Green Pharmacy for Colds and Flu

[Guest guest]

I take some Sambucol daily to avoid getting a cold or the flu. You take it

more intensely when you're actually sick.

-

<mistytrepke

 

Wednesday, December 17, 2003 4:26 PM

[s-A] [AltMedForum] Green Pharmacy for Colds and Flu

 

 

Comments?

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Green Pharmacy for Colds and Flu-

 

There are quite a few herbs that can help boost your immune system's

cold-fighting power.

 

Echinacea (Echinacea, various species).

 

I use echinacea, also known as coneflower, myself. There's good

research, most of it German, to show that it strengthens the immune

system against cold viruses and many other germs as well.

 

Echinacea increases levels of a chemical in the body called

properdin, which activates the part of the immune system responsible

for increasing defense mechanisms against viruses and bacteria.

 

Echinacea root extracts also possess antiviral activity against

influenza, herpes and other viruses. In a study of 180 people with

flu, one scientist found that 900 milligrams of an echinacea extract

significantly reduced symptoms.

 

There's one odd thing about good echinacea: Shortly after ingesting

a tea or tincture, it makes the tongue numb or tingly. Don't worry,

though: This reaction is harmless.

 

But as effective as echinacea can be, it's no miracle cold cure.

Even if you take this herb on a regular basis, you still might catch

some colds. In fact, some herbalists caution that you should not use

echinacea every day as an immune-enhancing tonic but should take it

only when you feel a cold coming on or when those close to you have

one. I'm still debating with myself on this.

 

Garlic (Allium sativum).

 

Eat enough garlic, and most people (along with their cold germs)

will stay away from you. I'm just joking, and there really are some

excellent reasons to use this herb to prevent colds and flu. Garlic

contains several helpful compounds, including allicin, one of the

plant kingdom's most potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics.

 

As anyone who has ever had garlic breath knows, this herb's aromatic

compounds are readily released from the lungs and respiratory tract,

putting garlic's active ingredients right where they can be most

effective against cold viruses.

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale).

 

Pouring a cup of boiling water onto a couple of tablespoons of

fresh, shredded ginger root to make a good hot tea really makes a

lot of sense as a cold treatment.

 

That's because this herb contains nearly a dozen antiviral

compounds.

 

Scientists have isolated several chemicals (sesquiterpenes) in

ginger that have specific effects against the most common family of

cold viruses, the rhinoviruses. Some of these chemicals are

remarkably potent in their anti-rhinovirus effects.

 

Still other constituents in ginger, gingerols and shogaols, help

relieve cold symptoms because they reduce pain and fever, suppress

coughing and have a mild sedative effect that encourages rest.

 

Ginger has one more thing going for it--it's tasty. I'd say there

are a lot of good reasons to make ginger a regular part of your cold-

treatment *arsenal*.

 

 

Black cherry (Prunus serotina).

 

During their summer season, I add crushed cherries to my lemonade.

Basic teas have been used for colds, but I prefer the fruits. They

contain vitamin C and benzaldehyde, and they taste good, too, really

improving my pink lemonade. Black cherry is frequently used in cough

drops althoughI much prefer using the more potent whole herb.

Black Cherry- Black Cherry, a member of the rose family, is a

vitamin- C ­rich addition that will make your lemonade less tart.

 

Citrus fruits and other foods containing vitamin C.

 

Like the late Linus Pauling, Ph.D., many herbalists and physicians

suggest taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C four times a day for the

relief of symptoms. Several studies done by Elliot Dick, Ph.D.,

epidemiologist at the Respiratory Virus Research Laboratory at the

University of Wisconsin in Madison have shown that it works.

(Some people develop diarrhea after taking as little as 1,200

milligrams of vitamin C a day, but this is rare. If you'd like to

try this therapy, cut back on the amount of vitamin C if you develop

diarrhea.)

 

 

I take vitamin C for colds, but I do it without using many pills.

