Many different herbal supplements are available for treating your influenza symptoms and even decreasing your risks of getting the flu. Numerous clinical trials and studies have been conducted on herbal remedies for treating and preventing colds, but far fewer studies have been performed on the flu. Nevertheless, you can try a wide range of herbs to lessen your flu symptoms and reduce your chances of contracting the influenza virus.
Andrographis
If you want to boost your immunity and prevent the flu and colds, taking andrographis may help. Andrographis may help to ease cold and flu symptoms, according to several studies cited by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The whole plant extract of andrographis may also stimulate the immune system. The University of Maryland Medical Center points to a study that found taking andrographis combined with Siberian ginseng helps people to recover from the flu faster and reduces flu symptoms. Seven double-blind, placebo controlled studies involving a total of nearly 1,000 people found that taking andrographis substantially decreased the severity and duration of cold symptoms.
Echinacea
Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal supplements taken for preventing and treating colds. Echinacea may also help to reduce your risk of contracting the flu or shorten the duration of the flu, but nearly all medical studies performed on Echinacea have involved the common cold, not influenza, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of a total of more than 1,000 people have revealed that taking Echinacea can ease cold symptoms and help people to recover faster from colds, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Echinacea stimulates your immune system, and several double-blind studies in Germany have found that Echinacea helps to shorten the duration of flu-like symptoms, says the University of Michigan Health System.
Elderberry
Taking black elderberry syrup may help to treat influenza. The University of Michigan Health System cites a double-blind clinical trial that found taking 4 tbsp. daily of black elderberry extract helped people with the flu to get well faster than placebo. Elderberry extract may also help to stimulate perspiration and ease congestion, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Siberian and Asian Ginseng
Taking Siberian ginseng, or "eleuthero," may also help to reduce your risk of contracting the flu. Siberian ginseng may stimulate your immune system, making you less susceptible to the influenza virus, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Asian ginseng may also provide these immune-system benefits. Taking 100mg of Asian ginseng extract along with an influenza vaccine can reduce the frequency of colds and flu more than the vaccine alone, according to a double-blind clinical trial.
Garlic
Taking garlic may help you to avoid contracting colds and flu. A 12-week-long, double-blind study of 146 people found that the participants who took garlic supplements were nearly two-thirds less likely to contract a cold than those who took the placebo, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Other studies have found that taking garlic can help to reduce your chances of getting a cold or flu, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal herbal remedies may help to prevent flu infections or shorten the duration of flu symptoms. Goldenseal and echinacea are often combined in herbal treatments for colds and flu, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Goldenseal is also combined with wild indigo, an herb that's comprised of proteins and polysaccharides that may help to boost immunity, says the University of Michigan Health System. Wild indigo has shown immune-system stimulating effects in test tube studies, and the combination of wild indigo and goldenseal may help to prevent and fight influenza.
Green Tea
Green tea and its extract contain flavonoids called catechins, which can help to prevent influenza infections. The University of Michigan Health System cites a study of 124 elderly people in Japan that found gargling with green tea extract three times daily helped to prevent flu infections. Only 1.3 percent of the participants who gargled with green tea extract contracted the flu, compared to 10.4 percent of participants who gargled with a placebo liquid. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center points to another double-blind study that discovered taking green tea extract orally may help to prevent the flu and the common cold.
