Natural Remedies for Flu
- Ralph Quinlan Forde BSc Hons MA
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
The flu season is upon us once again and ED departments are getting swamped.
With new strains of flu coming to the public attention and fears of contracting flu, there is no better time for giving your immune system a boost naturally to ensure it is in the best possible shape for taking on nasty winter bugs.
We become more susceptible to flus and colds when our immune system is not working to optimum performance, and each winter season brings a range of new flus to test our defences.
The immune system itself is one of the most complex and fascinating biological systems of the human body, the main function of which is to protect the body against infection and cancer.
There are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold and flu, and usually the signs of infection strike 18 to 24 hours after the virus enters the body.
So here are some very simple and effective ways of both boosting your immunity so that you can escape infection.
These will help bring about a really quick recovery, which is especially important for the older generation who are more vulnerable to other, potentially fatal, health conditions should they contract a virus.
To make sure that you do not end up there try some of these natural remedies.
Some are to help you and your immune system defend you against catching flu and others to help ease the symptoms if you do.
Echinacea Root Tincture - Dr Dilis Clare Galway
In a 1998 Swedish study, echinacea was found to be effective in 78 per cent of people, reducing symptoms of cold and flu by an average of 63 per cent.
Much of its scientific popularity is due to its ability to stimulate the body to produce interferon a very powerful anti-viral protein.
The effect from echinacea is short-lived and so people taking it must be on a dosage of 20 drops of a tincture daily through the duration of the flu season, but not more than six weeks.
This herb is also known for its ability to protect throat cells from bacterial infection.
PhyterBerry Aronia Berry Juice - Irish
New Season PhyterBerry Aronia Juice is a pure natural cold pressed organic juice made from Aronia Berries in Ireland, with Irish Spring Water added. This juice is a blend of Irish Organic Aronia Berries from DerryDuff Farm in West Cork, along with Organic Berries imported from a family farm in Poland.
Aronia berries have an exceptionally high polyphenol content. Polyphenols are plant compounds that act in powerful, interconnected ways across your body and are now recognised as essential to optimal metabolic health, from blood sugar regulation to inflammation and energy.
Starting this two weeks before flu season is a good preventative and lots of scientific evidence supports this.
Zinc - Immunity Essential Mineral
Zinc is necessary for the functioning of the immune system as it is a component in much of the biochemistry of the body.
Every cell in the body needs zinc to function correctly and it is a major ingredient in the fight against infection.
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are very high in zinc.
Garlic - Natural Antibiotic
While widely used in the treatment of heart disease, garlic has also been shown to have stronger antibiotic power than penicillin and tetracycline.
The organs associated most with garlic are the lungs. No matter where you rub garlic on the body, what is absorbed will mostly be found in the lungs; hence garlic breath.
So if you develop a chest infection, you should try and take one clove of crushed raw garlic a day until the infection ceases.
Elderberry Juice - Natural Tonic for Flu
A study found that people who took elderberry recovered more quickly from flu, with 93 per cent of men and women reporting an improvement within two days. This may be in part due to the high levels of vitamin C the berries contain and phenolic compounds
The Best Homeopathic Flu Medicine - Boiron Oscillococcinum
France’s number one over-the-counter remedy for colds is a homeopathic medicine derived from fresh duck’s liver and heart. The homeopathic medicine is so dilute that not even a molecule of the duck remains. Over 5 million packs of this remedy are used in France each year.
Critics of homeopathy say that the medicine is no more than the placebo effect —psychological factors causing improvement unrelated to drug therapy. However, Dr David Reilly of The Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital led a team of scientists who compared placebo and homeopathy in four trials conducted over 15 years in patients with allergies such as hay fever and asthma.
All four studies showed a greater effect from the homeopathic medicine than from the placebo.
Overall there have been over 200 trials and over 70 per cent of these conclude that homeopathy is better than placebo. This scientifically proves the effectiveness of this safe medicine used successfully now for centuries.
Honey Lemon Ginger Tea - Tonic Tea
When I was in Darjeeling the people there used this as a very effective remedy for flu and chesty infections. Get yourself a thumb size of ginger, a whole lemon, 60 ml of honey and a litre of boiling water. Chop the ginger to fine pieces and lemon and add to a pot with 60 ml of honey. To this add 1 litre of boiling water and let infuse for about five minute's after a quick stir.
You can add two or three cloves and cardamon if you like. The cloves will kill virus and the cardamon according to ayurveda removes dampness.
Ecohomme Clearing Mist - Aromatherapy
When you need to clear the air - why not try our aromatherapy clearing mist made with
essential oils of :
Eucalyptus
Tea Tree
Lemongrass
Thyme
Clove
The room spray has a lovely natural scent that people remark on.
Mindful Beauty Chesty Stuffy Aromatherapy Massage Oil
For stuffy noses, congestion and chesty coughs, rub Chesty Stuffy to the upper chest and lower throat. Made with natural eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oils, perfect for when the cold weather comes! Contains essential oils commonly associated with clearing congestion and boosting immunity.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils & Flu Virus
Vimalanathan et al in The University of British Columbia in 2014 saw that, ‘we evaluated several EOs and some of their major constituents for their possible anti-influenza virus properties in both liquid and vapor phases.
In vapor phase Citrus bergamia, Eucalyptus globulus, and the isolated compounds citronellol and eugenol were very active against influenza virus following exposures of only 10 minutes.
Bergamot oil is effective against flu viruses as a vapor after just 10 minutes of exposure.
Eucalyptus oil shows anti-viral activity as a vapor.
Red thyme oil is effective against flu viruses as a liquid phase.
Cinnamon leaf oil also shows antiviral activity as a liquid.
Tea tree oil is effective against the flu virus within 5 to 10 minutes of exposure, as found in another study.
Lemon balm is also shown to prevent the avian influenza (bird flu) virus from reproducing.
Even in the academic Journal of Aerosol Science and Technology Pyankov et al state, ‘Over the initial 15 min of the experimental run, the viral inactivation in the ambient air reached 40% with following decrease of the number of live virions over the remaining 45 min of the experiment.
The final inactivation of viral particles was around 95% over the entire experimental time.’
They only used tea tree and also eucalyptus.
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