports your immune system to fight by creating a fever to flush the bugs out.

This also includes warming spices such as a good pinch of cinnamon on your brekky each morning really boosts inner warmth. Ginger which you can have a few fresh slices with lemon and honey as a tea, and add ginger to stir fries, curries and pumpkin soup. Turmeric, chilli, cayenne pepper, garlic and black pepper are all very warming and can help fight cold and flu. The trick is to eat these things daily. Stewed fruits are best so a great excuse to eat warming apple crumbles with cloves nutmeg and cinnamon or poached pears and cinnamon and ginger are really lovely ways to get that inner cozy going. Try a cayenne pepper hot shot… 1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, a little boiling water, a teaspoon of raw honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Warms digestion and blood circulation and feels fabulous! I add some immune boosting 5 mushroom blend as well.

Remember antibiotics do nothing to viruses, only bacterial infections they also kill your good digestive bacteria that have also been clinically shown to assist in immune function, and with anti-biotic resistance becoming a serious issue the use of them should be kept to an absolute minimum. With the sudden cold this winter that we are having so many people are struggling this year with cough so boosting your intake of leeks, onions, spring onions, garlic etc are very good for warming lungs and clearing phlegm. These are best in soups such as leek and potato or add to any soup or stew. Get into some immune boosting herbs now, and eat well, rug up and stay cozy this winter and enjoy the lovely flavors good warming spices bring to our foods.

Until next time

Stay well

Dr Angie Palmer.

Chinese Medicine