Byline: Andrew Davies

It's that time of year when doctors' surgeries, public transport and strangely-depleted offices resound with the sound of people sniffing, sneezing and coughing.

During the winter months, the body not only has to cope with the extra demands made on it by the cold weather, there's also a month's partying to contend with, keeping the body working for longer and harder.

It's not surprising that, with an immune system already creaking under the extra strain, colds, coughs and 'flu, not to mention a host of similar viruses and bacterial infections, find easy pickings.

True, the symptoms of these illnesses - not to mention conditions such as indigestion and hangovers - can often be headed off at the pass by conventional drugs available from high street chemists.

But what if you don't want to fill your body with manufactured chemical remedies?

An increasing number of people are rejecting conventional drug capsules, as well as the powdered drink cold remedies, and opting for what they see as a more natural alternative.

According to George Lewith, complementary medicine consultant with Boots, ten per cent of the UK population now uses alternative medicine and 47 per cent of those are lifetime users.

Boots has experienced a marked growth in the herbal medicines market in the last five years, says Lewith.

Most popular purchases include tablets containing extracts of gingko biloba, supposedly beneficial in circulating blood to extremities including the brain; the natural sedative valerian; anti-bacterial and anti-viral garlic, which also is said to boost the immune system; digestion system boosting artichoke; and St John's wort, thought to combat low spirits.

Boots is so serious about herbal medicine it acquired the Centre for the Study of Complementary Medicine in November 2000.

'Boots entered the alternative health market in 1991 and the market, as a whole, has grown between ten and 15 per cent each year during the last five years,' said a spokeswoman for the company.

'We anticipate this trend to continue, with the market estimated to be worth between pounds 1.6-pounds 3 billion over the next five years.'

Jonathan Wright, who runs a herbal therapy clinic at The Custard Factory, said references to herbal medicine existed in the earliest pre-Christian societies in China, Egypt, the Middle East and Asia.

'It's without doubt that this country would have had an equal and equivalent tradition, but we didn't have the written tradition, so it was lost when it was no longer handed down orally,' says Wright.

'Every country in the world has its own herbal tradition that has evolved over the centuries.

'From the time man began to organise himself into societies, he'd already learnt what plants were useful to eat and what plants might be beneficial if he was feeling unwell. From these traditions, herbal medicine has evolved.

'Some of the earliest references date back to thousands of years before the birth of Christ, and some of those references were certainly highly sophisticated mixtures of herbs for individual complaints.

'A lot of herbal treatments in those days are still used today - if a particular herb was found to be effective at fighting infection a thousand years ago, it will still be useful at fighting infection now.'

While herbalism was widely recognised during Elizabethan times in Britain, with the publication of almanacs such as Culpepper's Herbals and Gerrard's Herbals, the old tradition shrivelled with the invention of modern synthetic medicines until the middle of the last century. However, since World War Two, herbalism has become increasingly recognised as an effective complementary medicine.

'It's obviously not just for cranks - and people are again understanding that herbs, used properly, can be very, very useful, and will plainly fit alongside conventional medicine without interfering with the effects of conventional medicine, and indeed most of the time will help considerably.

'It's best to view herbal medicine as something that's an additional string to someone's bow when they are trying to stay healthy.

'Generally speaking, most doctors nowadays will have a small amount of input about herbal medicine into their training.'

Also, the relationship between herbal medicine and conventional medicine is also not as distant as many might suspect.

'It's worth bearing in mind that, currently, about 60 or 70 per cent of medical drugs are plant-derived or at least owe their origins to plant substances,' says Wright.

'Aspirin, for example, was originally salicylic acid extracted from willow bark or meadowsweet that was chemically treated to become methyl salicylate.

'Salicylic acid preparations are still used by herbalists and are not so erosive to the stomach lining as synthetic aspirin.'

It's not just difficult-to-extract essence of rose or willow bark that can help cure illness or act as a preventative measure.

A lot of plants found in the home or garden can be used as herbal treatments, says says Wright.

Many common herbs and spices found in the kitchen and the garden - such as the humble clove of garlic or sliced root ginger - are highly effective for fighting off a variety of winter ailments. Taken chopped in salads, or steeped in piping-hot water, nature can help fight off bacterial and viral infections and a host of aches or pains.

                    Herbal cures for common ailments

Common Cold

Peppermint, elderflower and yarrow - extremely effective at stopping a cold in its tracks, says Jonathan Wright.

'It's a traditional, old English tea that can be very, very useful when a cold's coming on,' says Jonathan Wright, who runs a herbal therapy clinic at The Custard Factory.

