Many of us know that feeling when we are “coming down with something.” For some it is sniffles, others a scratchy throat, coughing, headache, fatigue. Getting extra rest, paying attention to hydration, improving nutrition, and having chicken soup are some examples of common and helpful ways to give the body what it needs to support recovery from a cold.

Chinese medicine offers some very helpful additional support. There are herbal formulas that have been used for centuries that can often alleviate the cold symptoms at the onset, as well as others than can often strengthen the immune response and possibly prevent the cold from taking root.

Below are highlights of some of the most popular formulas:

Gan Mao Ling

Translated as “common cold effective remedy’, this is a very popular formula, often used preventatively when a person has been exposed to someone with a cold or can be taken at the first sign of cold symptoms; often considered a first line of defense.

Xin Yi Wan

This formula is traditionally used when sinus symptoms are predominant, such as congestion or discharge, post-nasal drip, sneezing, and loss of sense of smell. Headaches and stiff or achy neck may also be present when this formula is indicated.

Gui Zhi Tang

This formula has been in continuous use since the third century! This formula is traditionally used when stiff neck, headache, aversion to wind, chills, mild fever not relieved by sweating, and/or stuffy nose are present.

Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of successfully use in supporting the immune system. Mushrooms such as Reishi, Maitake, and Shiitake mushrooms have antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and adaptogenic (helps your body adapt to stress) properties

Yu Ping Feng San

This formula is traditionally used when a person appears to catch colds easily and wants to strength the defenses. The formula translates as “Jade Screen” as Jade represents something precious and the Screen reference refers to the protective barrier symbolizing protection from illness.

New Research for Cold Prevention: Vitamin D  

A major study published in the British Medical Journal in 2017 found that Vitamin D can protect against acute respiratory infection. To see what amount is right for you: consult with your healthcare practitioner, get your levels checked, and have your practitioner determine the proper dosage.

Always consult with your healthcare practitioner if symptoms persist or worsen as well as to determine which formula/immune strategy is best for you.

A few years ago while on a business trip, I had an amazing experience with the herb commonly known as Tulsi or Holy Basil.

I had been feeling great all day and was looking forward to a meeting with a Western medicine colleague to review some of his difficult patient cases and (hopefully) provide some insights on how Traditional Chinese Medicine, nutrition, qigong, and meditation could help. My plane had just landed and I was on my way to his office when I felt a shift in my well being.

In a short period of time, I went from feeling great to not so great. You know that feeling when you know you’re coming down with something?

For me it manifested as a scratchy throat, congestion, a headache, and fatigue…and I didn’t have any of my go-to remedies with me.

Determined not to show up at this long-awaited appointment with a runny nose, I found a natural foods store and began looking through their supplement section for some relief.

Since none of my standby favorites were available, I decided to purchase holy basil. I had used it very successfully for stress reduction and sleep support with patients and myself for years. And I was aware of its antiviral properties, but had never used it for that purpose up until that point.

I took the supplement, and was beyond amazed by what seemed to happen almost instantaneously.

Within minutes my head started to clear, my congestion broke up, my sore throat was gone, and I felt a renewed sense of energy. I was able to go to my meeting and have a wonderful time with my colleague and have a creative collaboration to enhance the treatment plans for his patients. And the symptoms never came back.

I’ll never forget that experience with holy basil as it was so visceral. And so unexpected.

I had hoped it might help a little, but had no idea it could shift that “I’m coming down with something” feeling, to feeling like my vibrant self again so quickly.

I realize my experience is anecdotal, and not everyone who uses holy basil will have the same experience. However, I wanted to share my story as it offers an excellent example of how powerful herbs can be when given to the right person at the right time for the right reason.

Here are five reasons why, in my opinion, Holy Basil is a phenomenal herb that will benefit travelers …and beyond:

1. Holy basil has both antiviral and antibacterial properties.

There is no place like a crowded plane to increase your risk of exposure to colds, flu, and other viruses.

In addition to Echinacea which has been proven to reduce airplane sickness¹, Holy basil is ideal for air travel because its essential oils have been shown to have antiviral and antibacterial properties² as well as the whole herb acting as an overall immune booster³.

2. It acts as a digestive aid.

Digestion is usually one of the first things to suffer when you travel, which can weaken your immune system.

Holy basil tea has been used as a digestive tonic for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional medicine of India), and has been shown beneficial for digestive ailments⁴.

