HERB - Herbal Cold & Flu Care

Gaylin Walli gwalli at infoengine.com
Thu Jan 21 12:28:11 PST 1999


Baroness Leonora asked:

>What herbal preparation do you take when you feel something
>coming on?

That depends. :)

The first line of defense for me always increasing my vitamin C
intake just below the point where my body flushes it (there's a
good description of how this works in Balch & Balch's "Prescription
for Nutritional Healing"). Dr. Andrew Weil has some well
documented secondary information in one of his publications on
megadoses of vitamin C used during hospital stays and in hospital
stays requiring surgery and the statistically significant
differences (on the side of those taking the vitamin C) supporting
its use. There's a lot more online if you search for it.

Different ways to boost the immune system are always in the
forefront of my mind when I start feeling crummy. The way I go
about treating them very much depends on what's going on my
life at the time. I try to get more sleep. I eat hotter foods,
usually with more garlic. I brush my teeth more (and not just
because of the garlic).

But if I can't get the echinacea and goldenseal into my body,
my current favorite tea to drink is elder flowers, peppermint, and
yarrow flowers. Best taken when the very first of the "hot and
crankies" start, use equal parts, maybe a teaspoon or less each,
two pints boiled water, 7 minutes steeped. Teacup drunk, every
4-6 hours or so for 2 days. All old world plants, so that makes
it even better. :)

>What is your favorite herbal symptom relief?

For the start of the cough, that annoying drip and bit of sore
throat, I take a syrup of horehound, thyme, and lemon balm. It
eases the throat from any coughing and at the same time thins
the mucus similar to the thyme and fenugreek that  Mistress
Christianna talked about in her message. The thyme will act as
an excellent antibacterial as well. The point of this is: don't
try to suppress the cough. Your body is doing it for a reason.
Instead of supression, make it easier to cough.
  If anyone is interested in it, I have some explanation of why
sugars are good for you in terms of bacteria. A little more
on the scientific bent, but good, nonetheless.

For serious tummy upset, hands down it would have to be a Nux Vomica
homeopathic preparation, but I've been unable to find any period
reference to it other than it probably originated in India.
(Note: it *is* a poison) If anyone has some hints, I'd be happy
to hear them.

For general upset stomach, catnip and lemon balm. For anxiety,
catnip, lemon balm, and chamomile (assuming it's not for me, in
which case, take out the chamomile).

For mild to middlin' diarrhea, slippery elm (with a little pau
d' arco if I have it) 1 oz to 1 pint boiled water, steeped for
10 minutes. Both are New World plants, though, which is just
too darn bad. I have an Aztec Herbal on order, though, and I'm
hoping there's some information in that.

>What is your most effective "Old Wives Tale" cure?

Chicken soup. Hands down. And you know what? It's got a
very good chance of being period. No lie.

Moses Maimonides (Moses ben Maimun or Abu Amran Musa) was a Jewish
philosopher born of Spanish Jewish parents at *Cordova* in 1135. He
moved to Old Cairo, Egypt, in 1165 where he received the office of
court physician.

I have a secondary reference that in his medical writings he advocated
the use of chicken soup for colds. The translated quote I have
(I don't have the original Hebrew) says that chicken soup is "an
excellent food as well as medication." I have yet to be able to track
down the original source for this quote. If anyone has any leads
that would be FANTASTIC.

>Any other info you would like to share with me would be greatly
>appreciated.

Where would you like us all to start? :)

Jasmine
jasmine at infoengine.com
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