Re: [gardeners] echinaceae

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 06 Feb 1998 07:49:49 

At 07:59 AM 2/6/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Barb Rothenberger wrote:
>
>> 	I'm currently suffering from a horrible cold and am trying something new -
>> to me, at least.  I've read that taking echinaceae could help shorten the
>> length of time you have the cold.  I'm also trying zinc lozens.  Felt
>> pretty rotten all day yesterday, not as bad this morning, but could be
>> becasue I wentto bed at 7:30 last night!
>> 	Anyway, interested to know if anyone else had tried this remedy. 
>> Barb
>
>After reading a number of research articles on the positive 
>results of echinacea and zinc on a number of health-related 
>things, I decided to try it.  I take the NOW brand Elder-Zinc on 
>the advice of both my doctor, pharmacist and herbalist friend.  
>All three like this one because of the balance between 
>elderberry, zinc, echinacea and Vit. C.    Then my mother (75 
>y.o.) got a terrible cold and her herbalist friend recommended 
>the same to her.  It did not lessen the cold symptoms as much as 
>shortened the life of the cold.  She was markedly better in 
>about 5 days as opposed to 10-14 days.
>
>Then I got the killer flu.  I still have it.  It has been 
>consistently turning into pneumonia (according to a growing 
>number of people who have contracted the damned thing).  I upped 
>my Elder-Zinc dosage to their recommended 2 lozenges every 4 
>hours for intensive use.  I was doing great.  I sort of forgot 
>to take them the past several days and now I have pneumonia.  
>Needless to say, I'm back on it.
>
>Medical research has been showing pretty strong evidence that 
>zinc does shorten the life of colds.
>
>HTH,
>Jaime 
>
Why buy zinc? You could just go out and lick the chain link fence. Get your
own echinaceae, distill the roots of the purple cone flower. I much prefer
my mother's old recipe for colds and flu. Cook sliced lemon with water and
honey, strain, mix 50/50 with 100 proof bourbon, sip as needed. Cold
doesn't get any better but you really don't care if you get well or not.

George