-IBIS-1.7.6-
tx
eyes/ears/nose/throat
rhinitis/common cold
Nutrition

dietary guidelines

eating principles:
• eat as little as possible
• increase Vitamin C foods
• increase fluids
• short fast

therapeutic foods:
• increase foods rich in Vitamin A and C
• garlic, onions, oranges, grapefruit, horseradish, lemons, elderberries (Jensen, p. 61)
• garlic, onions, leeks, turnips, grapes, pineapple, honey, green leafy vegetables (Jensen, p. 61)
• chicken soup: aids in expelling mucus and quickening recovery. (Saketkhoo K, et al. Chest. 1978 Oct;74(4):408-410.)

fresh juices (common cold):
• celery and grapefruit (Jensen, p. 50)
• watercress and apple with 1/4 tsp. pure cream of tartar (Jensen, p. 50)
• coconut milk and carrot (Jensen, p. 50)
• celery and grapefruit with 1/4 tsp. pure cream of tartar (Jensen, p. 50)
• carrot
• carrot and spinach (Walker, p. 131)
• carrot, beet, and cucumber (Walker, p. 152)
• carrot and parsley (Walker, p. 152)
• carrot, celery, and parsley (Walker, p. 152)

therapeutic foods:
Wind-Cold:
• ginger, garlic, mustard greens, grapefruit peel, cilantro, parsnip, scallions, cinnamon, basil, soupy rice porridge (Ni, p. 116)

specific remedies:
• boil for 5 minutes: garlic, ginger, green onion, basil, mustard or cinnamon, drink and go to bed (Ni, p. 116)
• cilantro and ginger tea (Ni, p. 116)
• scallion and basil tea (Ni, p. 116)
• tea from mustard greens, cilantro and green onion (Ni, p. 116)
• tea from parsnip and ginger (Ni, p. 116)
• miso soup with ginger and scallions
• eat 2 or 3 cloves of raw garlic two to three times per day. (Shefi)
• chopped raw onion covered with honey or sugar, cover for 6 hours and take 1 tsp. every hour or as needed for cough

therapeutic foods
Wind-Heat type:
• mint, cabbage, chrysanthemum flowers, burdock root, cilantro, dandelion, apples, pears (Ni, p. 117)

specific remedies:
• cabbage broth (Ni, p. 117)
• cilantro and mint tea (Ni, p. 117)
• mint, chrysanthemum, and dandelion tea (Ni, p. 117)
• mint, dandelion, and licorice tea (Ni, p. 117)

avoid:
• heavy protein foods, fats, meats, vinegars, shellfish, cow's milk and other dairy products, white bread, refined foods, processed foods, sugar and sweets, catarrh-forming foods: tofu, meat, ice cream


supplements

• Vitamin C 6-10 g per day.
• Vitamin A 50,000 IU per day.
• Vitamin B12
• folic acid (Bastyr)
• bioflavonoids 6 g per day.
• zinc lozenges: zinc gluconate or zinc gluconate-glycine, containing 15–25 mg of zinc per lozenge; also, the addition of citric acid or tartaric acid may reduce efficacy due to chelation of zinc ion
(Macknin ML. Cleveland Clin J Med 1999;66:27-32; Eby G, et al. Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy 1984;25:20-24; Al-Nakib W, et al. J Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1987;20:893–901; Macknin ML, et al. JAMA 1998;279:1962-1967; Jackson JL, et al. Arch Intern Med 1997;157:2373-2376; Garland ML, Hagmeyer KO. Ann Pharmacolther 1998;32:63-69; Petrus EJ, et al. Curr Ther Res 1998;59:595-607; Weismann K, et al. Dan Med Bull 1990;37:279-281.)

footnotes

Al-Nakib W, Higgins PG, Barrow I, Batstone G, Tyrrell DA. Prophylaxis and treatment of rhinovirus colds with zinc gluconate lozenges. J Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1987 Dec;20(6):893-901.
Abstract: Following a tolerance study, double-blind placebo controlled trials were conducted to determine the prophylactic effect of zinc gluconate lozenges on rhinovirus challenge and, in a third study, their therapeutic efficacy when given at the start of colds caused by virus inoculation was tested. In the prophylaxis study a total of 57 volunteers received lozenges of either zinc gluconate (23 mg) (29 volunteers) or matched placebo (28 volunteers) every 2 h while awake during a period of four and a half days. They were challenged with 10(2) tissue culture infecting dose (TCID50) of human rhinovirus 2 (HRV-2) on the second day of medication, and were monitored daily for symptoms and signs of colds and laboratory evidence of infection. Zinc reduced the total mean clinical score from 8.2 in the placebo group to 5.7 and the reduction of the mean clinical score was statistically significant on the second day after virus challenge. In the therapeutic study 69 volunteers were inoculated with 10(2) TCID50 of HRV-2 and those who developed cold symptoms were randomly allocated to receive either zinc gluconate lozenges (six volunteers) or matched placebo lozenges (six volunteers) every two hours they were awake for six days. Treatment of colds with zinc reduced the mean daily clinical score and this was statistically significant on the fourth and fifth day of medication. Similarly, medication also reduced the mean daily nasal secretion weight and total tissue count and these reductions were statistically significant on days two and six for nasal secretion weights and days four to six of medication for tissue counts when compared with placebo.

