Germs and viruses are present all year round, so why is it that as soon as the temperature drops and we settle into winter, colds and flu season seems to take hold?
We might blame the change in lifestyle – during winter we’re likely to spend more of our leisure time indoors which means we’re exposed to more viruses. We might get cold and catch a chill, get wet in the rain or be exposed to more germs as windows remain closed and indoor heating gets turned on.
All of these suggestions are valid and may contribute to the increase in winter colds and flus, but there’s one reason you might not be familiar with.
According to CNN, scientists made a major breakthrough on this topic last year when they discovered that the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.
The science is a little complicated, but essentially it comes down to this: When a virus enters the body via the nose, the nose detects the germ and the cells lining the nose immediately start to create billions of copies of themselves. These copied cells act as decoys – the virus sticks to them instead of to the original cells and are then expelled by the cells into nasal mucus.
This is the body’s way of fighting off a virus before it reaches its destination and starts to multiply. What this new study discovered, is that when it’s cold, the nose has a harder time offering this protection. In fact, when the temperature inside the nose drops by as little as 5 degrees Celsius, it kills nearly 50% of the billions of virus-fighting cells in the nostrils (this study was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology).
Essentially this means that it’s a lot easier for us to become infected with a cold or flu during winter, which means we need to take extra precautions to boost our immunity and strengthen our bodies.
While it’s important to dress warmly, wash your hands regularly and avoid unhealthy habits like smoking, one of the most important things you need to pay attention to when looking after your immunity is your diet and nutrients consumed.
African Traditional Herbal remedies have become a go-to in the pursuit of better health. SELA uses the wisdom of ancient secrets passed on by elders from generation to generation to create herbal products that help boost health and relieve the symptoms of many illnesses and health concerns. The African Traditional Herbs used in SELA products are carefully selected for their powerful abilities to assist with overall health and well-being support.
SELA’s range of rooibos teas, each one created with a specific health condition or concern in mind, is the perfect addition to your winter health arsenal. Each variant is formulated with a powerful blend of rooibos, black tea and other powerful herbs, to help boost health and relieve the symptoms of many illnesses.
This winter, why not stay hydrated (and healthy!) by sipping on a few cups of warm SELA tea per day. To boost your immunity, stay healthy or treat an existing cold, we recommend:
SELA Colds & Flu Tea with Lemon Bush (R49.99) has been specially formulated with African Traditional Herbs to help relieve the symptoms of colds and flus and to aid the body in its recovery process.
SELA Health Tea with Sutherlandia (R49.99) has been specially formulated to support the immune system. It’s the perfect addition to a healthy lifestyle to ensure the immune system is kept strong and healthy.
SELA Umhlonyane Tea (R49.99) with Artemisia afra (also known as Umlonyane/ Lengana) has been formulated to help ease the symptoms of a variety of ailments, including fever, colds, influenza, cough, sore throat, a blocked nose etc.
SELA Teas can also be used to make your very own home immune remedy to conquer winter’s common colds. The “all in one SELA winter bomb” can be made by mixing any of 2 or 3 of the teas mentioned above in one cup (use one tea bag of each). The SELA winter bomb helps to effectively relieve fever and boost immunity, thereby improving health.
Follow their social media platforms (Facebook & Instagram @selaforbetterhealth) to find out more on how to take your winter bomb.
SELA Teas are available from Shoprite, Checkers, Dis-Chem, Clicks, Spar and Pick ‘n Pay, independent pharmacies and other retailers nationwide.
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