Building an herbal medicine cabinet for cold and swine flu season

Building an herbal medicine cabinet for cold and swine flu season

The headlines say “swine flu.” We hear the horror stories about the risk groups, many people don't want to get the flu vaccination or give it to their children. What are our decisions? No one has said much about natural medicine alternatives in this heated debate. My son just got over swine flu and I can tell you it wasn't an easy experience. Was he very sick? Was he scared and asking me if he was “going to die”? Yes. He had a slight fever, which rose one day, and he had a slight congestion. Otherwise, he slept soundly every night and recovered within a week. While he was sick, he was prescribed TamiFlu (the whole family took it). I also treated him before his illness because I knew it was coming, and I continued to treat him with herbal remedies throughout his illness to help the healing process along.

Like many other Americans, I have a chronic health condition (migraines) but am hypersensitive to medications. That's why I don't take prescription medications unless I really need them. Over the last 25 years, I have created a library of herbs and natural medicine out of necessity. What I have now is an herbal medicine cabinet that I use frequently to boost my immune system. I am not a doctor but a layperson who has found herbal remedies that work for me and my family. Here's what I learned and the products I use for cold and flu season.

Europeans and German Commission E.
Europeans are far ahead of us in terms of herbal treatments, where it is common to use herbs and traditional medicine in an integrated approach to treating diseases. Germany had a herbal equivalent of the FDA called German Commission E, which required the review of all conventional drugs, medicinal plants, and phytomedicines (medicines made from plants) by scientific committees. Over the course of two decades, scientists, doctors and specialists in their pharmacology industry have authored 1,000 scientific publications. By 1997, the German Commission E had listed over 800 substances (mainly herbs), recommending the use and dosage for each substance. You can find much of Commission E's findings in a book written by an American botanist named James A. Duke, Ph.D., called The Green Pharmacy. Duke worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture “mapping” herbs for most of his career. He is considered “the world’s leading authority on herbal healing.”

Brand quality is important
Here's what I learned from The Green Pharmacy and the many other resources I've used over the years, including advice from traditional and alternative medicine professionals, extensive reading, and research online. First and foremost, brand quality is important when buying herbs. One of the best herbal brands on the market is Enzymatic Therapy. Most of the products Enzymatic Therapy makes are combination herbal formulas (combining two or more herbs) for specific foods. My favorite Enzymatic Therapy product is called Air Power, an expectorant that contains guaifenesin and fenugreek. Fenugreek is the main ingredient because it enhances the effects of guaifenesin. This product thins and loosens mucus and clears the respiratory tract. It is hands down the best product I have ever found for bronchitis and for eliminating any type of chest congestion.

The other brand I use the most is Solaray because it is a great, high quality brand that is inexpensive yet works very well. I use Solaray brand for most of my other herbs, including Golden Seal, which is the next medicine cabinet staple.

Golden Seal Root is an herb that was used centuries before the discovery of antibiotics. Long-term clinical studies in Germany have shown that Golden Seal activates special white blood cells (macrophages), which are responsible for the destruction of bacteria, viruses, fungi and tumor cells. This herb gives you a one-two punch as it fights bacterial infections while building the immune system. When you combine Air Power and Golden Seal Root with AirBorne, yes the same AirBorne designed by a teacher to boost your immunity, you have an arsenal that can help fight respiratory illnesses.

Antivirus
I've always been told that if you have a virus it's running because there's not much you can do. Not true. I found out that there are many antiviral herbs that help your body fight viruses by boosting your immunity. The best non-prescription antivirus I've found is called Blockade. It contains ViraBlock (elderberry), which prevents viruses from entering human cells and prevents viruses from multiplying. It starts working as soon as it hits your tongue in a diamond shape. I cured my elderly mother of an oncoming train wreck of illness last winter after she refused to leave her cold apartment for three days following an ice storm!

Soothe a cough
A study published several years ago cited research showing that over-the-counter cough medicines do nothing for a child's cough. Okay, tell us (moms) something we didn't know. How many nights did you sit with your sick child while he coughed until he got sick? Here is the solution – Frankincense & Myrrh Cold and Flu Protection Oil. Remember how your mother rubbed Vick’s Vapor Rub on your chest and how miserable you were all night. This product is a rubbing oil that you massage into your child's feet (you can also use it). It boosts immunity; It's antibacterial and antiviral and will keep that cough at bay all night long. Miracles happen.

Flu medicine
I haven't had the flu since 1986. I order a homeopathic flu kit every year. You can buy these in different forms, but the one I get contains four vials and you take a disposable vial every week for four weeks and you're done. These kits won't be available until mid-October because companies make the formulas similar to flu vaccines - with tiny traces of virus so your body builds immunity to the virus and can fight it off. You can find these at http://www.elixirs.com I'm waiting for mine now as I sit and watch quietly while all the hysteria about the swine flu vaccine swirls around me.

Dosages
Dosage is particularly important with herbs and this is where you as a consumer need to do your homework. Remember, herbs are extremely mild compared to over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications. Through many years of research, I found the dosage that works for me - that's three capsules three times a day instead of the one to three tablets per day suggested on most labels. If you don't take enough, the herb won't work. Consult a doctor and do your research. For any other mixed formula remedy like Air Power, I follow the labeling instructions because mixed formulas are more potent than single herbs. The most poisonous herbs are not on the market and never have been in Europe. If you take multiple prescription medications, you must ask your doctor about possible herb-medication interactions.

Are herbs safe?
I am often asked if herbs are safe. I'll call the expert, Dr. James Duke, Ph.D. Talk about this with a direct quote from his book: "To benefit from using herbs, you need some basic background information...This is no different than conventional medicine...First, get the right stuff. Unless you are absolutely sure of an herb's identity, don't take it. Of course, this applies mostly to people who pick herbs in the wild." He continues, "Most Americans assume that the of Medicines prescribed by their doctors are undoubtedly better than herbal medicines. I have specialized in medicinal plants for most of my 30-year career as a botanist and have personally seen medicinal herbs successfully treat conditions that high-tech pharmaceuticals could not touch. “

Why I use herbs
People often ask me, “How do you know all this?” I have two answers; The first is that I have always been curious, and the second is that I have a chronic illness (as I mentioned before). I'm like a dog with a bone. I searched for a solution for years and learned a lot about everything that has to do with natural medicine. I still get occasional migraines, but I've been able to live a much healthier life with herbs.

And in case you didn't know, Americans spent a whopping $15 billion on herbs and supplements in 2007 (the most recent stats). However, this only includes products tracked in health food stores, if you add non-traditional routes like grocery stores, drug stores, etc., it is estimated that the herbal market is growing at a whopping 79.5 percent per year! With that in mind, another piece of advice is essential - never buy your herbal product from a grocery store or drugstore - the brand quality is terrible and you will waste your money.