Beat the swine flu virus by boosting your immune system with natural cures!

With all the craziness going on with swine flu, I thought I’d take a different approach. Yes, the swine flu is bad and has killed many people, but it is STILL just a flu, and the best way to PREVENT a flu (or a cold) is to have a strong immune system… Not having the right medicines to cure yourself in case you get it. Avoid this from the start and you’ll be better off, you know what I mean?

The average person has between 2 and 3 severe colds each year, while the average child has between 4 and 8. That’s amazing! And the worst part is that some people have had a cold for so long that they think it’s NORMAL… It’s not! There is nothing normal about getting sick, it means you have a weak immune system and you could catch any virus easily. Instead, you should have a strong immune system that prevents you from EVER getting sick… THAT’S normal in my opinion.

So how are we going to do that? Well, I have a list of some of the best herbal remedies that are known to help boost your immune system and help keep it strong all year long. These immune system boosters are fairly inexpensive and can be taken as a preventative measure. Also keep in mind that if you do manage to get sick, these remedies will help you recover much faster. On with the list…

elder

Also known as Sambucus, it is a species of shrubs or small trees. Found primarily in the northern hemisphere, elderberry has been used to treat flu, sinusitis, and colds for hundreds of years in folk medicine. There was a study done in Norway where researchers took 60 patients suffering from flu-like symptoms and did a randomized double-blind placebo test. 93% of the patients who were treated with elderberry were symptom free within 2 days, and those who received the placebo took up to 6 days to recover.

How does it work? It contains antioxidants called flavonoids that have been shown to boost the immune system along with anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Add in the fact that elderberry has been shown to be safe for both adults and children with no known side effects and you have a WINNER! Just remember that not ALL forms of elderberry have been shown to work, only true elderberry extract has been shown to be effective… So if a company comes up with something like “Elderberry Toast Spread” to help treat flu symptoms, send a hate message your way, because you are just getting ripped off.

licorice

You either love or hate these things… This includes licorice and candy flavors. But when you’re sick, I think you should suck it up, buttercup. Licorice is a known anti-inflammatory, antipasmodic, expectorant (expels mucus) and demulcent (helps soothe a sore throat). Quite an artist then, isn’t he? You can take licorice in powdered form (the root) or as an extract. As expected, this is POWERFUL… So don’t take it for more than 5 weeks because it can cause your kidneys to retain water and sodium and lose potassium. Moderation is KEY here.

Echinacea

A species of plants that are commonly known as echinacea. These plants are native to eastern and central North America. Echinacea is HOT right now, there are a plethora of products out there that promise to help you get rid of cold and flu-like symptoms in days. After some personal use, I have found that echinacea on its own is moderately effective, but taken together with, say, elderberry or licorice it has a much more dramatic effect. If you ARE planning on combining these things with anything else… You do so at your OWN risk.

So how does this work? It has three bioactive ingredients that boost the immune system: alkylamides, polysaccharides, and cichoric acid. Again, this is best taken in a standardized extract from . The good thing about echinacea is that it is good for both preventative and therapeutic treatment. A study published in Clinical Therapeutics found that people taking Echinacea reduced their chances of catching a cold by 55%. I’ll take that!

Astragalus

Another species of about 2000 types of herbs and small shrubs, and also known by the following names: Huang Qi, Bei Qi, Hwanggi, Milk Vetch. The yellow root of this plant is where the medicinal properties lie, so a bit of root extract is what you are looking for. The antiviral properties of this herb work against certain types of infections such as: the common cold, herpes simplex, coxsackie virus, and parainfluenza. It is also used for impaired immunity and as an adjunctive cancer treatment. Studies have been done and show that astragalus increases the number of stem cells in the bone marrow and lymphatic tissue; improves the production of immunoglobulin; macrophage stimulators; and activates T cells and natural fighter cells. I CAN SEE supplement companies trying to isolate the key ingredient that has been shown to stimulate T cells. Sometimes being able to see into the future is quite entertaining.

active lifestyle

Before we get to our last natural immune system booster, please know that the most important immune boosting technique is: AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. I insist on this over and over again, and it is something that I instill in everyone. Regular exercise and proper eating habits have NO substitute. A strong body has a strong immune system, and combining that with these herbal immune boosters will make you unstoppable.

Check out this amazing free mini-course exercise book for an amazing exercise routine that will help you reduce fat cells, build lean muscle, along with nutritional tips to help keep you energized throughout the day.

reishi mushroom

Finally we have mushrooms! OK, so maybe this isn’t the same sort of thing, but it’s used a lot in TCM (for over 2000 years to be exact!). Composed of complex carbohydrates such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and different amino acids, it is supposed to calm the mind, restore emotional balance, improve immune function, and can be used as a preventative treatment. Water-soluble polysaccharides are the main ingredient known to have anti-tumor, immune-boosting, and blood-pressure-lowering effects. You get this stuff in powder form and it can be taken as directed.

There you have it, your personal army to defend you against any type of flu; be it pork, wine, dinner… Whatever. It is always better to be safe than to find a “cure”. Health!