Little-known herb… an ESSENTIAL common cold therapy? [Asia says yes!]
Well, it’s now officially winter.
And although we’ve already survived the longest, darkest night of the year…
For some, the next few months could get even DARKER if they find themselves coming down with a nasty cold-weather bug.
But in my world, this all means something a little more sinister – the start of cold and flu season!
I know most of us have been hunkering down and staying inside since last spring…
But the isolation of the past few months WON’T provide 100% protection against the cold and flu infections that are just WAITING to strike.
And since some of us have been relaxing our “lockdowns”… and even venturing out into the world a little more…
We may have ALREADY started resting on our laurels when it comes to protecting ourselves from infections that can be carried by a simple cough or a sneeze.
But I have good news for you today.
Because if you DO get sick with the common cold… there’s a way to RECOVER more quickly.
It’s a popular Asian herb that you may have NEVER heard of… but it’s one that fits right in with your herbal cold care routine!
Start feeling better… in just 2 days?
Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) is a bitter herb that was first discovered AGES ago, growing in Himalayan forests in the territory of the Kirata tribe.
Also known as “kalmegh” in the Hindi language, it’s been around since the earliest days of the ancient medicinal practice of Ayurveda.
Sometimes it’s also called “Indian gentian.”
Traditional Chinese Medicine… which refers to it by the name “Chuan Xin Lian”…has relied HEAVILY upon it for a variety of conditions, including the common cold.
In fact, andrographis is one of the most popular herbal remedies for cold in Asia!
In Thailand… where it’s known as “kariyat”… the Ministry of Public Health includes it on the country’s List of Essential Medicines.
It’s a popular “common cold cure” in Malaysia, too.
But it hasn’t quite made the leap from the Eastern Hemisphere to American mainstream medicine… and that’s a darn shame.
Because in one clinical trial, this Southeast Asian herb helped alleviate…
- runny nose
- sore throat
- fatigue
- sleeplessness
- cough, and
- headache
Study subjects experienced a significant decrease in those symptoms after just 4 days…
But they STARTED to get relief from the MAJORITY of those symptoms by day 2.
Andrographis has also been found to SHORTEN the duration of symptoms like cough and sore throat…
And patients who take it have FEWER sick days, compared to those receiving standard care.
In one 2010 study out of India, andrographis extract was more than 2X as effective as placebo!
This cooling herb has been widely used as a fever reducer as well – thanks, in part, to bitter substances extracted from its leaves, called andrographolides.
In addition to INHIBITING COX-2… the same anti-inflammatory mechanism behind many common NSAIDs…
Andrographolides help andrographis act as an immunomodulator.
That means it can STIMULATE your immune response…
Without OVERSTIMULATING it!
That’s one of the reasons why, as I shared with you earlier this year, herbalists recommend andrographis to patients struggling with Lyme disease.
You can find andrographis powder on its own or in capsule form at your local health food store or online. Look for one from a quality maker that’s been standardized to contain at least 10% andrographolides.
Dosage recommendations range from 200 mg once daily for 5 days… to 400 mg twice daily for no more than 14 days.
Feel free to combine it with other immune-boosting herbs, like Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) and elderberry (Sambucus nigra).
To spending less time sneezing and sniffling,
Melissa Young
