Are there herbs you can take to stay healthy against flu, colds, etc.?

Question

I want to include more natural herbs into my diet and my childrens diet....I want to shy away from "unnatural" things that may short term make you feel better, but in the long run destroy your immune system...weren't we created with the ability to fight off sickness without the unnatural things today?

Answer 1

man... I just yped this whole message and accidently deleted it. here I go again:

Black elderberry (sambucus nigra and not sambucus canadensis) syrup is amazing at preventing the flu. The bottle says to take so much, but that is if you are already sick. I use less than the direction say to PREVENT the flu. My mother, brother, father and I have not had the flu for FIVE years now.

healthfood stores and meijers sell it. Sambucol is the biggest brand but there are others that are cheaper. I personally stock up from here, because it is cheaper and they combine shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Elderberry-Extract-100-Juice-Concentrate-8-oz_W0QQitemZ110068439513QQihZ001QQcategoryZ19262QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

This site gives MANY details on HOW and WHY it works. So far, it is the most comprehensive place I know of. I have searched to back up the sites credibility and it does seem to be reputable:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/WolfDogCircle/Herbs/elder1.html

We are also going to grow this plant ourselves. I am still doing research on making our own syrup (it is poisonous until it is boiled at a certain temp). I am buying the seeds from here:
http://www.treehelp.com/shopping/product-detail.asp?Product_ID=1847

Black elderberry is not good for kids though.
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In case you dont already know. Essential oils can help out here too. Tea tree and Eucalyptus are tow of several anti-virals. When put in a bath or in a electric.candle diffuser, we breath them in, both helping us when we are sick or preventing us from getting sick. The molecules enter our blood stream. They should never be ingested though. Also, one needs to research which ones are safe with kids, what the proper kid dosage is, and what ones are safe for adults because some dont mix well with certain pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes, pregnancy, nursing mothers, high/low blood sugar, or epilepsy.

Sythetic chemicals in disinfectants we use in our home are really counterproductive to our health. Sure they kill the germs, but, breathing them in or having them soak into our skin harms us, lowers our immune system and makes us more suceptible to getting things like the cold or the flu... So, I disinfect my house (even the floors) with essential ois. Some good ones are lemon eucalyptus, and pine, but there are others. And, your helping the environment by going natural.

Also, antibacterial handsoaps arent the way to go. It is causing viruses to become immune. I know the name is silly, but I buy Dr. Bronners soap from health food stores. One type already has tea tree oil in it. It has eighteen different uses. It is cheaper to buy online. Amazon has it for like 32 oz for 8-9 bucks, whereas 16 oz cost the same price at a health food store on average. IT is completely ORGANIC TOO! a little bit goes a LONG way, as it suds up amazingly. I put some in a soap dispenser and add ALOT of water. I dont even have to push the dispenser down all the way to get enough to clean my hands. You can also use it to clean/disinfect the floor. door knobs, etc.
(Type this into the amazon.com search: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap...... You can then change it to find peppermint, lavender, tea tree, etc.)
Hope this helps!
sammie

Answer 2

In regards to the herb, Echinacea, you must take it something like 2 weeks on and 1-2 weeks off in order for it to work. It eventually will not do you any good if you take it non-stop for days on end. I do feel like this herb helps to prevent colds if you take it during the winter months. Lots of Vitamin C everyday may not prevent a cold, but I think it would help in shortening a cold - - - - and Zinc also.

I make it a point to keep a bottle of anti-bacterial hand gel in my car and in my purse. I use it every time I come out of a store and after I fill up at a gas station (after handling the gas pump). The grocery cart handles are also full of germs - - - and so is just about everything else in public! So . . . . next time you are at a restaurant and the waitress wants to refill your beverage from the pitcher she is carrying in her hand . . . . make sure the pitcher doesn't touch your glass or cup! Just think, that same pitcher may have touched many other glasses or cups where people have had their mouths!!!

Answer 3

Onions and garlic incorporated into the diet, help with immunity. Also rose hip tea for its natural vitamin C content, Elderberry tea, jelly or wine, for its virus combating ability.

Astragalus is a good immunity builder, mostly available in capsules but you may find the sliced roots in an herb shop. Selenium and Zinc are both important to the immune system. Also foods rich in EFAs, like nuts, seeds and beans.

Supplement with flavored Cod Liver Oil (do not exceed recommended dose) or Evening Primrose Oil.

