The following is an hour-by-hour recommendation of how to go on the nutritional offensive and stop your cold before it settles in for a lengthy stay. This supplement plan has the best chance of being effective the earlier you start. So pay attention to your body (and it helps if you keep your home stocked with these crucial supplements year-round for the fastest response time) and start this cold attack plan at the first moment your suspect a cold is coming on. Often, the earliest symptoms include a scratchy throat, twitching in the nose, runny nose or congestion, or sneezing. But remember, cold symptoms usually develop about two or three days after you are exposed to the virus. If you suspect that you were exposed, start this plan immediately, before waiting for the full blown symptoms to emerge.

At the earliest onset of symptoms: (discuss with your health care provider first)
Take 3 to 5 grams of vitamin C followed by 500 mg every 3 hours. See Vitamin-C supplement for more information on this website.

Allow a zinc lozenge containing 10 to 20 mg of zinc in the form of zinc gluconate, zinc gluconate / glycine, or zinc acetate to dissolve in the back of your mouth. Keep the lozenge in the mouth for at least 5 to 10 minutes or as long as you can. Swallowing the lozenge early reduces its effectiveness. After the lozenge has melted, wait a few minutes and place another lozenge in your mouth. Repeat the Zinc-Lozenge every hour for four hours and then reduce the frequency to every two to three hours while awake. If you wake up in the middle of the night, take the zinc lozenge again.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the August 15, 2000 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, recruited 50 volunteers within 24 hours of developing symptoms of the common cold. Participants took one lozenge containing 12.8 mg of zinc acetate or placebo every 2 to 3 hours while awake as long as they had cold symptoms. Subjective symptom scores for sore throat, nasal discharge, nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, scratchy throat, hoarseness, muscle ache, fever, and headache were recorded daily for 12 days. Compared with the placebo group, the zinc group had shorter mean overall duration of cold symptoms (4.5 vs. 8.1 days), cough (3.1 vs. 6.3 days), and nasal discharge (4.1 vs. 5.8 days) and decreased total severity scores for all symptoms.

The second and third days
Take 1,000 mg (or 1 gram) of vitamin C three times a day and continue the zinc lozenges every three to four hours.

Vitamin D May Protect Against Common Cold
Vitamin D may protect people − especially those with asthma and other chronic lung conditions − from the common cold and other respiratory tract infections, according to the largest study to date to look at the link. At least 50 percent of people in the new study, which included nearly 19,000 people 12 and older, had vitamin D levels that suggested less-than-optimal protection against respiratory tract infections, according to the report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Feb 2009.

Garlic pills or eating garlic may be helpful
The jury is still out on whether garlic pills help prevent the common cold. Lead review author Elizabeth Lissiman, a medical student at the University of Western Australia, said the review of the research on garlic pills was suggestive of benefit, but inconclusive. Only one garlic study had strong enough data to be included in the review. It included 146 patients randomly assigned to take garlic pills or a placebo for 12 weeks. The number of days they were sick if they caught a cold decreased from five to less than two. There was also a dramatic reduction in the number of colds.

Herbal Tea For Sore Throat
"Demulcents" is a general category of products that are soothing and relieve irritation. They are not topical anesthetics but have been used for many years to treat sore throat. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a demulcent mixture containing licorice root, elm inner bark, marshmallow root, and licorice root aqueous dry extract (an herbal tea called Throat Coat).

An herbal tea containing a mixture of traditional demulcents was more effective than a placebo tea in the short-term relief of pain in patients with acute pharyngitis. Because the effect does not last long--less than 30 minutes--frequent tea drinking is required throughout the day. Although I use an analgesic and a topical anesthetic for my own sore throat, herbal tea may be useful in patients who prefer a more active approach and who want to avoid the feeling of a partially anesthetized mouth.

When to get medical advice:
In most cases, the appropriate use of nutrients and herbs can stop the common cold dead in its tracks. However, you should consult a health care provider if:
Your symptoms are getting worse
Your fever exceeds 102 degrees
You have severe nausea, have vomited, and can't keep fluids
You have a moderate or severe headache
You have difficulty breathing.
Your mucus has turned thick yellow or green
And you have a moderate to severe earache.

