Wei qi--pronounced way chee--means "protective energy." In traditional Chinese medicine, wei qi are invisible layers that cover the skin and prevent illness-causing pathogens from entering the body. For 5,000 years, strengthening the wei qi has been a way to not only maintain health and well-being by preventing disease, but to expel pathogens that have already found their way in. While Western medicine may sometimes scoff at Chinese remedies, they have a long history of providing cold relief and boosting the immune system.
Astragalus
One of the best ways to fight off a cold is to jump-start the immune system. In addition to getting plenty of rest and avoiding alcohol, dairy products and sugar, you should also take vitamins like C, A and E as well as the minerals zinc and selenium. According to Paul Ratté, ND, associate clinic faculty at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn., you may also take the Chinese herb astragalus, also known as huang qi. Ratté says astragalus "has been shown to reduce the frequency and duration of the common cold" in combination with other treatments.
Ginger
In addition to being a flavorful ingredient in cooking, ginger has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid and remedy for nausea. In traditional Chinese medicine ginger is used to relieve cold and flu symptoms including headaches and coughs.
A popular remedy for a persistent cough is to combine two tablespoons of water with one quarter teaspoon each of ground ginger and cayenne pepper, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. The resulting concoction is purported to taste terrible, but adherents swear to its effectiveness.
Ma Huang
The Chinese herb ma huang has gotten a bad rap in recent years because of the misuse of its derivative ephedra. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used ma huang safely and effectively for centuries in the treatment of common colds, headaches and even malaria. It was first mentioned 3,000 years ago in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, or Divine Farmer's Materia Medica, where it was said to cause the body to sweat and to suppress coughing by breaking "concretions and hardness, accumulations and gatherings." For medicinal purposes, it is preferable to use the ma huang stem rather than its extracts, as ephedrine raises blood pressure while the ma huang stem does not.
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