Many herbs have a long, well-documented history as helping the boody through stressful times, especially during disease. This article looks at the most important and effective immune-boosting herbs, that are most likely to help the body through any viral disease, such as flu.
There are three key immune-boosting herbal remedies: astragalus, Siberian ginseng, and echinacea root.
Astragalus
This is a classic Chinese immune-building, vitality tonic. Research has shown that astragalus stimulates the immune system in many ways: it increases the number of stem cells in bone marrow and lymph tissue and encourages their development into active immune cells. (1) It also enhances the body's production of immunoglobulin, stimulates macrophages, and can help activate T-cells. But note that some herbalists believe that astragulus is best used as a preventative, rather than a cure once flu has set in.
Herbalist Michael Tierra recommends making a herbal syrup from astragalus, but you can just add the herb to stews or soups.
Siberian Ginseng
Siberian Ginseng is held in high esteem in China, where it has sometimes commanded a higher price than gold. Also known as Eleuthro Root, Siberian Ginseng is an 'adaptogenic' herb that helps the body adapt to any situation which would alter its normal function The plant's seven primary eleutherosides have been shown to be responsible for those adaptogenic properties. Siiberian Ginseng helps the body resist viral infections, increases immuno-competent cells (particularly T-cells), and has been shown to increase energy and stamina.
The eleutherosides are a range of glycosides which appear to act on the adrenal glands, helping to support the adrenals and prevent excess corticosteroid production in response to stress. They are also thought to help reduce the exhaustion phase of the stress response and return the adrenals to normal function faster.
In Chinese Medicine, Siberian Ginseng has been used to prevent bronchial and other respiratory infections, as well as viral infections, and is undoubtedly a very useful weapon against severe forms of flu.
Echinacea
Many herbalists use this root as the first line of defence for any form of disease, bacterial or viral. Echinacea vitalizes the immune system, assisting the lymph, adrenal, and thymus glands in their immune activity. It is also a great herb to use in high-temperature diseases, such as all forms of flu, because it does not prevent a high temperature – working with the body to achieve the temperatures necessary for killing viruses and bacteria, but not allowing body temperature to reach dangerous levels. (2)
Most people use Echinacea extracts, one dropperful at a time (15-25 drops) at the first sign on flu. Alternate three days on and three days off for maximum effectiveness.
Pokeweed
Phytolacca Americana, or pokeweed, is another herb that is known to stimulate the immune system - and it’s especially effective against flu viruses (3). But note that the tincture of this root is so powerful some herbalists consider it poisonous. This is a plant to use as last resort, to kick your immune system into its highest gear. The dose is one drop, once or twice a day for no more than a month. Poke root can harm the kidneys if taken for longer than one month.Use with extreme caution.
For information on antiviral herbs, that may be useful in combating swine flu, read more here.
Notes
- The Herb Research Foundation (HRF) LINK: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbs/immune.html
- Susun Weed, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, 1986).
- (Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1980; 17: 1032-3),
