Anyone take natural herbs / extracts?

[MaineDolFan]

I picked up a shift this weekend in the ER and had a chance to talk up one of my favorite doctors.  He's a very interesting guy.  We were talking about things from a healthy heart to fighting off the common cold.  Starting talking about dietary supplements.

This doctor swears by Elderberry Extract.  He says he has taken 1,600mgs of this every day for as long as he can remember.  He used to catch every little bug he came across.  Now he never catches anything.

Was curious what some of you might take?  Doesn't have to be for immune system support.  What do you take for any reason?

[StL FinFan]

I don't know if this falls into that category but I take Zicam the second I think I am getting a cold and I think it helps it from becoming too severe and shortens the time I am sick.

My dad swears by glucosamine/chondroitin for his knees and I put a lot of older animals on it, including my own.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I take the following every morning:

1 Men's Health multivitamin

1 Vitamin C supplement

1 Omega 3 Fish Oil supplement

[Lee]

Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I take elderberry, echanesia (sp), goldenseal, and garlic.  All are wrapped up in 3 pills.  I buy them from wholefoods.

I was a skeptic at first, but they do seem to work and boost my immune system each time.

[Dave Gray]

It's not possible to "boost your immune system".  What does that even mean?

If anything, more of the problem is immune system over-activity, where your body is overreacting to external toxins, resulting in things like allergies and asthma.  More often, we're trying to subdue those immune system reactions to reduce symptoms.  ...not the other way around.

[Lee]

It's not possible to "boost your immune system".  What does that even mean?

If anything, more of the problem is immune system over-activity, where your body is overreacting to external toxins, resulting in things like allergies and asthma.  More often, we're trying to subdue those immune system reactions to reduce symptoms.  ...not the other way around.

I would assume these products act like vitamins, doing whatever they do to make you healthier and, hence, resist infections better, etc...  So, I would define that as boosting your immune system.

[StL FinFan]

Vitamins don't give you a boost.  You take vitamins to meet your minimum daily requirement, which is to make sure you do not have a deficiency.

[Lee]

I didn't say that vitamins give you a boost :-)  I said they make you healthier, which in turn makes your body more likely to fight off disease.

I assume these extracts do the same thing, ie: making you healthier.

Like I said before, I have no idea how they work or why.  All I know is that I definately get sick less often (or at a worst case scenario, get milder symptoms) while taking them.  Who knows, maybe it is just a placebo effect... I don't care as long as the end result is the same!

[MaineDolFan]

Actually, "boost" isn't a bad word to use regarding the immune system.  It's vague because you can't boost your overall ability to fight off everything.  That is why we have vaccines.  Your immune system could be running at 100% and someone with seasonal flu sneezes directly into your mouth and nose.  If you have not been exposed to that flu virus before your body won't know how to fight it...and you're going to get sick. 

But other "general" areas....sure.  You can "boost" your immune system, so to speak.

Example:  Leukocytes are cells in your immune system that fight infection.  That might be a cut while shaving or even a MRSA infection.  Exercise stimulates leukocytes, thus "boosting" that cell and it's ability to fight infection.  It's well documented that people that are over weight and have a sedentary lifestyle have a harder time fighting infections that do someone within weight ranges and exercise on a daily basis.   

The other reason why you CAN boost your immune system through vitamin intake?  Free radicals in your body damage cells.  Vitamins C, E and zinc are hugely rich in antioxidants.  Even if your diet is rich in enough foods to supply your body with enough C, E and zinc (which is doubtful), a supplment gives your body more firepower to work with.  Antioxidants directly counter act free radicals in your system.  Another natural booster of the immune system is garlic.    Free radicals are believed to be the cause of something as little as the common cold to cancer and heart disease.  You have the ability to help defend yourself from levels of free radicals.

"Boost" is not a bad word when it comes to your immune system.  It's simply important to understand what you're "boosting."  If you are exposed to the flu, seasonal or otherwise, you're 99% sure to get sick.  The strength of your immune system will dictate how long and severe that sickness is.  But "ramping up" before hand won't cause you to not get sick at all.