Get ready for cold season! Statistics show Canadian adults will have an average of one to two colds per year, and most children will have five to 8. Recognising a cold is easy – runny nose, sore throat, cough, and sneezing – but getting rid of a cold is not. It usually lasts three or four days but can linger up to 10 days. Reduce its length and severity with these top herbal immune boosters.

Echinacea stimulates the immune system via standardized levels of three bioactive constituents: alkylamides, polysaccharides and cichoric acid. (A standardized extract has been processed to contain a specified amount of an active compound.) A recent meta-analysis published in Clinical Therapeutics found that people who took Echinacea after exposure to a cold virus lowered their likelihood of catching a cold by 55%. Echinacea is useful for both preventative and therapeutic treatment.

Reishi Mushroom is used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners to calm the mind and restore emotional balance. As a preventative treatment, Reishi can stimulate and improve immune function.

Astragalus is used for impaired immunity and as an adjunctive cancer treatment. Its antiviral action works against infections including the common cold, herpes simplex virus, parainfluenza and coxsackie virus. Studies show astragalus increases the number of stem cells in bone marrow and lymph tissue; enhances production of immunoglobulin; stimulates macrophages; and activates T-cells and natural killer cells.

Licorice is a demulcent (soothes sore throats), anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic (relaxes tight coughs) and expectorant (expels respiratory mucus). Don’t take licorice for more than four to six weeks, however, as it can cause kidneys to retain water and sodium, and lose potassium.