Everybody does a sneezing sooner or later : the cold virus (rhinovirus) is - unfortunately - a tenacious organism, always present on our nasal mucous membranes.
As soon as we are a little "scarce" with the immune defenses, the cold virus takes over .
Among the best natural remedies to prevent colds we will find all those that enhance our body's natural immune defenses . There are others, which we will try to discover together.
Prevent colds with natural remedies: why
An ancient advertisement has now become almost a medical advice reciting: " prevention is better than cure " and the court physicians of the Chinese emperor were dismissed when the emperor fell ill.
Because the best and most effective way to defeat the disease is to avoid its onset . It also applies - and above all - to colds, a frequent disease that is almost taken for granted in the cold months.
A good prevention with the right natural remedies could reduce up to 95% the possibility of incurring colds, the respiratory tract diseases in general but also the flu.
Natural remedies do not impose themselves on our body but are able to stimulate its innate defense capabilities against external attacks, including those of the Rhinovirus!
Prevent colds with natural remedies: food
The first " external danger" from which to defend oneself is an unsuspected element: food, the carrier not only of nutrients but also of molecules and microorganisms potentially harmful to our body.
For this reason, the largest share of our immune system - which is in charge of defense - resides along the gastrointestinal tract.
Working on bowel support and proper nutrition will be able to avert a large part of the small winter illnesses.
Proper nutrition and intestinal well-being will be our cornerstones for preventing colds with natural remedies, in detail:
> Preferred foods : raw vegetables, fresh seasonal fruit, due to their high content of vitamins and mineral salts. Specific foods account for infections such as garlic and onion. Foods rich in Vitamin C such as peppers, chilli, rocket, strawberries and citrus fruits.
> Foods to avoid : preserved, canned, pre-cooked, flavored, already seasoned foods. They are now deprived of healthy mineral vitamins. Our body uses a lot of energy in eliminating the "toxins" - the synthetic products used in packaged foods - and this slows down the immune response. A natural diet based on fresh, whole and organic foods reduces the intake of toxins and leaves the body with the energy needed to produce the correct immune defense.
> Aid for the intestine : probiotic lactic acid bacteria i, especially those based on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria . Several scientific studies now underline how probiotics can decrease the incidence of respiratory infections and in any case reduce the duration and severity of the disorders in case of illness.
Prevent colds with natural remedies: what remedies?
What are the most effective natural remedies for preventing colds? Those who will be able to stimulate the body to "know how to defend itself". Here are some, perhaps the least known:
> Fungo r eishi (Ganoderma lucidum), on whose property scientific research is successfully investigating, since it contains molecules capable of stimulating (or better modulating) activity and number of immune cells responsible for counteracting infections, namely macrophages and T lymphocytes.
> Vitamins : it is now known that vitamin C (contained above all in the Rosa canina and in the Acerola ) can also have stimulating effects on the immune system, but often the importance of vitamin D is neglected, now also the object of study for this function, in addition to the already known activity in calcium metabolism.
> Mineral i: zinc and selenium, which strengthen individual defenses and reduce the risk of infections, not just respiratory infections. Manganese-copper, associated as trace elements, support the functionality of the immune system.
> Phytotherapy : uncaria tomentosa, which has been shown to have immunostimulant effects thanks to the oxindolic alkaloids. In addition to the well-known Echinacea, and the Astragalus root.
> P apto products : honey and propolis
> Essential o , excellent if diffused in the environment or in the values of a hot bath. Especially those of: benzoin, eucalyptus, cinnamon .
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