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Cold Remedies?
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R e m e d i a l C o l d R e m e d y ? Eevry fall, a lot of people are worried about upcoming battles with our dark and elusive enemy: the Common Cold. They want to know what shields we can possibly use to defend ourselves. To help sift through the mounds of info on the web, some of which is not medically proven and inaccurate, I did some research for my patients and came up with the following up-to-date synopsis on herbs and vitamins commonly used for prevention of the cold. Read On! * Echinacea: Echinacea is the most widely used herbal product in the United States. Studies indicate that echinacea does not appear to treat or prevent the common cold or other infections, and cannot be recommended for these purposes. There are no significant drug interactions with Echinacea and side effects are uncommon and minor (GI upset, nausea, dizziness). * Vit C: A Cochrane (an evidence-based medicine database) review showed that taking 200 mg or more of vitamin C daily does not significantly decrease symptom severity or duration when initiated after the onset of cold symptoms. Data regarding prophylactic use of vitamin C are more varied. Thirty trials involving 9,676 cold episodes showed a statistically significant decrease of 8% in illness duration with vitamin C taken before onset of symptoms. There is no current recommended dose of vitamin C over the RDI of 60 mg, but many studies suggest a dose of 200-300 mg daily. * Zinc: Some studies suggest that zinc lozenges decrease the duration of URIs; however, when all studies were compared in a meta-analysis the evidence for benefit is inconclusive and zinc cannot be recommended. No studies suggest that zinc improves the severity of cold symptoms. Common side effects include bad taste and nausea. ~Dr. Jairam Anubha A. Jairam, M.D. Family Medicine 6901 Okeechobee Blvd Ste E-11 W.Palm Beach FL 33411 Return to Doctor's Page
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Some other Health Articles from our Library:
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