FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       CONTACT: (800) 999-4859
                                               

Pharmacist’s Cold and Flu Tips
Include Aged Garlic Extract
Lifestyle changes that boost immune function
may be the best way to avoid getting sick

If you want to avoid catching a cold or the flu this year, you could stay indoors and avoid all contact with the outside world. An easier and more practical approach is to start taking better care of your immune system. “Having healthy immune function is critical to preventing colds and flu,” says Holistic Pharmacist Sherry Torkos. “Our immune system defends our body against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. If it is not working optimally we are at risk of an attack.”

Torkos says that there are many proven steps you can take to stay healthier. “To boost immune function, I recommend a holistic approach which incorporates lifestyle changes along with supplements that have clinical research demonstrating efficacy.”

Tips for Staying Healthy
“There are many factors that can hamper immune function such as stress, smoking, lack of sleep, poor diet, and nutritional deficiencies,” says Torkos. Her top 10 tips for preventing cold and flu, and supporting immune function are:

  1. Wash your hands regularly - soap and water or hand sanitizer. This is the best way to prevent the spread of viruses.
  2. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. These foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which help to support immune system function.
  3. Minimize sugar and refined starches. These foods hamper immune response.
  4. Drink plenty of fluids. They help the body eliminate toxins and prevent dehydration (dry mucus membranes can make it easier for viruses to enter).
  5. Don't smoke and avoid second-hand smoke. Smoke damages mucus membranes in your nose, throat and esophagus making it easy for viruses to invade the body.
  6. Minimize alcohol. Alcohol is hard on the liver - our key detoxifying
    organ - and it is dehydrating
  7. Relax and de-stress yourself. Stress can interfere with immune function.
  8. Get regular, moderate-intensity exercise. It helps boost our immune
    response
  9. Ensure adequate sleep. Proper rest is essential for immune health.
  10. Take immune boosting supplements. Get started with vitamin C, aged garlic extract, and probiotics (supplements that support your body’s naturally occurring beneficial bacteria).

Why is aged garlic extract recommended?
Studies have shown that a specific protein fraction found in Aged Garlic Extract, or AGE, can enhance your immune system.

Aged garlic extract is produced by a long extraction process, up to two years, creating an odorless product rich in active, bioavailable compounds. This extract is standardized to ensure consistent levels and ratios of these unique compounds. In fact, some of these beneficial compounds are not found in regular raw garlic or other garlic supplements.  

In clinical open trials, researchers in Japan followed about 300 adults taking the recommended dosages of products containing AGE for several years. The results were published in an issue of Clinical Drug and Pharmacology1 . It is one of more than 465 scientific studies completed on aged garlic extract by major universities.

Among the study participants, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of people who reported getting a cold or the flu. Those who did catch these viruses reported less severe symptoms than they had experienced in the past when they had not taken AGE.1 This research adds more solid clinical evidence to support use of AGE for boosting the immune system and warding off illness.

Media note: For details on this or other studies involving Aged Garlic Extract, or to schedule an interview with Sherry Torkos, please contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7214.

Biography -- Sherry Torkos, B.Sc.Phm.

Sherry Torkos is a holistic pharmacist, author and lecturer. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in 1992. She is a practicing pharmacist in the Niagara area. In 1999, she received the J.C. Gould Memorial Award for Distinguished Practice. She has authored eight books including, Winning at Weight Loss (Wiley 2004) and Breaking the Age Barrier (Penguin Books, 2003). She is a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows where she discusses a variety of complementary medicine and health topics.

Study

  1. Toshimitsu Ushirotake, et al. Epidemiological Investigation for Common Cold Preventive Effect of KYOLEOPIN and LEOPIN FIVE. Clinical Drug and Pharmacology 20 (7): 785-793, 2004.

Additional studies

  1. Abdullah T, et al. Enhancement of natural killer cell activity in AIDS with garlic. J. Oncology 21: 52-53, 1989.
  2. Kandil, O. M, et al. Garlic and the immune system in humans: its effects on natural killer cells. Fed. Proc. 46(3): 441, 1987.
  3. Lau B, et al. Garlic compounds modulate macrophage and T-lymphocyte functions. Mol. Biother. 3:103-107, 1991.
  4. Lau B, et al. Detoxifying, radio-protective and phagocyte-enhancing effects of garlic. Inter. Clin. Nutr. Rev. 9: 27-31, 1989.
  5. Morioka N, et al. A protein fraction from aged garlic extract enhances cytotoxicity and proliferation of human lymphocytes medicated by interleukin-2 and concanavalin a.  Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 37: 316, 1993