SUPPLEMENTS for winter

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Seasonal supplements: winter
(Filed: 25/01/2002)

Not sure which supplements are the best to take? Jude Allen guides you through the top herbal remedies for the cold season

Boosters and soothers
Detoxers

Click here to order these supplements online

THE winter months invariably bring with them bouts of flu, sore throats, sniffles and a general malaise as the days draw in and the temperatures drop. As if this weren't enough, the excesses of the festive period can leave us bloated, lethargic and our livers overloaded.

Winter colds
 
Banish your winter blues

New Year seems a perfect time to counter the chill factor and embark on a detox. The problem is that we can't always find the time or motivation to achieve this through diet and exercise alone. Supplements can complement our best intentions and help boost our immune system, alleviate symptoms and fortify us for the cold months ahead.

However, knowing which remedy does what can be somewhat of a minefield so health.telegraph.co.uk has compiled a simple supplement checklist to help you achieve a healthier and more energised new year.

Boosters and soothers

  • Vitamin C: vitamin C helps to keep the immune system healthy as well as reducing the duration and severity of colds.
  • Echinacea: the best known herbal treatment for warding off the common cold, 'flu and tonsillitis. It has anti-viral and antibiotic properties and is thought to increase the number of white blood cells, therefore helping to fight infection. Echinacea has a very distinctive taste and while the most usual form is in a tincture it can also be taken in tablets, lozenges, syrups and tea.
  • Elderberry: though less well known than echinacea, elderberry extract is a traditional herbal remedy for colds, 'flu and throat infections.
  • Zinc: an anti-viral mineral that strengthens the immune system. It is often taken with vitamin C in tablet or lozenge form.
  • Garlic: in a recent trial the active ingredient in garlic, allicin, was shown to help ward off colds and ameliorate symptoms. Garlic can also been help lower the risk of heart disease.
  • Marigold or calendula: also good for treating skin complaints and ulcers, marigold extract can be used as a gargle for throat infections.
  • Co-enzyme Q10: the winter months can make our energy levels drop, making us feel tired and run-down. Co-enzyme Q10 is a good supplement for boosting those levels by increasing oxygen use in cells.
  • St John's Wort: helps relieve mild depression including seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is thought to work by improving the function of neurotransmitters in the brain and needs to be taken daily over a period of time before an effect is seen. Always consult your GP before taking St John's Wort as it reacts with certain prescribed drugs such as oral contraceptives and warfarin, thus reducing their efficacy.
  • Echinacea
    Echinacea: a plant with the power to heal

    Detoxers

  • Milk thistle: one of its ingredients, silymarin, is a powerful mixture of antioxidants and has been shown to help repair liver cells already damaged by toxins (like alcohol) and stimulate the growth of new cells.
  • Dandelion: acts as a liver tonic. Have it in tea or coffee form or in a tincture.
  • Cynara artichoke: stimulates bile production reducing symptoms such as indigestion, nausea and bloating. It contains inulin which encourages the growth of good bacteria in the bowel.
  • Vitamins A, C and E and the mineral Selenium: these are good antioxidants and help protect the liver from free-radical oxidations, dangerous reactions in the body that can attack or damage protein, cells and genetic material. They have been linked with hardened arteries, heart disease, skin ageing and cancer.
  • Gotu kola: in addition to improving liver function, this herb also reduces bloating by stimulating circulation and promotes healing of wounds and ulcers.
  • Ginkgo biloba: most commonly used to improve circulation and poor memory, it is a powerful antioxidant that increases blood flow to the kidneys.
  • Kudzu: instead of dealing with the effects of a hangover, why not try kudzu, a starchy root used in Chinese cooking, which works to reduce your craving for alcohol in the first place.
  • These supplements, separately and in combination, can be obtained from the Nutri Centre.

    health.telegraph.co.uk readers will receive a 15 per cent discount when they order online.

    Next story: In sickness and in health



    -- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

    Answers

    Kudzu: instead of dealing with the effects of a hangover, why not try kudzu, a starchy root used in Chinese cooking, which works to reduce your craving for alcohol in the first place.

    Kudzu? that annoying vine that is threatening to take over? It's edible? By people? for real?

    -- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


    great article..keeper for sure,,,(will cross post to IC and give you credit)

    this is stuff most of us know or have sen before, but it is good for reminders...I need reminded..more and more.

    -- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


    BF, there are all sorts of uses for kudzu--most if not all invented by the Japanese. Search on "kudzu recipes" and see whatcha get!

    Sar, yep, nice to have a reminder and all in one place.

    -- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


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