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4. Common herbal remedies aren t always reliable
Many supplements claim to have immune-supporting powers and in the UK alone it’s estimated we spend more than £1billion per year on vitamins and supplements. At UCL’s School of Pharmacy, Dr Ronx looks at three popular herbal immune supplements - echinacea, garlic and elderberry. They dismissed the garlic and elderberry supplements right away as there was no concrete evidence these helped the immune system.
Only echinacea was reliable for immune-strengthening, with ‘reasonable’ evidence to support its effectiveness in treating symptoms of cold and flu, shortening the length of sickness by up to a day and a half. However, choose your echinacea carefully. Dr Ronx tests how much echinacea is actually in the products (they don t say which brands they tested). Some had almost none of the herb in them. They advise looking for the THR mark (Traditional Herbal Registration) for a reliable product that will make a difference.
Our immune system is the first line of defence against illness (Photo: Shutterstock)
Our immune system is the first line of defence against illness - everything from colds to Covid.
The coronavirus outbreak has pushed our immune system centre-stage and made us realise the importance of having healthy defences.
The core of the immune system is a vast army of white blood cells, otherwise known as immune cells, which fend off against viruses, fungi and parasites that make us ill.
There are two types of immune cells, the front line defenders that are all about speed and aggression and the specialists that come in to produce custom made attacks over a longer period.
Cornwall And Devon Walks With Julia Bradbury (STV, 8.30pm) FROM the wilderness of Dartmoor to the soaring cliffs of Land’s End, this new series takes viewers to parts of the West Country that can only be explored on foot – from beautiful beaches to remote wilderness, ancient woodlands to winding estuaries. Julia begins with a 6.5-mile route on Cornwall’s most westerly point, visiting Land’s End, the famous white sands of Porthcurno beach, the historic cliff-top Minack Theatre and Sennen Cove.
The Truth About Boosting Your Immune System (BBC1, 9pm) THE coronavirus pandemic has pushed our immune system centre stage. But how much do we all really know about how to keep it strong? Dr Ronx Ikharia, an emergency medicine doctor, delves into the latest science to find out what we can all do to make our immune system as healthy as possible. Ronx and professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist at the University of Manchester, give a group of volunteers an “immune makeover