It can work even better when paired with probiotic-rich foods that encourage healthy elimination such as yogurt, kimchi, or kombucha.

3. Holy Basil has been studied for its positive effects on mental and emotional well-being.

Travel of any sort, from business trips to vacations, can often contribute to some level of mental and emotional stress—be it worry over getting to the airport on time or those first sleepless nights away from home.

Holy basil can help take the edge off travel stress, as it has been shown beneficial for anxiety, depression, stress, forgetfulness, cognitive impairments, exhaustion, and sleeplessness.

It is so effective for stress, that Dr. Oz has featured it on his show as a natural solution for stress and mood swings⁵.

4. It is adaptogenic in nature.

Adaptogenic herbs, like Holy Basil, support overall health by helping your body adapt to a variety of stressors.

In the case of Holy Basil, if you’re low on energy it will give you a boost, if you can’t sleep or are stressed out, it will help calm your nerves, it has also been shown to help with noise-induced stress⁶, which can make a big different on a noisy flight or in a less-than-peaceful hotel room.

5. Last, but not least, Holy Basil has been shown to have protective effects against a variety of environmental toxins including pesticides, heavy metals, and radiation.

Extra protection from pesticides and heavy metals is always a good thing, but radiation is of particular concern for air travelers, as radiation from airport scanners and cosmic rays in the air can cause increased body burden.

Experts estimate a flight from Los Angeles to New York, for example, exposes you to half the amount of radiation you would receive from a chest x-ray…which is not insignificant⁷.

As someone who loves to travel, I really appreciate learning about nourishing and supportive herbs such as holy basil. This way, I know I can stay healthy and energetic away from home while meeting new people and exploring other cultures in this beautiful world we live in.

-Dr. Patricia

I don’t use the word, “cure all” often when it comes to natural medicine. After all, at its core an integrative approach is all about treating the individual.

However, with thousands of published biomedical studies referencing curcumin (the active component in turmeric) ¹, and thousands of years of traditional use, turmeric is exceptional in its healing properties.

It all started in 250 B.C.

According to Susruta’s Ayurvedic Compendium (Ayurvedic medicine is the traditional medicine of India), turmeric’s first recorded medicinal use dates back to 250 B.C., where it was used in an ointment for food poisoning.

Most of turmeric’s traditional use has been recorded over the past 4000 years as a primary staple in Ayurvedic medicine and religious ceremonies.

There have been over 130 species of turmeric discovered throughout Asia.

A member of the ginger family, the very best turmeric (and 80% of the world’s supply) is grown in India, where various factors, including climate and soil, produce a plant rich in the medicinal compound, curcumin—the focus of nearly all modern research on turmeric.

We will discover a lot more about the research and healing power curcumin coming up.

A Laundry-List of Traditional Uses

Before we dive into the top 11 scientifically proven reasons to embrace turmeric (and yes, with 6000 studies to choose from it was REALLY hard to pick just 11 health benefits), I’d like to share a small sampling of its fascinating traditional uses (most of which have been scientifically validated within the last 50 years).

This is a partial list of turmeric’s historical uses:

• Blood purifier
• Hair remover
• Overall energy and strength enhancer
• For relieving gas
• Dispelling worms
• Improving digestion
• Regulating menstruation
• Dissolving gallstones
• Improving skin conditions
• As a sunscreen
• For arthritis
• An antiseptic for cuts, burns, and bruises
• An antibacterial
• An anti-inflammatory
• For tummy trouble
• Colds and flu
• For irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders
• Anti-cancer benefits

Top 11 Scientifically-proven Reasons to Embrace Turmeric

Note: Curcumin, the primary medicinal compound in turmeric that give it its distinctive yellow color, is the subject of the majority of these studies.

#1: Inflammation

Did you know, per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, that Americans spend over 33 billion dollars a year on supplements²? Many of which are used for diseases stemming from chronic inflammation.

We’ve become an inflammation nation, with heart disease, IBS, digestive disorders, chronic pain, allergies, asthma, thyroid issues, eczema, psoriasis, even certain cancers are all a result of inflammation run amuck.

There have been countless studies done on turmeric’s anti-inflammatory benefits to everything from neurodegenerative disorders and autoimmunity to heart disease³ and arthritis⁴.

#2: Depression

The Journal of Affective Disorders, recently published a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study proving curcumin’s effectiveness, after 4-8 weeks of use, in improving mood in test subjects with major depressive disorder⁵.

