A new study has shown the benefit of annual flu vaccinations for seniors along with Canada's top cold and flu-fighting product COLD-FX.
Canadian researchers say COLD-FX cut colds and flu by one-third in vaccinated seniors.
The three-year multi-centre study confirmed the results of previous clinical trials reviewed by Health Canada, the federal government's regulatory body, which showed that COLD-FX gave added protection on top of the flu shot's benefit.
The study offers new evidence that the cold and flu-fighting product provides significant help as trial participants who took COLD-FX were one-third less likely to get a cold or flu.
The very sensitive Jackson scoring method for colds and flu was used which is a credible and accepted scientific method of judging clinical symptoms, which include coughing, sneezing, runny noses and others.
COLD-FX is a unique extract of North American ginseng.
The study showed that for trial participants who regularly suffer two colds a year, COLD-FX reduced their chance of getting a second one by 56% and Health Canada subsequently approved the strong claims for the product made last year.
The trial involved 780 healthy seniors in four major Canadian cities who had the flu shot prior to their six-month treatment phase as part of the study.
The participants were given either the standard dose of two capsules a day, or double the standard dose, or a placebo.
The double-blind, placebo controlled trial was led by Dr. Gerald Predy, Medical Officer of Health for Alberta Health Services, along with leading Canadian researchers - neither the participants nor the investigators knew who was receiving what in the trial.
The viral analysis was conducted in the lab of an internationally recognized influenza expert, Dr. Albert Osterhaus who is based in the Netherlands.