04 Nov Keep your family cold-free with echinacea tablets

Herbal echinacea tablets could help you boost your family’s immunity, even when you’re apart.

Most of us won’t be able to spend time with as many members of our family as we would like this winter.

So if you’re missing seeing older parents, children who are away at university or other relatives, you can still help them boost their immunity and stay healthy this cold season by sending them herbal echinacea tablets, even if you can’t see them face to face.

And while we may be visiting fewer people, many of us are spending more time than usual with the close family members we live with, which means that if one person catches a cold, it is likely to be shared by the whole household!

What causes colds? echinacea tablets

Most common colds are caused by a rhinovirus, a tiny but highly infectious set of about 160 viruses which can be transmitted by aerosol contamination (being coughed or sneezed on by someone), by contact with an infected person or by touching something they have used.

About 10 – 15% of colds are actually caused by a coronavirus, a large family of viruses that also include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and of course COVID-19.

If you do get a cold caused by a coronavirus, this doesn’t mean you will become ill with COVID-19. In fact, the chances are, you won’t know what sort of virus caused your cold – just that you have one.

Children are susceptible to exactly the same viruses as adults, which is why it’s so common for colds to be transferred from kids, who pick viruses up at school, to their parents.

How can you avoid a cold and keep your family virus-free?

Here are our top tips to help you boost your whole family’s immunity and give them the best chance of avoiding catching a cold this winter.

Maximise natural light

Many older people, in particular, tend to shut themselves indoors during the colder month. Fear of catching a chill or even falling on wet or icy ground means they can spend too much time inside and become deficient in vitamin D, which we get from being outside in sunlight or daylight.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health and density (particularly important for older people) and is key in helping to protect the immune system.

Teens and young adults can be equally reticent to get out – especially if they are the sort who prefer spending time in front of a screen to being out in the fresh air!

It’s a good idea to encourage older relatives or teens to get out into the garden or a local park whenever they can. On days when it’s not possible, they can sit by an open window to catch the sun’s rays and top up that vitamin D to help boost immunity.

Think about mental health

Suffering from stress or anxiety can have a huge effect on your physical health, but it also lowers immunity and increases our susceptibility to disease.

Trying to keep others upbeat when you might not be feeling all that positive yourself is difficult. It is worth thinking about mental health like an oxygen mask on a plane: if there is a problem, you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before you can help anyone else.

So in the case of mental health, you need to look after your own wellbeing first so you are in the best position to support other members of your family who might be worried or anxious.

Be kind to yourself and try and grab some time each day to do something that makes you feel happy. That way, you will be ready and able to help other family members when they need you.

Don’t let hygiene slip

We’re all used to seeing ads telling us to wash our hands and throw away tissues now, but younger members of the family may have become immune to the messages and could slip into the habit of being a bit less fastidious as time goes by. It’s worth reminding teens about handwashing and the importance of catching sneezes or coughs hygienically.

Rather than feeling as if you are nagging, it can be helpful to stress that by taking steps to keep themselves virus-free, they will be able to take advantage of whatever activities are allowed in your area.

Top up vitamin C

Our bodies don’t make vitamin C, but it plays a vital role in helping us to absorb iron, build bones and support the immune system.

The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams or more if you want to fight off a cold. People who have a diet with plenty of citrus fruit berries and fresh vegetables every day are likely to get this amount, but for anyone who eats a lot of processed food, takeaways or small portions, a supplement is a good idea.

A daily dose of HRI Coldcare echinacea tablets with vitamin C and zinc contains around 120 milligrams of vitamin C, giving a boost for anyone whose diet is not as varied or rich in vitamins as it could be.

An article from Harvard says that If you want the benefits of vitamin C, you’ll need to consume it every day, and not just at the start of cold symptoms

Keep up their zinc levels

We don’t have much zinc in our bodies, but this powerful element is essential in maintaining a healthy immune system and even a small deficiency can have a big impact on your body’s ability to fight infections and viruses.

Tiny amounts of Zinc occur naturally in foods such as meat, shellfish and green vegetables like broccoli.

As we age, our immune system naturally weakens, which is why older people can be so susceptible to colds and other infectious diseases. Zinc boosts white blood T cells – the part of the lymphatic system that helps fight off infection.

By encouraging older relatives to take two doses of HRI Coldcare tablets daily, you can be sure that they are getting their full recommended daily allowance of this infection-busting element.

Try echinacea tablets

We’ve been making echinacea tablets for decades and have an army of fans who rely on them year after year to help reduce the severity and duration of a cold once they get one.

However, studies show that taking echinacea every day can help reduce the likelihood of catching a cold in the first place.  A report on the NHS website of a randomised trial says the researchers who conducted the trial interpreted the results to mean “that echinacea decreased the odds of developing the common cold by 58%” and reduced “the duration of a cold by 1.4 days.”

Echinacea is a great way to help boost immunity for anyone over the age of 12 and – if everyone in the household takes them – can help to reduce the likelihood of a cold being passed on to the whole family if one person is unlucky enough to get the sniffles.

Keeping your family stronger – even if you can’t be together

So why not show you care and send family members you can’t visit a pack of HRI Coldcare echinacea tablets with vitamin C and zinc this winter?  You’ll get peace of mind knowing that you are supporting their immune system to help fight off colds and flu type infections, even when you can’t be with them.

If you are ordering HRI Coldcare tablets for someone who takes prescribed medication, or who has an underlying health condition, it’s important to read the patient information leaflet carefully before buying.

HRI Herbal Medicines are licensed under the Traditional Herbal Registration scheme which means you can be sure that:

The product has gone through a rigorous application process with the government’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which requires the submission and approval of a wide range of evidence to indicate the safety and quality of the product.

Products are of pharmaceutical quality and manufactured to European Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Guidelines.

Products which have been granted THR status will include the THR logo on their packaging, the only way to guarantee the quality and safety of the ingredients.

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