With the change of the seasons and the fluctuating temperatures, people are more susceptible to colds and other ailments.

There are an estimated 230 cold viruses, but 30% of all colds are thought to be caused by the rhinovirus — which tends to stay in the warm, moist areas of the nasal passages.

The following natural approaches are suggested to “chase out” the common cold:

• Get extra rest.
• Use Eucalyptus oil when you are out and about to protect against airborne germs.
• Take high doses of Vitamin C and Zinc for prevention at the early stages of a cold.
• Treat a sore throat by gargling with salt water (1 tsp. salt per 8 oz. water) to drain the lymph nodes; use the same solution as nose drops to clear nasal passages.
• Eat warm soups and drink herbal teas to further increase drainage of the nasal passages.
• Relieve cough and sore throat with a vaporizer at night.

Antibiotics and cold medicines do not cure or prevent colds. Instead, they may cause digestive problems by killing good bacteria in the bowels, as well as working against each other and causing side effects; cough suppressants and antihistamines make it harder for the body to remove phlegm and mucus, which can lead to severe chest congestion and pneumonia; and decongestants cause a rebound effect, a swelling of the nasal passages, and elevate your heart rate and blood pressure.

SOURCE: Health Dispatch, Dr. David Williams, December 9, 2002.

“Most physicians are uneducated about the benefits of nutrition supplements. They dismiss the value of supplemental vitamins and minerals and behave condescendingly toward their patients who use them. What a person is not up on, they are usually down on. Doctors are no different.” So begins Steven F. Hotze M.D., in opening a discussion on the value of vitamins in his book Hormones, Health and Happiness.

To Dr. Hotze, a physician who deals in the total wellness of his patients, such an attitude would be foreign territory. Even though like most doctors his medical school education was nearly vitamin deficient, he’s come a long way in his knowledge of the subject and has excellent advice to offer anyone who wants to live healthy and enjoy life to the maximum.

If you are wondering if you are a candidate for taking supplemental vitamins, according to Dr. Hotze you are ­­­–– and so is everyone. Much of the food we eat these days simply does not measure up nutritionally. Processing strips it of essential fiber and nutrients, plus many foods are loaded with preservatives. Furthermore, soil depletion has lead to fewer minerals in the foods we eat, nutrients are lost during shipping, cooking and light exposure, as well.

So, what vitamins and in what quantity should they be taken to rectify this situation? Dr. Hotze recommends the following four important considerations when selecting high quality nutritional supplements:

• Read labels and eliminate products that contain artificial colors, sweeteners, wheat, corn, yeast and other allergens.
• Make sure the Vitamin E you select is natural rather than a synthetic.
• Look for minerals in a chelated form. Chelated means in an amino acid carrier much like in the foods that contain these minerals. A chelated mineral that can be utilized by the body is one that has been bonded to two or more amino acids from hydrolyzed protein. A mineral in this chelated state allows easy passage through the intestinal wall into the blood stream, which results in increased metabolism of that mineral.
• Check the label for quality control and testing info. If the product is formulated according to the standards of the Good Manufacturing Practices of the National Nutritional Foods Association they meet the highest quality and purity standards.

Regarding quantity, Dr. Hotze recommends taking vitamins far in excess of those amounts recommended as RDA, the Recommended Daily Allowances printed on vitamin bottles and containers. He dubs RDA as meaning Ridiculously Deficient Amounts. Here are his daily recommendations:

Vitamin C boosts the immune system as an antioxidant. Take 6,000 mg per 150 lbs. of body weight. Vitamin E protects your heart, enhances blood flow, and has antioxidant qualities. Take 800 IU. Coenzyme Q10 supports your heart and cells. Take 120 mg and twice that if on statin drugs. Selenium cuts cancer risk and is important to thyroid hormone function. Take 400 microgram (mcg).

Zinc adds zip to immune function, enhances hormone action and converts Vitamin A to a usable form. “B Smart” and take the entire B Complex, taking at least 60 mcg of Vitamin B12 and 400 mcg of Folic Acid. Take Vitamin D to facilitate calcium absorption, 300-400 IU, plus 15 minutes of sunscreen-free sun exposure 3 times weekly. Calcium 1,000 mg or 2,000 for women with osteoporosis remember to always take at least 500 mg of magnesium with your calcium to aid in absorption. An important mineral to take is Potassium at least 200 mg a day. (Remember to always follow the recommended doses or what is recommended by your healthcare professional.)

Source: Hormones, Health, and Happiness, by Steven F. Hotze, M.D. with Kelly Griffin, Greenleaf Book Group LP, Austin, Texas, 2005.