Herbal Remedies for Colds and Flu

Reader Contribution by Vicki Mattern
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What are the best natural cold and flu remedies?

Many herbs have a long tradition of use against colds and flu, but while some havedemonstrated strong antimicrobial and antiviral properties in the lab, relatively few herbal remedies for colds and flu have been scientifically tested for effectiveness on a large scale because of the expense of such research. “Pharmaceutical companies spend millions to study new drug formulations because they can patent them,” says Dr. Randy Horwitz, medical director for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. “But you can’t patent herbs, so there aren’t as many clinical studies. Instead, we usually evaluate them on a risk-benefit basis: We compare the potential risks associated with a medical condition (as well as the available therapies) and compare them to the potential benefit of herbal therapy.”

Horwitz recommends one or more of the following herbal remedies for colds and flu: Kan Jang (a blend of the herbs Andrographis paniculata and Siberian ginseng), garlic, astragalus, medicinal mushrooms or black elderberry.

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