Many vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbs can greatly reduce cold and flu symptoms and shorten the duration of colds--if you begin taking them at the first sign of an infection. In this User's Guide, Laurel Vukovic, MSW, describes the most important natural ways of fighting off colds and flus, including the use of such venerable herbs as echinacea, goldenseal, and elderberry.

Laurel Vukovic, M.S.W., has served as a psychoterapist, herbalist, teacher and writer for more than two decades. Since 1992 she has been a columnist and contributing editor for "Natural Health" magazine. She is also the author of several books, including "Herbal Healing Secrets for Women" and the "User's Guide to Women's Health Supplements."