COLDS AND FLU?

Keep your immune system strong and help fight the misery of colds and flu

From the germs generously donated by sneezing colleagues to your kids catching cold from their pals, it is hard to avoid the winter woes completely. Locking yourself away for the winter is not an option but there are a few ways of fighting the misery of colds and flu.

The immune system

Your immune system is there to protect you, so when it is strong, you can fight cold and flu infections better. Nature has thoughtfully provided us with a plant that can help to strengthen immune responsiveness. Alfred Vogel, founder of Bioforce and creator of A.Vogel fresh herb remedies, learned about Echinacea purpurea (the purple coneflower), while studying the medicine systems of the Native American Sioux, and brought it back to Europe in the 1950s.

Echinacea works by strengthening the function of the immune system. It can help support the body's natural defences and so increase the response to infections such as colds and flu. So, taking Echinaforce Echinacea drops or tablets, extracted from freshly harvested Echinacea purpurea, can help relieve the cold and flu symptoms.

Echinaforce is made from extracts of fresh Echinacea - shown by research1 to contain almost 3 times the active substances of equivalent measures made from dried plants - which is why when it comes to fighting the miseries of colds and flu not all Echinaceas are the same.

Women at work

A survey of over 3,000 women sponsored by A.Vogel revealed that while women take better care of their health, they are more likely to catch a cold. Yet 38 percent of women choose to go to work when they are ill, especially since the economic downturn has led to job fears. They will struggle on even when suffering from a full-blown cold.

Why Echinacea works

In 20042, a trial was published that demonstrated the efficacy of Echinacea purpurea extract in the treatment of colds and flu, when it is used as soon as a cold starts. At 7 days, 95 per cent of the subjects using Echinacea were free of symptoms compared with only 63 per cent in the placebo group. In 20053 another trial showed that volunteers taking Echinacea purpurea extract at the onset of a cold had a greater decrease in their daily symptom score than a placebo group.

Who was Alfred Vogel?

Alfred Vogel (1902-1994) is considered one of the pioneers of alternative health. He focused on herbal remedies coupled with advice on a change of diet and lifestyle. He developed the concept of fresh herbal remedies - believing that they provided better medicines. In 1963, he established the manufacturing company Bioforce AG in Roggwil, Switzerland, to cultivate medicinal plants without the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. He has left us with his wonderful legacy of ethical cultivation and fresh herb remedies.

Some other helpful hints

Try a fresh, wholefood diet Find recipes for healthy soups and stews, rice dishes, warming vegetable bakes, and resist the urge to load them with cheese. Make cakes full of dried fruit, nuts and seeds to avoid sugar.

Watch what you drink Skip the coffee, ordinary tea or fizzy drinks and swallow one and a half litres of water throughout the day instead. It's not as hard as it sounds and it gives your body the hydration it needs.

Don't stay cooped up indoors Get some fresh air, even if it's on the cold side. If you live or work in a centrally heated, air-conditioned environment, it is particularly important to get some fresh air into your lungs regularly.

Get enough rest and relaxation Your immune system stokes up during deep sleep and when you are deeply relaxed, so you have a health enhancing excuse for a few early nights.

Supplement Take vitamin C and zinc over the winter. Vitamin C is only absorbed in small quantities so taking a low dose several times a day is a good way of constantly topping up.

Keep smiling Remember that laughter is a great way to help you feel better. Enjoy a break from routine with a book or a film that makes you laugh.

Echinaforce Drops & Tablets are made from extracts of fresh Echinacea purpurea. A traditional herbal remedy for symptomatic relief of colds, influenza type infections and similar upper respiratory tract conditions. Always read the leaflet.

Echinaforce Echinacea drops and tablets are available from independent health stores, selected pharmacies, high street outlets and online at www.avogel.co.uk

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1 Study: M.Tobler et al: Characteristics of whole fresh plant extracts. Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur GanzheitsMedizin, 1994.
2 Goel et al. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004, 29 (1): 75-83
3 Goel et al. Phytother Res. 2005 Aug; 19 (8): 689-94
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