Trough the years many of us got together and made a compilation of our researches. Many in our group are well qualify and because we are conscious that some antiviral or immuno-modulator medicines will be scarse and as always expensive, we have looked at old ways of curing illness and look via universities and medical databanks what was the active component of those products. We were not surprised to find out that most of the time there was an active agent within the natural products. But as you know no Company (except Monsanto) can patent nature.
Remember tough to take notice of the warnings given in the text, it is not because it is natural that it is safe, just as with the medicines, we have to read the instructions.
After sharing the benefits of Curcumin spice available everywhere and at a very cheap price too last Sunday Here we will today take a look at different efficient anti-viral replicator herbs and vitamines.
All thanks to Flu Trackers Team that has made extensive research for years now to at least share the knowledge of our Elderlies and its corroboration in labs and Universities.
Snowy Owl
Trough the years many of us got together and made a compilation of our researches. Many in our group are well qualify and because we are conscious that some antiviral or immuno-modulator medicines will be scarse and as always expensive, we have looked at old ways of curing illness and look via universities and medical databanks what was the active component of those products. We were not surprised to find out that most of the time there was an active agent within the natural products. But as you know no Company (except Monsanto) can patent nature.
Sunday's Alternative Medicines Researches
I am not a qualify medic per peer review and occidental standards, I am just an Indigenous Medicinal Man that has done exhaustive studies for decennia’s on traditional medicines used in many cultures and I only promoted those that have managed to be Duly corroborated and Scientific Studies that have managed to be done in what most of the time are Approval Agencies control by the Big Pharma and sometimes Independant University Research.
Do no misunderstand me, I have worked with many patients that were relieved or cured by big Pharma medicines, but I have seen many being put six feet under and get more sick by these "duly pseudo scientifically authorized medicine".The problem in most of the countries is that Scientific Institutions became through decennia’s simple subjects of Big Pharma Budget and Influences and the presentations made to GP's are well done and very convincing, even when it is represent under false allegation (VIOX come to mind).
Snowy
Cross-post with permission from Flu Trackers Inc at www.flutrackers.com
All thanks to Shannon from flutrackers.com
THE LIST FOR HERBS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR FLU
Disclaimer. Do not start taking any herbs, or other listed compounds before checking with your doctor and also doing a quick search to see if any medicines you are taking will interact adversely with any on this list. This is especially true for pregnant or nursing women, the very young and those with chronic medical conditions.
If traditional clinical medical help is unavailable, this section is devoted to preventing infection through traditional and non-traditional means, limiting the damage if infection occurs, and restoring health after infection.
The key to reducing morbidity and mortality is to understand the process of flu infections. The following is a much-simplified version of the process. In the case of avian influenza, it isn't the virus which typically kills, but rather the body's response to the virus that causes death. The over-production of cytokines, commonly called a 'cytokine storm', is responsible for the vast majority of mortality. The body uses cytokines to control infection. Some cause inflammatory response and others reduce the response. Ideally, in a healthy individual the two are balanced. Pro-inflammatory cytokines originate with linoleic acids which are transformed into the omega-6 family of fatty acids, (IL-1) (IL-6) (TNF-a).
There are other pro-inflammatories but for the sake of simplicity these will remain the focus. When you have too many pro-inflammatory cytokines in your system, they start to feed off each other and stimulate yet more production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. When this happens we have chronic inflammation. Or, in the case of a cytokine storm, a sudden, catastrophic production of these cytokines. Countering pro-inflammatory cytokines are anti-inflammatory cytokines. They originate from alpha linoleic acid (ALA). The body converts ALA to omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) and (DHA). Part of the cytokine storm's assault on the body is a disseminated intravasular coagulation.
