INGREDIENTS

Sambucus nigra (flowers), Achillea millefolium, Mentha piperita and Zingiber officinale.

ACTION

Cold guard tea can protect against cold and flu if taken for some months before the onset of the hay fever season.

Sambucus nigra contains compounds that are active against flu viruses. The sesquiterpenes in Zingiber officinale have specific effects against cold viruses.

RESEARCH

Menthol, one of the constituents of Mentha piperita was found to be a high potent inducer of P450IIB1 (Friedli, Georges-Louis, 1992). This liver enzyme when stimulated increases detoxication by the liver.

Extract of Sambucus nigra inhibited replication of human influenza viruses type A/Shangdong 9/93 (H3N2), A/Beijing 32/92 (H3N2), A/Texas 36/91 (H1N1), A/Singapore 6/86 (H1N1), type B/Panama 45/90, B/Yamagata 16/88 and B/Ann Arbor 1/86. A placebo-controlled, double blind study was carried out on a group of individuals living in an agricultural community (kibbutz) during an outbreak of influenza B/Panama in 1993. Fever, feeling of improvement, and complete cure were recorded during 6 days (Zakay-Rones, Z. et al.,1995).

Three new antitumor sesquiterpenoids, achimillic acids A, B and C, were isolated as methyl esters from Achillea millefolium were found to be active against mouse P-388 leukemia cells in vivo (Tozyo T, et al. (1994).

In a study, acetone extract of ginger at 100 mg/kg p.o. significantly inhibited serotonin (5-HT) induced hypothermia. The active responsible was found to be shogoal. Shogoal, [6]-dehydrogingerdione, [8]- and [10]-gingerol were also found to have an anticathartic action (Huang Q, et al. (1990).

REFERENCES

Friedli, Georges-Louis (1992). See MSc Thesis, University of Surrey, England. The thesis can also be found at

Zakay-Rones, Z. et al. (1995). Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza B Panama. J Altern Complement Med. 1(4):361-9

Tozyo T, et al. (1994). Novel antitumor sesquiterpenoids in Achillea millefolium. Chem Pharm Bull(Tokyo)May;42(5):1096-100

Huang Q, et al. (1990). The effect of ginger on serotonin induced hypothermia and diarrhea. Yakugaku Zasshi Dec;110(12):936-42

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.