I've had success with Sambucol Black Elderberry extract. Research being done in Israel is quite promising.

I take Airborn or it's various knockoffs. I don't know whether it helps but it allows me to feel I'm taking some action. Otherwise, it's a regular multivitamin, lots of sleep and one orange a day at least.

thank you. i found this website that sites scientific studies backing up this claim. interesting. http://www.supplementquality.com/efficacy/sambucol_flu.html

it is a proprietary formula and 'sambucol' is a trademark owned by the herbal company 'Natures way'. i'm still trying to find out more about it and the process which makes it different than plain black elderberry juice.

i just read up on 'airborne' and that's another one im going to buy to have on hand when the bug comes around. thankyou isadora.

just two posts into this and feel like it was definitely worth asking the question.

The formula you give here is sometimes called "River of Life". However, the formula with that name varies from one to the next.

TBD has a post from earlier this year titled "Fighting off a Cold" http://www.tbd.com/content/post/2034 that has some really good additions to this post, some of which I will repeat here along with my personal opinion:

"Deep Defense", an herbal/mushroom blend that shows promise.

"Cold Eze" is another herbal formula with Zinc(5mg)and Beta 1,3 glucan(5mg). The Zinc and herbal levels are good in this product and I have read good things about it. However, at a therapeutic level, the Beta 1,3 D-glucan dose is 25mg per Kg of body weight per day. This would be about 2500mg for yours truly. The daily preventative dose is about 500mg/day.

Dr. Robin Miller talks about the benefits of Garlic, Ginger, Vitamin C, Echinacea, Goldenseal, medicinal mushrooms and Astragalus. Eucalyptus steam and other kinds of steam, like chicken soup are mentioned by Dr. Miller. Lagniappe delves into steam therapy even more while admonishing against Citrus and dairy products. I use a steam of senna leaf (a traditional Brooke family remedy) with some menthol crystals, eucalyptus and a splash of myrrh tincture. Boil water in a sauce pan, put ingredients in, put it on the table, a towel over the head, trapping the steam while you keep your face over it as close as can be tolerated.

LoraMa had success with "Host Defense", an impressive blend of mushrooms.

A Chinese formula is mentioned called "Yin Chiao" (also, YIN CHIAO JIE DU WAN or YIN QIAO CHIEH TU PIAN based on YIN QIAO SAN). This formula is for what the Chinese call "wind-heat", a common cold with fever, sore throat, nasal congestion and yellow mucus (also look for yellow tongue, pink eyes and thirst). It is not for "wind-cold" or "wind-damp" diseases. I use GAN MAO LING, Plum Flower Brand(in my opinion, this is a very reliable label). It is useful for either type of cold/flu disease but I think the YIN CHIAO is better if yellow-mucus is involved.

The last one mentioned on that thread is the "Wellness Formula" which is a herbal/vitamin formula with the herbs Dr. Miller mentioned (garlic, echinacea, goldenseal, ginger and astragalus (all of which are very often in formulas mentioned in this discussion)) along with, among other things, Bioflavinoids(helps with Vitamin C assimilation). This sounds like another good one- I'll try it.

I think the formula you mention is good but I think, after researching hereon and elsewhere, that adding Astragalus, Medicinal Mushrooms, Minerals(esp. Zn), Vitamins(esp. C), Bio-flavinoids, and Beta 1,3 D-glucan and you'll have one hell of a immune-boosting formula.

8 years and not a cold or flue and do not have to take allergy medicine - oil of oregano fro purity products

also take Xango - more info here

http://www.Gr8Xango.com

thanks for the info on what everyone else is using

to a Healthy New Year

Leighton

Hi, My favorite stress and immune builder is emergenc-C, it comes in many flavors and varieties. I also switch to whole grains for increased fiber and B vitamins. Ease and clean the digestive tract for stressed immune.