Taubenberger described the (1918) H1N1 virus as replicating in staggering quantities and with incredible swiftness. The same process is found in the H5N1 virus etiology. In layman's terms, the virus makes copies of itself and then ruptures the cells being used as replication factories. Ruptured cell remnants begin to clog the bloodstream. This in turn initiates the clotting process. Fibrin threads are alerted to repair the damage and clot the wounds. These are small and incredibly tough strands. Normally, they function as a sticky net, but the number of cell pieces overwhelms the fibrin response. Instead of coming to one site and stopping the bleeding, the strands rush through the body acting like scythes, slicing tissue as they go, resulting in internal bloodletting. This then leads to a positive feedback loop: the start of a cytokine storm. More cells are cut and more fibrin is demanded, whereupon still more cells are cut. At some point the fibrin runs out and you bleed to death. Once this cascade starts, there is little that can be done to stop the process. Finally, part of the cytokine storm is evidenced by the release of free radicals. These include super oxide and nitric oxide.
There are various methods to prepare the body to fight the virus prior to and during infection, to reduce the pro-inflammatory response mechanism, and to re-establish good health after infection through the use of vitamins, fatty acids, micro-nutrients,herbs and other supplements.
Before and During the Pandemic
There are some things you can do even before you see the first sign of a virus to increase the body's ability to fight off the disease. Vitamin and mineral supplementation is an obvious start to preparing yourself for possible infection. Other substances to include are the cranberry juice, the whole berries of barley, garlic, green tea. NAC is a valuable addition as its action is cumulative. Some attempt should be made to insure balance between omega-6 and omega-3. After, the virus has gone h2h and there is immediate danger of infection, resveratrol should be added to the daily list of substances.
Cranberry juice inhibits the viruses ability of adhesion to host cells. Drink daily to limit viral adnesion to human host cells.
Whole berry barley is an immunomodulator. Eat daily in multiple grain breakfast cereals (9-grain cereal is a good example), boiled barley salads, and hot side dishes.
Take a broad spectrum vitamin pill daily and supplement with a few specific vitamins and micro-nutrients. The purpose here is to reduce morbidity so finding the minimum daily requirement is not what we are looking for. Rather we are looking for the optimal requirement:
Vitamin A: Necessary for cell membrane stability. Deficiency impairs immunity. 10,000 units/day. Good sources include winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes.
Vitamin B: Aids stress reduction, esp. B-12. Stress reduces the body's immune response.
Vitamin C: Helps prevent inflammation, prevents free radical damage. Found in citrus fruits, tomatoes. 1,000-2,000 mg/day.
Achieve a healthy balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Most Western diets are already high in the linoleic acids or omega-6 family of fatty acids. An increase in these would be counter-productive.
ALA is converted to omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) and (DHA)which are essential fatty acids. They lower cytokine destruction in tissues by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish (mackerel, salmon, trout, tuna), flax seed, oregano oil, borage oil, and some green vegetables.
Omega 3, 3 g./day or, flax seed 2 tablespoons/day
Diets are frequently short of the following micro-nutrients because of soil deficiencies.
Zinc: Critical for immune function. A deficiency leads to an imbalance in pro/anti-inflammation cytokine production. A good source of zinc is pumpkin seeds. Zinc supplements should be taken on an empty stomach as food interferes with uptake. 10-25 mg./day
Selenium: Most populations are deficient in selenium. This is another necessary nutrient for cell function and immune response. Antioxidant, essential for healthy immune response. 90 mcg/day (never exceed 200 mcg/day because of toxicity)
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC): A mucolytic, anti-oxidant. Loosens mucus, increases blood gas exchange and available oxygen. If you take this, you must drink 6-8 glasses of water/day to prevent the formation of cystein renal stones. 600 mg/2-3 x's/day
Herbal Supplements
The following are valuable for their anti-viral activities. All may be started prior to infection and all should be taken after infection. The resveratrol must be ingested either before exposure or immediately after infection occurs.
Garlic: Contains allicin, a potent antiviral, immune booster. Fresh garlic contains far more allicin than does aged dry garlic. Three quarters of a teaspoon/day of fresh garlic. Or, for a typical dose of a commercial preparation 600-900 mg/day.
