Plant Medicines: Garlic Proves to Treat the Common Cold

When we get run down by a cold, it is natural to pine for something that will reduce the duration of the cold. The conventional strategy has been to reach for antihistamines, codeine, internasal corticosteroids and even – laughably something still often mistakenly prescribed – antibiotics.

As to the latter, said simply: A cold is the result of a virus. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections – and the over-prescription of antibiotics, as has been modus operandi over the past half century, gives rise to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, ergo superbugs.

The more glaring issue is that research has investigated the above conventional cold strategies and found most are no better than placebo for the purpose of shortening the duration of the common cold.

Conventional cold remedies don't cut it

For example, in 2008, researchers from Ireland’s Royal College of Surgeons reviewed 26 clinical trials that included 4,037 people. The studies covered a variety of antihistamines and decongestants, including antitussive and bronchodilator combinations. The findings were dismal. In most studies, they were no more effective than placebo.

Two other studies found that both intranasal fluticasone propionate and beclomethasone dipropionate – nose decongestants – were also no better than placebo in treating the common cold.

In an earlier review of nasal decongestants – this from Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital – found that while a single dose had a moderately positive effect, repeated doses of nasal decongestants were no better than placebo.

Other conventional cold strategies have met with similar results. And this says nothing about some of the side effects known to accompany some of these products: Side effects that can cause critical drowsiness and even addiction tendencies in some.

Research proves Garlic treats Colds

From review research coming from Australia’s The University of Western Australia we find a study that gave 146 people either a garlic supplement - standardized to 180 milligrams of allicin - or a placebo for 12 weeks. The research found that the placebo group in total had 65 common cold occurrences while the garlic group only had 24 occurrences. This is less than half the number of colds.

Furthermore, when those who were taking the garlic supplement did catch a cold, that cold lasted an average of one day shorter than the colds among the placebo group – some 20-25% shorter.

Another study, from the University of Florida, tested 120 people by giving half 2.5 grams per day of an aged garlic extract supplement and the other half a placebo. Over a six month period, the garlic group had 61 percent fewer number of days of colds, and 58 percent had few incidences of colds, along with 21 percent fewer cold symptoms when they did catch a cold.

How about Garlic combined with other Herbs?

While there are other natural strategies and remedies for the common cold, Garlic provides a solid foundation for reducing cold duration.

Research has found garlic can be synergistic with other herbal remedies. A study from Egypt’s Green Clinic in Alexandria studied 62 patients with the common cold by giving them either a combination supplement containing 120 milligrams of Echinacea extract 120 mg, 200 milligrams of Nigella sativa oil, 50 milligrams of Panax ginseng extract, 50 milligrams of vitamin C and 7.5 milligrams of zinc; along with 100 milligrams of garlic powder.

The researchers found that while the placebo group’s average cold duration was eight days, the cold duration of the combination supplement group was half that – averaging four days. Severity scores among the supplement group were also significantly less than the cold severity scores of the placebo group.