Eby GA, Davis DR, Halcomb WW. Reduction in duration of common colds by zinc gluconate lozenges in a double-blind study. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1984 Jan;25(1):20-24.
Abstract: As a possible treatment for common colds, we tested zinc gluconate lozenges in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. One 23-mg zinc lozenge or matched placebo was dissolved in the mouth every 2 wakeful h after an initial double dose. After 7 days, 86% of 37 zinc-treated subjects were asymptomatic, compared with only 46% of 28 placebo-treated subjects (P = 0.0005). Side effects or complaints were usually minor and consisted mainly of objectionable taste and mouth irritation. Zinc lozenges shortened the average duration of common colds by about 7 days.

Eby G. Where’s the bias? Ann Intern Med 1998;128:75. (Letter)

Eby GA. Zinc ion availability--the determinant of efficacy in zinc lozenge treatment of common colds. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1997 Oct;40(4):483-493.

Garland ML, Hagmeyer KO. The role of zinc lozenges in treatment of the common cold. Ann Pharmacolther 1998 Jan;32(1):63-69. (Review)
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To summarize and critique the medical literature on the use of zinc lozenges for treatment of the common cold. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE searches (January 1966-June 1997) identified human clinical trials on the use of zinc lozenges for the treatment of the common cold. Bibliographies were also reviewed for relevant articles. STUDY SELECTION: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of zinc lozenges in adults for the treatment of the common cold, with the clinical end points of reduction in duration and/or severity of cold symptoms. DATA EXTRACTION: All double-blind placebo-controlled, human clinical trials on the use of zinc lozenges for the treatment of the common cold were included. DATA SYNTHESIS: The use of zinc lozenges in the treatment of the common cold has been suggested to reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. Of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, four found zinc lozenges to be effective, while the other four reported no difference between zinc and placebo therapy. Potential reasons for the discrepancy between the results of these trials include inadequate placebo control, formulation of the lozenge, and the dose of zinc used. Common adverse effects include unpleasant taste, mouth irritation, and nausea. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of the common cold with zinc gluconate lozenges, using adequate doses of elemental zinc, may be effective in reducing duration and severity of cold symptoms. The benefit appears to be maximal if the lozenges are started immediately after the onset of symptoms. The formulation of the lozenges also appears to be important because the addition of citric acid or tartaric acid may reduce efficacy due to chelation of zinc ion. Although zinc gluconate lozenges have dominated clinical trials thus far, further studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of zinc acetate lozenges and to determine whether their adverse effect profile is more favorable to that of zinc gluconate lozenges. Patients should play an important role in the decision-making process and must decide whether the benefit gained from treatment with zinc lozenges outweighs the potential adverse effects.

Hemilä H. Does vitamin C alleviate the symptoms of the common cold? A review of current evidence. Scand J Infect Dis 1994;26:1-6.

Jackson JL, Peterson C, Lesho E. A meta-analysis of zinc salts lozenges and the common cold. Arch Intern Med 1997 Nov 10;157(20):2373-2376.

Macknin ML, Piedmonte M, Calendine C, et al. Zinc gluconate lozenges for treating the common cold in children. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998;279:1962-1967.

Macknin ML. Zinc lozenges for the common cold. Cleveland Clin J Med 1999;66:27-32. (Review)

Petrus EJ, Lawson KA, Bucci LR, Blum K. Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical study of the effectiveness of zinc acetate lozenges on common cold symptoms in allergy-tested subjects. Curr Ther Res 1998;59:595-607.

Saketkhoo K, Januszkiewicz A, Sackner MA. Effects of drinking hot water, cold water, and chicken soup on nasal mucus velocity and nasal airflow resistance. Chest. 1978 Oct;74(4):408-410.
Abstract: Nasal mucus velocity and nasal airflow resistance were measured in 15 healthy subjects before and at 5 and 30 minutes after drinking hot water by sip or straw, hot chicken soup by sip or straw, and cold water by sip. A sham drinking procedure with straw was also employed. Hot water by sip increased nasal mucus velocity from 6.2 to 8.4 mm per min, hot chicken soup by sip from 6.9 to 9.2 mm per min, and chicken soup by straw from 6.4 to 7.8 mm per min five minutes after administration. These increases were statistically significant compared to cold water, hot water by straw and sham. All values returned to their baseline at 30 minutes except cold water which significantly decreased the nasal mucus velocity from 7.3 to 4.5 mm per min. There were no significant changes from baseline in nasal airflow resistance 5 and 30 minutes following the above treatments. We conclude that drinking hot fluids transiently increases nasal mucus velocity in part or totally through the nasal inhalation of water vapor. Hot chicken soup, either through the aroma sensed at the posterior nares or through a mechanism related to taste, appears to possess an additional substance for increasing nasal mucus velocity. Finally, hot liquid might be superior to cold liquids in the management of fluids in upper respiratory tract infections.