I prefer to get mine from camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), the Amazonian

fruit that has the world's highest vitamin C content.

 

You undoubtedly won't have access yet to this amazing fruit, but

other good sources of this vitamin include acerola, bell peppers,

cantaloupe and pineapple.

 

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra).

 

This herb contains two compounds that are active against flu

viruses. It also prevents the virus from invading respiratory tract

cells.

 

A patented Israeli drug (Sambucol)

 

that contains elderberry is active against various strains of

viruses. At Kibbutz Aza in Israel, a flu outbreak provided a good

opportunity to test Sambucol. Twenty percent of flu sufferers who

used it showed significant relief of fever, muscle aches and other

symptoms within 24 hours, and another 73 percent felt better after

the second day.

 

In three days, 90 percent were reported completely cured. In a

similar group that received an inactive treatment (a placebo), only

26 percent were improved in two days, and it took most of them six

days to feel well again.

 

Publicity from this trial sold more than 30,000 bottles of Sambucol

in Israel within a year.

 

Sambucol also stimulates the immune system and has shown some

activity in preliminary trials against other viruses, such as

Epstein-Barr, herpes and even HIV.

 

Sambucol has just become available in health food stores in the

United States, and you may be able to find it on the shelves at your

pharmacy or local health food store. Next time I have the flu, I

intend to try it. You can also make a tea from the herb itself.

 

Forsythia (Forsythia suspensa) and honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

 

These herbs are the traditional Chinese approach to colds, flu and

other viruses. Reviewing the research, I'm persuaded that they have

real antiviral benefits. When I feel a cold or flu coming on, I mix

honeysuckle and forsythia with lemon balm tea, which also has

antiviral action. I find a hot tea combination of the three herbs

especially nice just before bed.

 

Onion (Allium cepa).

 

Onion is a close relative of garlic and contains many similar

antiviral chemicals. One old folk remedy for colds recommends

steeping raw onion slices overnight in honey, then taking the

resulting mixture at intervals like a cough syrup. Of course, you

could also simply use more onions in cooking whenever you have a

cold.

 

Anise (Pimpinella anisum).

 

Commission E, the body of experts that makes recommendations about

herbs to the German government, endorses aniseed as an expectorant

for getting rid of phlegm. In large doses, it also has some

antiviral benefits.

 

You can make a tea by steeping one to two teaspoons of crushed

aniseed in a cup or two of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then

strain it. Suggested dose: one cup of tea, morning and/or night.

This should help you cough up whatever's loose and also help you

fight the cold. (It also tastes good.)

 

Ephedra (Ephedra sinica).

 

Also known as ma huang or Chinese ephedra, ephedra is a powerful

decongestant. It contains chemicals, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine,

that open up the bronchial passages.

 

Pseudoephedrine works so well that it is used in many over-the-

counter decongestants and inspired the commonly known brand name

Sudafed (an isolated pharmaceutical version of the herb with

multiple side effects). Along with its decongestant action, however,

ephedra is also a powerful stimulant that can raise blood pressure

and cause insomnia and jitters.

 

In fact, within the last few years, a number of people died from

abusing this herb when they overdosed in a misguided attempt to get

high, and the Food and Drug Administration has taken measures to

remove ephedrine supplements from the market.

 

Because of ephedra's stimulant action and those unfortunate

fatalities, this herb is controversial, and some herbalists

discourage using it at all. (Misty- Natural remedies need respect,

hemlock is " natural " too, however, herbs when taken wisely I think

are much safer than their pharmaceutical counterparts- Look at the

JAMA's article that says the 3rd leading cause of death is the

medical system itself!)

 

To me, ephedra is still the herbal decongestant of choice.

 

It is safe when used responsibly, but because of its many potential

side effects, I hesitate to recommend it without this proviso:

Before taking ephedra, please discuss it with your doctor. To be on

the safe side, start with a weak tea.

 

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis).

