IMMUDEFEN® Cold and Flu Medicine: 'Why these conditions' and 'why this formula'?

Posted by Beck Keogh on March 01, 2024

Welcome back to our 'why this condition' and 'why this formula' blog series. In these articles, we dive into each of our products in a little more depth.

In this article, we will be exploring Core Botanicals® IMMUDEFEN® Cold and Flu Medicine.

Why this condition?

Everyone has had a cold or flu, so we don’t need to explain how this affects the body and disrupts your everyday life, we know you’ve lived it!

Below are some interesting facts about colds and flu, according to the Australian government’s health direct website.

Colds and flu are very contagious viral infections, and you can catch a cold or flu at any time of the year, not just in winter. Although they are more common during the winter months.
Colds are very common and affect the lining of the nose, throat and upper airways causing symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion with mucus, and mild bronchial cough.
In Australia, children may get between five and ten colds every single year and adults may get two to four colds each year.
There are more than 200 different viruses can cause a cold, mostly rhinoviruses and coronaviruses.
It’s possible to have several colds, one after the other, because a different virus causes each one.
Flu symptoms are also caused by a viral infection – mostly type A, type B or rarely type C influenza virus.
Flu symptoms include mild fever, sore throat, and mild bronchial cough.
Since cold and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics cannot help you get better faster or stop you from spreading a virus to other people.
This is where our medicine comes in.

(Source for medical information https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/colds-and-flu)

Why this formula?

For hundreds of years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has used various combinations of the herbs in IMMUDEFEN® to relieve the symptoms of wind-heat and wind-cold conditions, which are known in the West as cold, flu, mild tonsillitis, and boils.

Echinacea is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine (WHM) as an Alterative, blood cleanser or purifier to support the immune system to fight illness and reduce the symptoms of cold and flu, as well as mild tonsillitis and boils.
Core Botanicals ® extraction method concentrates and stabilises the active compounds to take the fuss out of preparing traditional Chinese medicines. This means you get all the benefits of powerful Chinese herbs without having to boil up (decoct) dried herbs and drink the resulting tea.
IMMUDEFEN ® is a convenient, concentrated, liquid herbal medicine with a divided daily dose of 36 mL; equivalent to 3 cups of the same TCM combination, prepared by decoction.

What are the benefits of IMMUDEFEN ®Cold and Flu Medicine?

An East-West formula of Echinacea and Chinese herbs.
In traditional Western herbal medicine, Echinacea supports the body’s immune system to fight illness to:

Relieve symptoms of common cold and flu
Reduce the severity of symptoms of mild
upper respiratory tract infections
Relieve symptoms of mild tonsillitis

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM):

Honeysuckle and Japanese Catnip relieve symptoms of common cold and flu
(described in TCM as externally contracted wind-heat patterns)
Forsythia also relieves symptoms of common cold (in an externally contracted wind-heat pattern)
Balloon Flower relieves symptoms of pharyngitis (sore throat), resolves phlegm and clears respiratory tract mucous
Lily Magnolia relieves nasal congestion
Isatis relieves symptoms of mild tonsillitis
Platycodon grandiflorum and/or Glycyrrhiza uralensis is traditionally used in Chinese Medicine to decrease/reduce/relieve mild bronchial cough.

If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.

Visit the product page to see reviews from our customers.

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Core Botanicals blog.

Insights from Our Q&A with Paul Keogh: The Wisdom Behind Core Botanicals®

Introduction:

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting a live Q&A session with Paul Keogh, the founder of Core Botanicals^® and our valued retail partners. Paul's extensive experience in herbal medicine, spanning over 35 years, has made him a trusted source of advice and innovation in this field. The session was a deep dive into Paul's journey, the philosophy behind his formulations, and the unique approach that sets Core Botanicals^® apart.

We’d like to make these sessions a regular part of our calendar, with different themes that impact the natural health industry. Here are some of the key highlights and insights from our enlightening conversation and we hope to see you at the next one!

Highlights and Insights:

The Art of Formulating:

Paul emphasised the importance of understanding that not all herbal products are created equal. He explained that the quality and effectiveness of herbal formulations depends significantly on who manufactures them and the importance that is placed on sourcing quality materials.

This insight underscores the meticulous approach we take in developing our products, ensuring that each formulation is crafted with precision and care.

Holistic Approach to Health:

Paul emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to health, which is central to his practice. Unlike conventional medicine that often targets only the symptoms, Paul’s method focuses on understanding and addressing the whole person and their unique context. Drawing inspiration from ancient traditions like Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, this approach aims to tackle the root causes of health issues rather than just the symptoms.

