'Tis the season for colds, coughs and flus. With holiday festivities just around the corner, the last place you want to be is home in bed feeling sick. While you're doing your holiday party planning, also plan to build up your immune system with these top searched immunity boosters.When I was younger, my mom would give me ginger ale and toast with cinnamon every time I got sick. Turns out, she knew exactly what to do to help me get over my cold. Ginger and cinnamon are two of the most searched foods that improve your immune system health. Cinnamon, while great in desserts, is also rich in antioxidants that inhibit bacteria from growing.
On a cold winter morning, instead of reaching for coffee, reach for a cup of Assam tea. Studies show that this tea, herbal green tea, or any tea for that matter, contains nutrients that promote intestinal health. Because 70 percent of your immune system is in your digestive tract, a few cups of tea a day could keep the doctor away. The health benefits of tea are so strong that they are available as pills, like Mega Green tea supplement.
Bacteria has gotten a bad rap. Most people don't realize that some bacterias, like number four on our list, are actually good for you. Probiotics support the immune cells in your digestive tract that produce germ-fighting antibodies. While you can get your dose with supplements, like Garden of Life probiotics, a more delicious option is to eat probiotic-rich yogurt.
It is never too late to strengthen your immune system. Even if you do come down with a cold, immune-boosting vitamins and minerals can help you get over it fast. The best cold medicines contain Vitamin C and Zinc, which has been proven to shorten the length of cold symptoms.
How do you fight colds? Let us know! Find more immunity boosters on AOL Search.
Top Searched Immunity Boosters on AOL Search:
1. Tea
2. Turmeric
3. Vitamin C
4. Probiotics
5. Cinnamon
6. Ginger
7. Zinc
8. Garlic
9. Ashwagandha
10. Echinacea
More Sponsored Links For: mega green tea, homeopathic cold remedy, pharmacy
posted by Brittney
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COMMENTS
There is an awful lot of scary mis-information in these comments. For one thing, once you extract the active ingredient from a plant and put in pill form, I'm not really sure you can call it "natural". A lot of prescription drugs are just the active ingredient from a plant put in pill form. The only real difference is the "natural" product is untested.
Besides, how can someone use "pharmaceutical grade" and "all natural" in the same add and keep a strait face?
Comments were made about antibacterial to help colds. Lots of spices do have antibacterial properties, but bacteria have nothing to do with colds. Colds are caused by a virus.
While there is some evidence vitamin D from the sun soups up your immune system (It is particularly effective against TB) you can't really say that the common cold comes from a "vitamin D deficiency".
Of course, if any of these herbs really boosted your immune system significantly, they'd probably be dangerous. Lots of common ailments (allergies, Rheumatoid arthritis) are linked to an OVERACTIVE immune system. White blood cells and antibodies do a lot of "friendly fire" damage. You can OD on ANYTHING, even water, you could certainly OD on any truly effective immune system booster. Has anyone really done the research to figure out how much Ashwagandha is too much?
There was a claim that the tannins in tea remove protein and iron from our digestive system. I have no idea if that is true, but it doesn't really matter to most of us if it does. One thing the modern American diet is VERY good at is providing us with lots of high quality protein, most middle class Americans (and Europeans) get more protein than they need. (all that red meat gives us too much animal fat but is good for something) For that matter, some research suggests that American men get too much iron in our diet, and that this increases our risk of heart disease. Sucking some extra iron out of our system might actually be a GOOD thing. Men who give blood have lower rates of heart disease. In general, green tea has lots more evidence backing it's helpfulness than most alternative medicine.
I was surprised that there was no mention of the two cold treatments with the best scientific evidence behind them. Sleep and chicken soup. Both are backed up by more consistent scientific research than anything else.
By Edward on Nov 20th 2008 at 3:14PM
This is a method used by several generations in my family. If you have the beginnings of sore throat, place 1/2 tsp of baking soda in your mouth and wash down with water. This balances the ph level in your body. It works if you catch it early.
By Barbara on Nov 20th 2008 at 8:20PM
Immune system begins at birth. we all should know the ifo. donna@123babybirth.com nan
By Marie Erickson on Nov 22nd 2008 at 3:45AM
BLOG # 16 IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE, AND YOU, ( THE ONE WHO SENT IT IN ) SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. GET A LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST, AND YOU WILL HAVE BETTER THINGS TO BLOG !
By SANDRA on Nov 22nd 2008 at 7:30PM
Zinc is amazing and I truly mean amazing. It is amazing not just for body health and immunity but also for your scalp. Every day there are thousands of bugs and fungus that try to invade our scalp that result in seriously itchy scalp, dandruff, hair loss and thinning as well as just about every other scalp condition. The one shampoo that can end this is a zinc based shampoo.
The best shampoos are ZINCPLEX, ZINC PCA and ZINC COMPLEX. I suggest that you search for them if you have scalp issues at all including flaking, itching, dandruff, hair thinning and loss, seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, scalp fungus and much more. http://ww.scalp-health.com
By Thomas on Nov 27th 2008 at 9:52AM
@noelgotter: wait, what? Couldn't she just wear nippits?
By Kurk on Dec 4th 2008 at 3:02AM
Zinc is important in treating the symptoms of the common cold and helps promote the strength of the immune system. One way to help stop a cold before a cold catches you is to suck on a flavored zinc lozenge, like Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges, which have been clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold and lessen the severity of the symptoms. Cold-EEZE is available in variety of flavors including new Sugar-Free Pomegranate, Honey Lemon, Cherry and Tropical Fruit. For more information on Cold-EEZE and zinc, visit www.coldfight360.com.
By The Cold-EEZE Team on Dec 8th 2008 at 12:51PM