 

Both antiseptic and immune stimulating, goldenseal reportedly

increases the blood supply to the spleen, an organ that's the

staging area for the fighting cells of your immune system.

 

The major healing component in goldenseal, berberine, activates

special white blood cells (macrophages) that are responsible for

destroying bacteria, fungi, viruses and tumor cells. Several related

chemicals in the herb appear to help the berberine do its job.

 

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

 

Licorice contains antiviral compounds that induce the release of

interferons, the body's own antiviral constituents. Licorice also

has a pleasantly sweet taste that offsets the bitterness of several

of the other cold herbs (goldenseal and willow), so it's good in

combination with them.

 

Marsh mallow: The herbal plant (Althaea officinalis) and other

mallows. Marsh mallow has been used for thousands of years as a

soothing herb for cold-related cough and sore throat and other

respiratory conditions. Marsh mallow roots contain a spongy material

called mucilage that soothes inflamed mucous membranes, perhaps

because of anti-inflammatory and antiseptic compounds that the plant

is known to contain.

 

Commission E endorses marsh mallow, hollyhock and other mallows for

cough and sore throat.

 

Most members of the mallow family, including okra and roselle (the

red in Red Zinger tea), contain soothing mucilage.

 

This son of Alabama suggests that you try--at least once--adding a

lot of okra to your chicken soup.

 

It adds something extra to the soup's cold-relieving benefits.

 

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus).

 

A tea made with mullein flowers provides throat-soothing mucilage

and also has an expectorant effect. The plant reportedly contains

compounds that inhibit flu viruses. I have had good success with

mullein leaf teas as well.

 

Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega).

 

Commission E recommends seneca snakeroot as an expectorant for

reducing upper respiratory phlegm. To make a tea, use about one

teaspoon per cup of boiling water. (This herb is also recommended

for treatment of bronchitis and emphysema.)

 

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra).

 

Finally, the Food and Drug Administration got something right. It

has declared slippery elm a safe and effective throat and

respiratory soother. Slippery elm was a medical mainstay in this

country for more than 150 years and was long listed in the nation's

official guides to therapeutics.

 

The bark contains large quantities of a mucilage that acts

as an effective throat soother and cough suppressant.

 

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).

 

Commission E suggests using two to three teaspoons of dry watercress

to make a tea for treating cold-related runny nose and cough. Or try

an ounce of fresh watercress--it makes a great addition to a salad.

 

Ginger and watercress make a piquant combination. For colds in

summer, when fresh watercress is abundant, I'd suggest combining

them.

 

Willow (Salix, various species).

 

Willow bark is an herbal source of aspirin; the compound salicin,

which is found in willow, is a chemical precursor of modern aspirin

that has a virtually identical effect.

 

Commission E recognizes willow bark as a pain reliever and anti-

inflammatory fever reducer that helps relieve

many cold and flu symptoms, including sore throat, fever, headache

and other aches.

 

Many herbalists recommend the bark of the white willow (S. alba),

but it doesn't contain much salicin--only 0.5 to 1 percent on a dry-

weight basis.

 

Other species contain much more herbal aspirin. These include

violet willow (S. daphnoides), crack willow (S. fragilis) and purple

osier (S. purpurea). If possible, use these more salicin-rich

willows.

 

But in a pinch, you can use white willow. It takes only about a

half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of dried herb made into a tea to provide

100 milligrams of salicin, which should be enough to relieve the

aches related to colds. Remember, though, that if you're allergic to

aspirin, you probably shouldn't take aspirin-like herbs, either.

 

Also remember that you should not give either aspirin or its natural

herbal alternatives to children with colds.

 

Garlic-and-onion chicken soup.

 

I heartily agree with the folkloric tradition that hot, spicy

chicken soup is good for colds and flu. Just make sure you use lots

of garlic and onions. And along with your vegetables, throw in some

ginger and hot red pepper.

 

Good food--and good medicine.

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/34.cfm

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

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