Paul explained, "It's about understanding the interaction between the herb and the patient. The concept of energetics pushes us to dig deeper, encouraging a more thorough investigation to better understand and facilitate the healing process."

Bridging Traditional and Modern Medicine:

Paul discussed how he blends traditional herbal wisdom with modern scientific approaches in his work. He highlighted the influence of Peter Holmes’s research on the energetics of Western and Eastern herbs, which deepened his understanding of herbs beyond just their pharmacological properties. By combining this traditional knowledge with scientific validation, Core Botanicals^® offers products that are both effective and rooted in time-tested wisdom.

Paul explained, "I still take an analytical approach to herbal medicine. While I value the concept of energetics, I use it as a tool to ensure that the different aspects of a formulation work together harmoniously. I make sure there are no conflicts and that nothing important is overlooked."

The Why Behind Core Botanicals^®:

When asked why he chose to create Core Botanicals^®, Paul highlighted his desire to make holistic health accessible to more people. His clinical experience showed him the limitations of treating only a few thousand patients a year. By developing high-quality herbal products, he could extend the benefits of holistic medicine to tens of thousands of people, promoting self-care and wellness on a larger scale. He said, "We realised that the only way to make the benefits of holistic medicine accessible to more people was to create products that they could use themselves, in their own homes. This way, we can help many more people than I ever could in my clinic."

Commitment to Quality and Efficacy:

Paul's commitment to quality and efficacy is evident in every aspect of Core Botanicals^®. He shared that our formulations are designed to provide not just symptomatic relief but also long-term health benefits. "Our goal is to offer products that don't just mask symptoms but truly support the body's natural healing processes," Paul stated and we believe this commitment will strengthen our relationships with both retail partners and customers.

Conclusion:

Our Q&A session with Paul Keogh was a testament to his profound knowledge and passion for herbal medicine. His insights into the art of formulation, the holistic approach to health, and the integration of traditional and modern practices offer a glimpse into the values that drive Core Botanicals^®. We are grateful to Paul for sharing his wisdom and to all participants for their engaging questions. Stay tuned for more such enlightening sessions and continue your journey towards holistic health with Core Botanicals^®.

RESPIDEFEN® - ‘Why these conditions' and 'why this formula'?

RESPIDEFEN^®Cough Medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is our best-selling product here at Core Botanicals®. While we are proud of all of our herbal medicines, we are particularly blown away by the community response to this formula.

This product has sold out four times. Since our sourcing and manufacturing process is meticulous, it takes some time for us to meet our demand with supply. In the next three weeks, it’s possible that we will run out of this medicine again and have a gap of a few weeks before we can continue selling it.

Today we’d love to give a deeper insight into our Cough formula, so you can better understand what it can do for your health and how. RESPIDEFEN®Cough Medicine relieves coughing and dissolves and clears phlegm. It relives the symptoms of a sore throat and reduces bronchial mucous congestion.

It has over 90 five start reviews online and has helped thousands of Australians to relive coughing when they’re accessed RESPIDEFEN® by buying it online or through one of our Health Food Store partners in Australia.

Why this condition?

Cough is commonly caused by a mild viral infection such as common cold and flu.
Such viruses can infect your nose, nasal passages, throat, and voice box, which make up the area of your body called the 'upper respiratory tract'.
Symptoms associate with mild upper respiratory tract infection include sore throat (pharyngitis), mucous congestion, chest phlegm and mild bronchial cough (either dry or congested).
In healthy people with a strong immune system, cough and associated symptoms normally resolve within a few weeks (< 3 weeks), especially when taking Respidefen.
A persistent cough (lasting > 8 weeks) may indicate an underlying health problem requiring medical investigation by a qualified healthcare practitioner.

(refer https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/cough)

Why this formula?

RESPIDEFEN ® is based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) called Stop Cough Power (Zhi Sou San), which provides medicinal effects to relieve cough.
The three main herbs in this formula (Aster, Cynanchi & Balloon Flower) are traditionally used in Chinese medicine as expectorants to clear upper respiratory tract and bronchial mucous congestion, as well as to relieve mild bronchial cough.
Pinellia and Mulberry root bark are traditionally added to resolve phlegm and settle cough, respectively.
Aster, Stemona and Licorice root traditionally act together as antitussives or cough suppressants to relieve a dry and irritable cough.
Core Botanicals ® extraction method takes the fuss out of preparing traditional Chinese medicines, so you get all the benefits without having to boil up (decoct) dried herbs and drink the resulting tea.
RESPIDEFEN ® is a convenient, pleasant tasting, concentrated, liquid herbal medicine with a divided daily dose of 30 mL; equivalent to 3 cups of the same TCM combination, prepared by the traditional method of boiling or decoction.