Herbs for use with swine flu H1N1

By Scott Stuart, ACHS Faculty

While offering no guarantees, vitamin D may help keep the swine flu away because it plays a critical role in enabling the immune system to successfully defeat viruses of all kinds. One 2006 study hit headlines when it concluded that vitamin D is effective in fighting standard influenza strains.

Elderberry syrup, or sambucol, a standardized extract of elderberry, has been shown by repeated scientific studies to fight standard strains of influenza. Elderberry appears to reduce the duration of colds and flu by several days. Other studies have shown elderberry syrup to be effective in fighting H5N1 bird flu, which is one of the core components of the swine flu pandemic's biology. Laboratory trials have confirmed that elderberry extract effectively defeats H5N1 avian flu with up to 99% efficacy.

Another ingredient they offer is selenium. In vitro studies confirmed that selenium, like elderberry syrup, can effectively fight the H5N1 strain of avian flu, making it a potentially important supplement for preventing a swine flu pandemic.

Other herbs they say may help include echinacea, goldenseal, zinc, and vitamin C.

DIGESTION
Some say that the flu “begins in the gut and ends in the gut.” This means that if you have good digestion, you will increase your resistance to this and other flu strains. Take a probiotic daily. Live probiotics are available in natural food stores, and probiotics are now more widely available in grocery stores, such as in yogurt culture and even in chocolate.

HOMEOPATHY
The homeopathic remedy Anas Barbariae is made from the liver of migrating geese. Because they travel the world, they build immunity to many viruses years before humans do. Be sure to get the 2009 version by checking the expiration date. In addition, the remedy Ferrum phos is effective in treating the early stages of the flu when used within the first 24 hours, and the remedy Influenzinum can be taken as a prophylaxis. This remedy is made from the same disease strain as the CDC uses to make each season’s flu vaccine.

LIFESTYLE ADVICE
1. Get Plenty of Sleep. To improve your resistance to any disease, the most important thing you can do is get enough rest. Your body knows how to heal, and it does this best when sleeping. Get adequate rest on a daily basis, and if you begin to feel fatigue during a time of increased stress to your immune system, take naps, get into bed earlier, relax and let your body do what it does best: restore and rebuild.

2. Hydrate. Our bodies are 80% water. Drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated and to allow the body to flush toxins from the blood and the liver. Drink pure water, not soda or juice, for best results.

3. Exercise. Exercise increases your resistance to disease. It stimulates the cleansing blood flow and increases your natural stress reducing hormones. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be beneficial. Science has shown that walking daily is good for your health and well-being.

4. Spend time outdoors. The healing benefits of nature are yours and all you need to do is step outside. The fresh air cleanses your lungs and the vitamin D from sunshine is great for general health. Even on a rainy day or at night, the fresh air is beneficial.

>> To read the full-length article, go to: http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=189

>> For more information about herbal medicine and holistic health classes, visit: www.achs.edu

Prince Charle's New Detox Product Toxic?

According to a press release posted March 23 by the American Botanical Council:

On Friday, March 12, ABCNews.com’s Health section published a story on the controversy surrounding detoxification now brewing in the United Kingdom. The American Botanical Council’s Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal is extensively quoted in the article.

The controversy is related to the launch of a new line of herbal products by Duchy Originals, a company that promotes organic and sustainable food production, founded by the Prince of Wales in 1990.^1,2 The new herb line, Duchy Herbals, was launched in January 2009.² So far Duchy Herbals includes an Echinacea-relief tincture (containing the root of Echinacea purpurea), a Hyperi-lift tincture (containing St. John’s wort, Hypericum perforatum), and a Detox tincture containing artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaf and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root.

The ABC News article was stimulated by an article in the UK containing criticism by Prof. Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, a widely-cited author of clinical trials and systematic reviews on complementary and alternative medicine modalities, of a detox product.

For the sake of perspective, it is constructive to know that the Echinacea-relief and Hyperi-lift tinctures are the first herbal tinctures produced in the United Kingdom to be registered under the Traditional Herbal Products Directive (THMPD), a recent regulation applying to all European states.² The THMPD allows herbal products to be registered under medicines law. To earn a license a company must submit a complete file to the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) containing extensive evidence of a product’s traditional use, safety, and quality.

However, the detox tincture requires no such licensing from MHRA because it is classified as a food supplement. The “detox” product is intended to aid people in the removal of toxins from their bodies. [...]

The article quotes Blumenthal and Dr. Lee as follows:

Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the Austin, Texas-based herbal medicine think-tank American Botanical Council, said that part of the thrust behind the detox movement is the idea that the food supply and environment of today expose people to higher levels of chemicals and pollutants than in the past.

"Many people—rationally or irrationally, correctly or not—believe strongly that they must detoxify their bodies to give themselves that extra edge to get rid of [these chemicals]," he said. "There is probably a healthy and rational basis for some of this, though some people take it a bit too far."

And Dr. Roberta Lee, vice chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, said detoxification as a concept may be getting an undeservedly bad rap.

"Detoxification is a natural process that occurs in the body, though it is not labeled as such in the medical profession," she said. "The idea that detox is a silly notion, I think, is a fallacy."

Blumenthal and Lee were further quoted in the article which can be accessed in full here.

References

¹ Childs D. Prince Charles’ herbal products stir controversy. ABCNews.com. March 13, 2009. Available at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=7071267&page=1. Accessed March 16, 2009.
² Duchy Originals encourages consumers to adopt an integrated approach to healthcare with launch of duchy herbals [press release]. East Twickenham, London, England: Duchy Originals. January 22, 2009.

© 2009 American Botanical Council: http://cms.herbalgram.org/press/2009/PrinceCharlesDetox.html