Name

Used for

Mechanism of Action

Safety/Adverse effects

Effectiveness

Beta glucans (1)

• Common cold
• Influenza (flu)
• Swine flu
• Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs)
• Asthma
• Commonly used as an  immunostimulant in people with  compromised immunity (e.g. physical and emotional stress)

Antimicrobial effects

Research suggests that beta-glucans have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic activity

Immunological effects

Beta-glucans bind to monocyte and macrophage cell lines, increase the proliferation and activation of macrophages and increase the production of cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) by macrophages, which promotes the release of IL-2 by T-cells

• Yeast-derived beta-glucans seem to be well-tolerated
• No adverse effects have been reported

URTI

Preliminary clinical research shows that taking a specific product containing 500 mg of yeast-derived beta-glucans, daily for 12 weeks improves quality of life and reduces the number of missed work days in otherwise healthy patients with URTI

Elderberry Sambucus nigra (2)

• Common cold
• Influenza
• Allergic rhinitis
• Sinusitis
• Stimulating immune function

Immunological effects

• Elderberry anthocyanidins are thought to have immunomodulating effects and potential anti-inflammatory effects
• Elderberry extract inhibits the replication of several strains of influenza viruses A and B
• In vitro evidence has found elderberry fruit extract inhibits H1N1 "swine" flu

• Fruit extracts are well-tolerated when used for up to 5 days
• No adverse effects related to specific elderberry extracts have been reported in clinical trials in adults and children

Influenza

Clinical research shows that some elderberry extracts may reduce flu-like symptoms

Common cold

Clinical research shows that taking capsules containing elderberry extract 600 mg daily for 8 days before overseas air travel, and then 900 mg daily starting 1 day before traveling and continuing for 4-5 days after arriving at destination reduces the duration of colds by about 2 days and the severity of colds by about 58% compared to placebo

Andrographis Andrographis paniculata (3)

• Common colds
• Influenza
• Swine flu
• Allergies
• Rhinosinusitis

Antiviral effects

In vitro activity against avian influenza A and human influenza A H1N1 viruses, potentially working via preventing the binding of viral hemagglutinin to cells

• Generally well tolerated
• In a clinical study, high doses of 5- 10 mg/kg daily of a constituent of andrographis ( andrographolide) have been reported to cause headache, fatigue, rash, abnormal taste, diarrhoea, itching, and lymphadenopathy

Influenza

• Preliminary clinical research shows that patients with influenza who take a specific product containing andrographis extract and siberian ginseng have more rapid symptom relief when compared with patients taking amantadine
• This combination product also appears to reduce the risk of post-influenza complications such as rhinosinusitis or bronchitis when compared with amantadine

Reishi mushroom

Ganoderma lucidum (4)

• Enhancing the immune system
• Viral infections such as influenza
• Swine flu
• Avian flu
• Inflammatory disease
• Asthma
• Bronchial diseases
• Reducing stress

Immunologic effects

The immune effects of reishi mushroom polysaccharides appear to

• Stimulate cytokine production from macrophages and T lymphocytes
• Increase interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6 tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in macrophage cultures
• Increase release of interferon-gamma from T-lymphocytes

In humans, reishi mushroom extract prevented white blood cell depletion and improved T cell counts

Triterpenoids are thought to have potential antitumor and immune-modulatory effects

Reishi mushroom has been used with apparent safety in some clinical research

Human papilloma virus (HPV)

Peliminary clinical research shows that taking reishi mushroom powder and coriolus mushroom powder 400 mg orally daily for 2 months clears HPV virus from the mouths of 88% of patients who were HPV positive at baseline

Echinacea spp. (5)

• Treating and preventing the common cold, cough, influenza and other URTIs
• Immunostimulant

Immunologic effects

Appears to target both specific and nonspecific  immune function

Antiviral effects

May exhibit antiviral activity against influenza virus

Echinacea purpurea might inhibit enveloped viruses such as corona, influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial viruses and metapneumovirus

Allergic reactions, including urticaria, runny nose, dyspnea, bronchospasm, acute asthma, angioedema, and anaphylaxis have been reported with various echinacea preparations

Those sensitive to other members of the Asteraceae family (ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies) seem to be at higher risk for atopy reactions

Influenza

Preliminary clinical research shows that a taking a specific echinacea product 200 mg orally daily for 15 days, then 100 mg daily for 15 days, followed by 100 mg every other day for 60 days, may improve the response to influenza vaccine in people with respiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis or asthma

Vitamin C (6)

• Acute bronchitis
• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Tuberculosis
• Improving immune function
• Swine flu
• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Asthma
• Exercise-induced asthma

General

Antioxidant effects and role in maintaining proper immune function

Immunostimulant effects

May protect against reactive oxygen species produced by phagocytes during a viral infection

May enhance the proliferative responses of T-lymphocytes

May be useful to prevent other respiratory viral infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), but there are no reliable supporting clinical studies

Adverse effects of vitamin C are dose-related

Doses greater than the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 2000 mg per day can increase the risk of significant adverse effects such as osmotic diarrhoea and gastrointestinal upset

Common cold

There is substantial controversy about the effectiveness of vitamin C for treating the common cold

The majority of evidence shows that taking high doses of vitamin C orally might decrease the duration of cold symptoms by 1-1.5 days in some patients