'It will make you warm up and perspire, and very, very actively help the body begin to fight the cold.

Garlic - renowned for its ability to boost the immune system, helping the body throw the cold off and reduce its severity. De-odorised garlic capsules are available at health food shops, but there's nothing like the real thing, says Wright.

'Garlic can be very useful - raw if possible, but remember, you may lose your friends,' he adds. Root ginger - sliced into small pieces and infused, and sweetened with Manuca honey available from most supermarkets and health shops. Helps fight colds and boosts the immune system too.

Thyme - found in many gardens, is a good antiseptic when made into a tea or infusion, sweetened with honey, and helps liquify and loosen stubborn mucus that might settle on the chest. Also a good decongestant.

Sage - also a good antiseptic, sage dries up mucus. Chilli - an effective decongestant. 'Chillies should be chopped and infused in a tea, perhaps with something else like sage or thyme and some honey to make it palatable,' says Wright.

'Chillies are quite good for that and readily available. It's safe and very, very useful, and warms you up as well.

Eucalyptus - as an essential oil, very effective decongestant for the sinuses, as is peppermint.

Coughs

Wild cherry bark - combined with liquorice, or marshmallow tea or syrup, and thyme syrup are all good for tickly coughs. Fennel seed or aniseed are also soothing, while coltsfoot tea will have an expectorant effect and liquifies sticky catarrh. White horehound - an excellent expectorant for chesty coughs, as is thyme, which is effective in bringing catarrh out. Hyssop, mentioned in the Old Testament, has an antiseptic and expectorant effect.

Sore throats

Honey - very effective soother when sipped in a warm drink.

Sage and thyme - for their antiseptic properties. Garlic - taken raw rather than in tea.

Cinnamon and cloves - also have efficient antiseptic and soothing properties.

Lemon and honey - an old favourite, and with good reason. Recent research has shown the humble lemon plays a valuable role in supporting the immune system.

Flu

A lot of herbal remedies can be used to ward off the viral infection of flu, fight the virus, treat the symptoms, and boost the immune system by providing a tonic effect.

Chilli, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cloves - can be used to tackle aches and pains, fevers and shivers. They warm the body by promoting circulation. Garlic, echinacea, honey and lemon - for their antiseptic, immune-boosting effects. Cinnamon and thyme - effective preventative medicines, also oregano, which is stronger than thyme.

Myrrh - an anti-infective herb which can be gargled for sore throats and swollen glands, while frankincense can also be an effective painkiller.

SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Essential oils are often recommended for sufferers of conditions such as SAD, a depression and sluggishness thought to be caused by the winter lack of daylight.

Basil - has positive mental effects, say herbalists - either as essential oil or in food - for example among salad leaves or chopped in fresh pesto.

St John's Wort - often taken for depression. 'Although bear in mind, you don't have to use large quantities to have a therapeutic benefit,' says Wright. 'More is better' is not necessarily the case.'

Rose - in particular rosa damascena - helps the brain adjust to the environment, and promotes a better balance of hormones in the brain, as do orange blossom and lime flowers.

Hangovers

Seasonal revelry associated with the Christmas season produces a far amount of hangovers with their accompanying symptoms - headaches, stomach upsets, dehydration and even liver damage.

'Herbal therapies can give support to the liver but will also deal with the after-effects of too much alcohol,' says Wright.

A number of herbs can be taken before alcohol is consumed to protect the liver from damage by putting it on red alert as well as supporting its function.

Milk thistle - protects the liver from damage from alcohol and other toxins.

Artichoke leaf - promotes good liver function and digestion.

Turmeric - a useful anti-inflammatory as well as being a liver function enhancer.

Indigestion

By the middle of January, the body's digestive system can be completely out of kilter after the onslaught of large, rich meals.

Peppermint, ginger, artichoke leaf, caraway seed, fennel seed, liquorice and cardamon pods - all good for settling the alimentary system, soothing stomach and gut inflammation, and getting things back on an even keel.

'Basically, a spoonful of garam masala would be good if you suffered from indigestion,' says Wright.

Nicotine Withdrawal

January is a popular time for giving up smoking, and as well as munching on as much fruit and raw veg as possible to distract you from the smoking habit and boost your health. There are herbal remedies that can be taken to aid the giving-up process.

Lobelia - (but not the garden variety) is available from qualified herbalists and can help remove the chemical nicotine addiction by locking on to the same brain receptors that nicotine does.

Oat seed - helps the body cleanse itself and detox.

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