Health

Keep viruses at bay with herbal medication

Prevention is most certainly better than cure, when you have a business to run. Modern Herbal Medicine has been scientifically proven to boost your immune system to help you avoid colds and flu. Leading London Medical Herbalist Deborah Grant BSc(Hons) reports.

It can be very annoying, when we find ourselves sitting in close proximity to someone in the train, who has a streaming cold and is sneezing the virus into the carriage.

Apparently, the average sneeze produces around 40,000 infectious droplets, which are spread at a speed of around 135ft per second. Bearing this in mind, it’s little wonder that people are trying to find a way to avoid catching colds, flu and other infections.

If you manage to escape infection on the commute, the next area where you could be vulnerable is the workplace. Viruses seem to thrive in this environment and nobody can shake them off. The air-conditioning in aeroplanes can be a source of infection. If we follow all the guidelines in washing our hands after touching door handles and travelling on public transport, have you ever thought about the handling of money?

Scientists from Geneva’s University Hospital were asked by a Swiss bank to carry out a study amid worries that the flu pandemic could be prolonged thanks to the millions of bank notes in circulation. The researchers left small samples of the flu virus on used banknotes, which were then left at room temperature. Although the virus only survived in most cases for a few hours, certain highly concentrated samples proved resistant for several days. In the worst case, if the virus was mixed with human mucus (mimicking a cough or sneeze) on the banknote, it could survive for two and a half weeks. It’s not always possible to wash our hands after handling money so we should avoid touching our mouth or nose to help avoid infection.

Stress has also been proven to have a negative impact on a person’s immune system. Indeed, many people who suffer from recurrent infections reveal that they have been suffering long-term stress. How many times have you gone down with an infection after a period of stress? When the body is helped to deal with the effect that stress has on it, immune function is invariably improved.

With the acknowledged overuse of antibiotics and the amount of stress, a lot of people are under, particularly in these times of economic troubles, it is hardly surprising that a lot of us have a chink in our armour, which allows infection in. A suit of armour needs maintaining and our immune system is no different.

Deborah Grant’s Herbal Recommendations
If your stress has been just short-term, there are excellent herbal supplements which I recommend and provide on my website (www.herbalist-medicine.com). Stress End, Rhodiola & Ginseng Complex or Withania Complex are all excellent herbal products to help your body deal with stress.

However, if you know that your stress has been long-term, then you have probably been living on adrenaline for too long and your adrenal glands need some support. This can be safely and effectively done with modern Herbal Medicine. To just lower your stress levels would be a purely symptomatic treatment and would not address the root of the problem, which is adrenal insufficiency. It would be a bit like building a house without putting the foundations in first.

I see many patients, who have suffered long-term stress, at my clinics and they are always surprised at how effective herbal treatment is, and how well they feel within a relatively short time. Exercise is also encouraged to help beat stress, even if it’s just a brisk twenty minute walk every day.

So once the stress levels are taken care of, we can look at ways to enhance our immune system. There are several invaluable medicinal plants, which can enhance immune function. The most well known herbal support for the immune system is Echinacea, yet it is both misunderstood and underestimated. Scientific research at the cutting edge of modern immunology has now validated the traditional way Echinacea has been used for the immune system.

It’s worth noting that it has also been scientifically proven that most over the counter Echinacea products are ineffective. This is because they do not contain the root of the plant, which is where the active ingredient to boost immunity is found. Some products that do contain the root, do not contain enough of the active immune-boosting ingredient. So if you pick up Echinacea that is the wrong part of the plant or doesn’t have enough of what’s necessary to boost your immune system, you will be wasting your hard earned cash.

The good news is that there is an effective formulation of Echinacea, which has been clinically tested, and is safe enough to be taken daily as preventive medicine. Scientifically produced Echinacea is suitable for adults and children aged 6 and above. It also helps children to avoid catching so many colds at school and then infecting their family. If you would like to help maintain your immunity and that of your family, you may like to consider your lifestyle, diet and stress levels and take scientifically formulated Echinacea. It will help to ensure there is no chink in your armour. As a qualified Medical Herbalist, I highly recommend Echinacea Premium tablets, which are available on my website, to help prevent colds and flu.

Another immune-boosting tip to help keep viruses out – take St John’s Wort! Many of my patients are doing just that. Most people are surprised to learn that this herb (pictured above), which has a well earned reputation as an anti-depressant matching the efficacy of pharmaceuticals in clinical trials, is also anti-viral. This makes it very useful to take alongside proper Echinacea to help prevent infection from viruses. Again, it’s important to use a form of St John’s Wort that has enough of the therapeutic ingredient to actually have a beneficial effect. I have seen some over the counter remedies, which are of very poor quality. If you eat well, exercise, get enough sleep and take stress-busting, immune-enhancing herbs, you will be less likely to get a chink in your armour and be infected with a cold or flu virus. Boost your immune system and stay healthy!

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