Oriental Medicines for Immunity & Colds Washington DC

By David Scimgeour, lac

As savvy consumers seek tried-and-true nostrums for common medical ailments, more of them choose to stock their medicine chests with natural remedies. And with good reason. Certain conditions, like the common cold, are best treated at the first sign of symptoms. If we wait to see our regular healthcare provider, the cold may become deep rooted and will then need the customary two weeks to run its course. Minor ailments hardly seem to warrant an office visit, and yet suffering through the symptoms until the immune system can rise to the challenge certainly lacks appeal. If only we could keep a collection of effective remedies on hand to beat these common illnesses.

Well, in fact, we can. Oriental Medicine offers a number of alternatives to Western over-the-counter medicines that provide a significant health advantage. Whereas the typical drugstore remedies tend just to reduce symptoms, often with some unwanted side effects, Chinese remedies, many of which were first documented 1800 years ago in the Shang Han Lun, or Treatise on Damage from Cold, engage the immune system and actually fight pathogens, which leads to a faster healing process.

To turn your medicine chest into an effective arsenal against everyday illnesses, stock it with the following condition-specific remedies.

Immune System
Ginseng & Astragalus (Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang). An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the Chinese practice this more than anyone. To this end, they enter the winter months with strategies to strengthen the immune system so the body will not be so susceptible to all those winter bugs and viruses. Start with this powerful immune tonic and you’ll find you have more energy and vitality and make fewer trips to the doctor’s office. Studies have show that the herbs in this formula boost the activity of both B and T cells, basically strengthening your defense system against unwanted invaders. dosage: 3 caps twice a day.

Many Asians also prepare tonic soups to warm the body and fortify the immune system. To whip up an immune boosting bowl, make your favorite chicken soup and add shiitake mushrooms, astragalus (huang qi), ginseng (white or red), Job’s tears (yi yi ren), lycium (gou ji zi), and red dates (hong zao).

Colds
Cold Prevent: The important thing to remember about a cold is that you can knock it out in the first 24 to 48 hours if you treat it effectively. I use this balanced formula, which combines the herbs from traditional cold remedies from the Shang Han Lun with a potent antiviral herbal combination. Take this blend the moment you start sneezing or feel fatigue, chills, a runny nose, or a sore throat to prevent the development of a full-blown cold. dosage: 1 teaspoon every 2 to 3 hours until symptoms subside, then keep taking it for another day to make sure the virus doesn’t come back.

You can also find two other traditional cold remedies, Yin Qiao San and Gan Mao Ling, at most natural food stores. These a...

Author: David Scimgeour

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