Cold and flu season is in full swing, leading many of us to try anything to avoid getting sick. But according to Dr. Allison McGeer, the head of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital, there's only so much you can do.
"The best evidence is for a particular herbal supplement, which is called Cold FX," McGeer said. "But the truth of the matter is that taking Cold FX is not as effective as getting a flu shot and it's not as effective as washing your hands."
McGeer added that things like Echinacea, vitamin C and other supplements might help ease your symptoms or shorten the illness, but they won't keep you from getting sick. In fact, even if you do everything right in terms of eating properly, getting plenty of rest and exercise, and frequently washing your hands, viruses can still get to you.
"Probably the other thing that makes a big difference to colds and flu is if we all do our bit and stay home when we're sick and stay away from people if we get sick, because that way we don't pass them on," McGeer said.
There actually a lot of ways to prevent those illnesses. Taking herbal supplements is one. I always look for other alternatives to increase my energy whenever I'm sick or in a diet, that's why I take ginseng supplements.
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