Eight Tips for Ducking a Cold
It’s a germy world out there, but there are some steps you and your family can take to protect yourself from being infected with the latest virus circulating around your home or office.
1. Wash your hands frequently if you happen to shake a lot of hands or are in contact with many people at the office or home.
2. Keep your hands away from your eyes and nose.
3. Maintain moist mucous membranes by drinking plenty of water and using a humidifier in cold, dry season.
5. Sleep a good, deep sleep at least six to eight hours a night.
6. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (these foods are rich in vitamins and phytonutrients).
7. Limit your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.
8. Exercise regularly.

Common cold medications used by children
Canadian health officials urged parents in December 2008 not to give over-the-counter cold medicines to children under the age of six, citing concern over misuse and overdoses. The federal health agency, Health Canada, which had earlier this year recommended the medicines not be given to children less than two years old, said there is limited evidence that the medications have any effectiveness for young children.

Cold Fx by CV technologies
CV Technologies, founded in 1992, is a global company in the development and commercialization of naturally derived, natural therapeutics for disease prevention and health maintenance. CV Technologies has a lead product - COLD-fX -  used as an over the counter remedy for common cold and flu infections. In the United States it is marketed as an immune dietary supplement. COLD-fX continues to rank as a good selling common cold and remedy in Canada. COLD-fX, with its patented mechanism of action was standardized according to the Company's ChemBioPrint Process. Extensive human research regarding the benefits of Cold-fX and side effects are not fully known.

CV Technologies Inc. said in February 2007 that Health Canada approved its new health claims for COLD-fX, making it easier for the company to detail the cold remedy's health benefits. The biotechnology company said Health Canada issued a product license and natural product number for COLD-fX. The company's health claims for the product said it "helps reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system." CV Technologies, based in Edmonton, Alberta, said the Health Canada approval means the company will now be permitted to more effectively communicate the health benefits of COLD-fX to doctors and consumers. "This is our strongest point of medical recognition to date and coming from the government authority whose responsibility it is to help Canadians maintain and improve their health, this approval should give great confidence to consumers," Jacqueline Shan, president and chief executive at CV Technologies, said in a statement. The company said COLD-fX "is one of the very few medicines -- drugs or natural health products -- that Health Canada has approved for daily use as a preventative medicine."

Common Cold Research Update
Two ingredients commonly used in cough syrup are no better than sugar water in suppressing night-time coughing in children. The two ingredients are dextromethorphan -- often listed on labels as “DM” -- and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. The former is the most common nonprescription cough suppressant on the U.S. market.

The more outdoor air is pumped into office ventilation systems, the lower the inside levels of viruses that cause the common cold.

Zicam and sense of smell
The Food and Drug Administration cautioned in June 2009 that Zicam nasal spray can permanently damage users' sense of smell. The FDA says consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products. All the over-the-counter products contain zinc which may damage nerves in the nose needed for smell. The FDA says about 130 consumers have reported a loss of smell after using Zicam products since 1999. Manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, is facing lawsuits over the product.

Common cold natural supplement questions
Q. Does echinacea help with the common cold?
   A. Research with Echinacea in terms of benefit for the common cold has provided mixed results.

Q. Does elderberry herb help with the common cold?
   A. Research with Elderberry herb in terms of benefit for the common cold has provided mixed results.

Does goldenseal herb help with the common cold? Would tribulus herb interact with it in a negative way?
    Research with Goldenseal herb in terms of benefit for the common cold has not  shown good results. We don't think the two herbs would interact in a negative way.

Supplements and natural herbal index home page

CVS Pharmacy Inc. agreed in 2009 to settle FTC charges that it marketed AirShield dietary supplements with false and deceptive claims that they would reduce the risk of colds and protect against catching colds in crowded places. CVS will pay nearly $2.8 million in consumer refunds to settle FTC charges of unsubstantiated advertising of AirShield 'immune boosting' supplement. CVS promoted the products by touting their similarity to widely advertised Airborne, whose marketers settled FTC charges in 2008. The consent order requires CVS to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims that any CVS-brand product will protect against cold viruses, fight germs, or boost the immune system. This case is also similar to two others that FTC settled within the past year with Improvita Health Products, Inc. and Rite Aid Corporation.