From immune boosts to uncommon cures

With the holiday season fast approaching and flu season in full swing, now is the perfect time to seek out ways to boost your immune system. Pharmaca not only offers a full range of product options to customers, but also has a staff of licensed health care practitioners to provide guidance. Two of our expert staff members-Peter Borregard from the Berkeley store and Mike Hildebrand from the Santa Fe store-discuss their favorite preventative treatments and helpful remedies when it comes to fighting seasonal illnesses like colds and the flu.

Medicinal Mushrooms
The immune-enhancing properties of certain mushrooms and other fungi are now recognized by most health care professionals. For vegetarians looking for a boost, our practitioners often recommend New Chapter's Host Defense, containing 16 certified organically grown medicinal mushrooms in capsule and liquid forms.

Supplement Support
A daily dose of vitamin A is another great place to start for prevention. This nutrient is helpful to mucus membranes, part of the body's first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Since the body's vitamin D level drops with reduced sun exposure in winter, it is also important to get plenty of this immune system regulator.

Aromatherapy
Using therapeutic-grade essential oils can keep your home and work areas both germ-free and sweet-smelling. Several essential oils have antibacterial properties, including lavender, tea tree, rosemary, and eucalyptus. Try adding a few drops to one of the mystique diffusers sold in our store.

Homeopathic Healers
At the first sign of flu symptoms, turn to Oscillococcinum (and feel free to just ask for "oscillo"). This FDA-regulated treatment is clinically tested, boasts no side effects, and will not interact negatively with your other drugs or herbal medications.

Herbal Options
In clinical tests, elderberry helped reduce symptoms and speed recovery when taken early in the course of infection. This herbal extract contains both antioxidants to stimulate the immune response and anti-inflammatory compounds to lessen aches and pains associated with fever.

Ancient Remedies
If you can't seem to knock out your case of the flu, traditional Chinese medicinal herbs like yin chiao and gan mao ling are great options to explore. Chuan xin lian is another favorite for reducing inflammation and soothing sore throats, as demonstrated by research findings from the late 1990s.

"We recommend products with a track record," says Peter. "Once people find what works best for them, they can turn to it year after year."

Receive your own practitioner consultation any time you come to Pharmaca-free of charge, and full of care.