Stay away from sugar, as it is known to have an immune suppressing effect.

If you find yourself catching one cold after another, consider an herbal lymph cleanser called Lymphatonic, made by Herbs, Etc. in New Mexico and available online or at some health foods stores. My daughter, who is a nurse, uses it every winter.

Answer 4

You can concentrate on a good diet of fresh fruits and veggies that will give you and your family a good source of most vitamins. Most docs also recommend you take a multi-vitamin (I like Dr. Taubbs available at QVC and online) and get about 10 minutes of sunshine a day for vitamin D, which your body cannot store. Fruits and veggies of color are the best: dark leaf-veggies, pumpkins, squash, etc. One of the best things you can teach your family is to WASH THEIR HANDS and provide them all with hand sanitizers. This is the most effective way to prevent illness. Use store buggies, wipe the handles off with sanitizer or alcohol prep and sanatize your hands after shopping. Don't use public ink pens, carry your own. This action alone will prevent multitudes of illness. Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds - you can sing a little song for 20 seconds (I do Yankee Doodle) and dry them. In public restrooms, take the hand towel and dry your hands, THEN turn off the water with the towel. Keep it till you go out of the door, use it to open the door before you throw it away. Hope this helps your family; this was a great question! Godloveya.

Answer 5

I swear by getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated, and keeping stress levels low. Including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your children's diet also helps. Finally, encouraging kids to be physically active will boost their immune systems.

It seems like every day someone suggests a super herb that later is scientifically proven to have little or no effect. If you make sure your children are already doing the above things, then they are as healthy as they can be.

Answer 6

I'm not exactly sure what herbs are in Airborne (http://www.airbornehealth.com/), but it's all herbal supplement and they have one for kids. I would recommend it to you because it helps the cold within hours. You can find it local drugstore at Wal Mart, Walsgreen, or CVS.

We were created to fight it off, but with modern technology, the sickness and diseases gets strong because they become smart and recognize how to fight the medicine, thus, making humans more vulnerable to more deadly sickness. I think that everyone wants to live, thats why they take the medicine, because if there wasn't any medicine, there would be a lot of people that should have been dead long ago.
I hope my answer have been helpful!

Answer 7

Fruits of gooseberry, either fresh or dried ones are best bet against flu or cold. These are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants which develop your immune system.
Another good option is basil leaves. I am not sure what these contain but these too are very effective. Put some in your morning tea and you will feel better.
Last but not the least is the turmeric either raw (eeek) or in a curry (All Indian curries have this as main ingredient) Science has proved this to be wonder spice now.

Answer 8

Alfalfa called medicago is a best herb which contains vitamin A,B1,B2,C,D,E and K , isoflavounoid phyto alexins including pterocarpans,isoflavonc phytoestrogens formometin and coumestrol and alkaloids asparaginc and trigonclinc.
The alfalfa tonic is available along with alfalfa, avena sativa, china, hydrasties and tissue phoshours. If your purse permits you can take in tonic form available with any of the homeopathic stores. Nowadays alfalfa tonic also is available with ginseng herb which is considered as a wonderful herb in china and korea.

If you can not afford buying tonics then you can go for mother tinctures of alfalfa and genseng mix them and use 10 drops daily in the morning to fill you with energy and requirments. It also devlop the defence mechanism of the body.

occassionally you can take five phos powder(homeo stores) for any seasonal ailments.

Ocimum sanctum is an antiviral liquid .......that acts against all the viral invasions. you can take it occassionally.

for all skin ailment aloevera is a best application which you can grow a plant and apply.

THRIPHALA CHURNA in aurveda available in india in any ayurvedic stores is a best herbal powder takes care of you in all aspects.you can take 2 or 3 tea spoons of it daily during sleep with milk or water.

Answer 9

Every year for a number of years (I'm 45 now) I would get sick with the flu, coughs, colds, fevers, hay fever, you name it I seemed to get it. A friend of mine told me about something that came out in August of this year that was being called the miracle juice. I said, yea right and now I say, WOW. Since I started drinking 4 oz of this juice every day (Sept 5th) I have not gotten sick. I am also off of my blood pressure and my cholesterol medicine but of course I still have it checked but so far so good. It's worth a try as I am glad that I finally tried it. Best wishes to you and your family

Answer 10

1000mg of vitamic c, aka Ester C, if you feel a cold of flu coming on, take a couple drops of oil of oregano in a gel cap. hope this helps