Green tea: antiviral, anti-diarrheal. 300-400 mg/day
Quercetin: antioxidant that inhibits adhesion of molecules during inflammation, anti-viral. 200-400 mg/2-3 x's/day
Ginger: Fights inflammation, reduces nausea, possibly useful as an anti-viral. 100mg/day
Resveratrol: This is a compound commonly found in raw peanuts (boil just prior to eating), red wines, esp. those using stressed grapes i.e. pinot noir and two herbs, Japanese knotweed (polygonum cuspidatum) and Chinese skullcap (scutellaria baicalensis).
Resveratrol has shown significant ability to interfere with the viral replication process. Bioavailability is low when ingested (eaten or drunk). To keep plasma levels elevated it must be taken several times per day. Snacking on boiled peanuts throughout the day is one method. Resveratrol must be started either prior to infection or within 6 hours of infection to have any effect.
Curcumin: Is the most powerful herbal immunomodulatory supplement known. It significantly reduces the pro-inflammatory response. Bioavailability is low if taken alone. Caution: people suffering from gallbladder or stomach problems should be careful of use of curcumin. Also, it may cause bleeding in those using blood-thinners. 300-500 mg/day.
Curcumin taken in conjunction with biopiperin increases bioavailability. Biopiperine also increases the bioavailability of a number of other drugs. 300-500 mg/day of curcumin taken in conjunction with 5-10 mg./day of biopiperine. Do NOT exceed this amount of biopiperine due to toxicity. Some experts say that biopiperine is not necessary and that most of the studies done, used only curcumin and still indicated signiicant immunomodulation.
List of antivirals and other important herbs used as teas. Use one teaspoon per one cup boiling water of any of the following. If you want to use more than one of the herbs listed below at one time, the ratio should be one tespoon per one cup of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for 15 30 minutes prior to drinking. Use honey as a sweetener if over the age of one. It too is an antiviral.
bromelain (eats the spikes off the viral coat)
nettle, (prevents the manufacture of prostaglandins, also useful for coughs)
lemon balm (viricide and sooths nasal passages)
skullcap (scutellaria baicalensis, anti-inflammatory, and antihistamine, aids in treating allergies or allergic rhinitis, particularly when used with stinging nettle)
polygonum cuspidatum ( called Hu Zhang in Chinese, contains resveratrol a neuraminidase inhibitor, difficult to absorb through the gut this should allow it to be taken up directly into the bloodstream hence, bypassing the first pass through the liver)
Verbascum, (hemagglutinin inhibitor)
Tea or juice additive
garlic, (viricide) fresh and very gently simmered in tea or added to fruit juice, tomato juice.
Recovery
Post-flu
Probiotics. Replaces gut flora lost or imbalanced due to illness.
All of the following modulate immune function. Some also trigger increases on the omega-6 or pro-inflammatory side of the immune equation. Because of this do not use these during flu infection. Use after flu infection or during any other normal illness. Also, some of these should not be taken if you are at risk for, hormone-responsive cancers. Those include, licorice, astragalus, and reishi mushrooms.
Astragalus membranaceus. Typical dosage of astragalus is from 1500 to 3000 milligrams. Dosage should be divided into smaller does during the day rather than one large dose, or anywhere from 2 to 20 grams of the root, or a teaspoon of the tincture daily.
The following 4 are all members of the mushroom or fungi family. These are typically powdered and added to soups. One teaspoon/ cup of soup. Or, may be taken in capsule form.
Chitake (program prevents normal spelling, replace the C with an S, mushroom)
Cordyceps sinensis, (mushroom)
Ganoderma lucidium (Reishi, mushroom)
Grifola frondosa (Maitake, mushroom)
Bovine Lactoferrin (follow direction on package)
All of the following are herbs. Please check to see that none are contra-indicated before taking.
Echinacea Childrens dosage: Adjust by weight. Typically,
dosage is 1/2 the adult dosage over the age of 7 and 1/4 under the age of 7.
Use alcohol-free preparations for children.