Curcumin’s efficacy proved out because of its positive influence on many organs, glands, and biological processes (such as the gut, inflammatory pathways, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis) that directly relate to depression.

#3: For pre-cancer activity, cancers, and as a potential anti-cancer drug alternative

Curcumin has been proven effective for cancer prevention by increasing the body’s supply of antioxidants vitamin E, C, and preventing lipid oxidation and DNA damage⁶.

It has also been proven beneficial, either alone or in combination with other herbs for, breast⁷, pancreatic⁸, prostate⁹, and liver cancers¹⁰.

Thanks to all these successful studies, Curcumin is being considered a potential candidate for anticancer drug development¹¹.

#4: For healthy insulin levels

The subjects of a study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology Metabolism, reduced their blood glucose levels using curcumin, suggesting it has antihyperglycemic and insulin sensitizing effects¹².

Previous animal studies have also shown promise for turmeric’s beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes¹³,¹⁴.

Though studies on the effects of turmeric and blood sugar issues are in their infancy, the initial research is promising—and worth a second look for those with a family history of diabetes.

#5: For the your heart

Because of its proven, powerful, antioxidant compounds and anti-inflammatory action, turmeric can benefit your body in numerous ways which can ultimately help your heart.

According to a ground-breaking study from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science in India, curcumin proved as effective as the drug, Atorvastatin, on endothelial dysfunction (dysfunction of the blood vessel lining which can result in numerous ailments including hypertension and high cholesterol)¹⁵.

As a proven anti-inflammatory, turmeric also keeps the cells, heart, and entire body healthy.

#6: Use turmeric oil for the flu

Move over Tamiflu®. Studies on a preparation of turmeric oil sprayed in the respiratory tract, showed significant anti-viral activity including for certain types of influenza virus¹⁶.

#7: For food poisoning

It looks like our ancestors knew what they were doing back in 250 B.C.

A study from the Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health, Royal Free and University College London Medical School published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, showed turmeric’s efficacy killing strains of H. pylori, which the study notes may offer a viable alternative to antibiotics¹⁷.

#8: For burn and wound healing

Another traditional use, wound and burn healing was scientifically validated by researchers at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research¹⁸.

Moreover, in 1995 two scientists from the University of Mississippi were awarded a patent on turmeric for wound healing. Unfortunately for the University, this patent was revoked in 1997, when India proved its people had been using turmeric to treat burns for thousands of years.

Hard to argue with tradition, science, and a court order.

#9: For cognition and brain health

There have been some pretty exciting studies on the positive effects of curcumin for neurodegenerative conditions in animals. Now, results of human trials testing the neuroprotective potential of curcumin look promising.

One study by the National University of Singapore reports improved cognitive performance in healthy, elderly adults who regularly consumed curry (of which turmeric is a primary spice)¹⁹.

While other research suggests curcumin may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease by preventing amyloid-beta build-up²⁰, one of its primary causes.

#10: For arthritis

A 2012 Indonesian study proved curcumonoid’s effectiveness in treating arthritis of the knee²¹, while another blockbuster study conducted in India proved both its effectiveness and safety over a common anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac sodium) in treating rheumatoid arthritis²².

These studies offer an excellent examples of turmeric’s nearly unbeatable action as a potent, natural, and incredibly safe anti-inflammatory.

#11: For gastrointestinal issues

Inflammatory disease often begins in the gut. Hence turmeric’s traditional and scientifically-proven benefit to the GI tract.

It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat diseases associated with abdominal pain. As a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, I recommend it extensively in my practice.

A study from University of Düsseldorf in Germany showed it efficacy in relation to upper abdominal pain and the biliary tract²³—two systems closely connected in TCM.

Animal and human studies have been conducted on turmeric’s potential benefits for IBS, and other inflammatory digestive issues²⁴.

How to get your hands on quality turmeric

You can do it the simple way: go down to the grocery store, buy a bottle of organic turmeric and start cooking (the way people have done for centuries).

OR go out and buy a supplement. The benefits of a supplement are convenience, potency, and (in some cases) a proven track record.

Due to its popularity and proven benefits, there are an array of supplements to choose from. Many of them vary in quality, potency, formulation, and price points.

How’s a person to choose a quality supplement? Talk to your healthcare practitioner, they can recommend the best turmeric or turmeric/combination supplement for your unique needs.