We are into February now and it’s prime flu season. Many of our kids here in central Vermont are having the week-long flu experience. Mostly recommended is rest and fluids, as well as symptom management to keep the fever under control and deal with the cough. Another virus that has everyone on edge right now is the newly seen coronavirus. Most of us are just hearing about this from media sources rather than experiencing the threat ourselves, like we are the flu. As we go about our daily lives, it’s hard to imagine those scared in China right now or those quarantined in the US and in other countries.
Optimize Your Immune System
My thinking is that now is a good time anyway for us to focus on keeping our immune systems strong and to be aware of a few antiviral herbs that may be wise to put into the body more than usual. We know that stress hormones can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system. Stress can seem out of our control, but we each can make some choices to minimize stress. That may be to plan for extra time in your day to get to appointments or for meetings. There may be a lot on your plate at work, but decide what is realistic for you to accomplish today and face the next task tomorrow. Or address a troubling issue with someone in a thoughtful way. Rather than focus on the stress of not having enough money in this moment, choose to let it go for now while taking any action that you can. This is part of keeping your body healthy in order to deal with any threatening viruses that you may be breathing in.
It’s also a time to get an extra hour of sleep. That probably means getting into bed an hour earlier. Rather than watch the extra show or read longer, decide that your body can use the extra rest and hopefully your brain follows. Good amount and quality of sleep will further ensure your immune system is prepared to protect you. This is like spending an hour on Sunday shopping to stock your house with the food you’ll need for the week. Managing our stress and getting enough sleep are logical, preventive steps to help you stay healthy through the season as others are coughing around you. And if you do get sick, it should be a less severe illness if you are taking these preventive measures.
Antiviral Herbs
The research on the following few herbs has shown that they particularly stop the reproduction of viruses and they also have a boosting effect on the immune system.
- Elderberry is a commonly found antiviral herb, sometimes mixed with honey and made into syrup. We happen to have a large elderberry bush in our yard, which produces nice purple berries in the summer that can be boiled and made into syrup. This berry is common around Vermont so it’s easy to access elderberry syrup locally. You can take it preventively during this flu season.
- Echinacea is another easily accessible herbs that is helpful to be taking now. The chemical compound in the plant, called echinacein, inhibits viruses and bacteria from entering our cells. Hence, it is advised to take daily during the cold and flu season to reduce the chances of being overcome by the infection.
- Oregano is a common herb that is native to the Mediterranean region. It’s a good idea to add this to your diet right now, but even better is to use the distilled oil. It has a strong antiviral effect, also antibacterial and antifungal. The compound within this herb called carvacrol has been extensively studied to observe its potent antiviral properties.
Another common herb is garlic, my personal favorite antiviral food to eat daily. I typically saute it with scrambled eggs or roast it with dinner. Cooking garlic destroys some of the chemical compound called allicin, which has the antiviral properties. So chewing up a small raw clove or infusing it with olive oil may be more ideal. I remember reading how many of those who survived the bubonic plague in Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s ate garlic regularly during that time.
There are other herbs to mention, but lastly, here I’ll remind you of astragalus root. In Chinese Medicine, this herb has been used for centuries to support the immune system. I add it to herbal formulas regularly in my practice for my patients, but it can also be found as a single herb in capsules at our local coop or herb stores. This should be taken if one tends to have weakened immunity, commonly getting colds in the winter, the flu, even seasonal allergies. But it’s also helpful to take as a preventive while many are sick in your environment.
To Your Good Health
I hope these suggestions help you feel prepared and more confident as the season moves forward. My experience is that extra rest, minimizing stress, and using supporting food and herbs can often prevent or minimize the experience of typical viral infections.