Adult: 1 to 2 grams dried root or herb, as tea
2 to 3 mL of standardized tincture extract
200 mg of powdered extract containing 4% phenolics
Tincture (1:5): 1 to 3 mL (20 to 90 drops)
Licorice root:
Crushed Licorice Root: 5 to 15 grams (about 1-1/2 to 5 teaspoonfuls)
Licorice Extract: 0.5 to 1 gram for sinus and throat inflammations; 1.5 to 3 grams for ulcers
Licorice Tea: 1 cup after each meal
The following should be on everyones prep list unless you are allergic to the substance.
raw peanuts (boiled just prior to eating for resveratrol, anti-viral)
whole barley seeds (immunomodulator)
cranberry juice (inhibits adhesion of virus preventing replication)
pumpkin seeds (zinc source, immunomodulator)
garlic (anti-viral)
canned fish (immunomodulators)
tomato products (immunomodulator, vitamin C source)
either 9 or 6 grain hot cereal (B vitamin source and immunomodulator if the mix contains barley)
green or black tea (anti-viral, immunomodulator)
Link to herb and drug interactions. http://www.eclecticherb.com/...
Benefits of Compound in Turmeric Spice Studied
By Rosalie Marion Bliss
May 21, 2009 There may be a new way to spice up your weight loss routine, according to results from a new animal model study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists and colleagues.
The researchers theorized that dietary curcumin could stall the spread of fat-tissue by inhibiting new blood vessel growth, called angiogenesis, which is necessary to build fat tissue. Curcumin is a bioactive component in curry and turmeric that has been consumed daily in Asian countries for centuries without reported toxic effects.
The study was led by nutritionist Mohsen Meydani at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Mass. Meydani is director of the HNRCA's Vascular Biology Laboratory.
Eighteen mice were assigned to three groups of six mice each. For 12 weeks, the mice were fed special diets. A "control" group’s mix contained 4 percent fat, a "high fat" group’s mix contained 22 percent fat, and another group was fed the same "high fat" diet supplemented with curcumin. A mouse typically eats about 3,000 to 3,500 milligrams (the weight of about six or seven paper clips) daily, so the curcumin-supplemented mice would have consumed about 1.5 to 1.75 milligrams of curcumin daily—a relatively small amount.
The researchers recorded the body weight and food consumption of the mice twice each week. At the end of the 12-week period, their total body weight and fat distribution were measured.
The study found that supplementing the animals’ high-fat diet with curcumin reduced body-weight gain and total body fat, even though food-intake was not affected, when compared to the nonsupplemented high-fat-diet group.
The curcumin-treated group also had less blood vessel growth in fat tissue. Blood glucose, triglyceride, fatty acid, cholesterol and liver fat levels also were lower.
At this time, it is not known whether the amount of curcumin normally present in food dishes prepared with turmeric is sufficient to inhibit complex fat-tissue secretions that are involved in recruiting new blood vessel growth. The researchers’ next step is to determine the effectiveness of dietary intake of curcumin in reducing weight in humans.
The study results were published in the May issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/...
From nomadic wench
Quote:
Massachusetts General Hospital
Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of colds, flu
Large-scale study supports potential role in boosting immune system, more research needed
Vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, report investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children's Hospital Boston.
In the largest and most nationally representative study of the association between vitamin D and respiratory infections, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and emphysema. The report appears in the February 23 Archives of Internal Medicine.
"The findings of our study support an important role for vitamin D in prevention of common respiratory infections, such as colds and the flu," says Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, UC Denver Division of Emergency Medicine and lead author of the study. "Individuals with common lung diseases, such as asthma or emphysema, may be particularly susceptible to respiratory infections from vitamin D deficiency."
Complete list for 6 months pandemic preparedness per person
At http://www.flutrackers.com/...
Antioxidant-Polyphenols in fruits inhibits flu virus
At http://www.flutrackers.com/...
Food storage preps from Mellie
At http://www.flutrackers.com/...