I’ve been following the swine flu news with great interest, partly because of questions that people keep bringing me with concern for their children and themselves. As a homeopath, I’m especially interested in prevention and treatment. The swine flu (H1N1), although a pandemic by the narrow definition of being unusually widespread, is a relatively mild virus, unlike the deadly pandemic of 1918. But since it’s already widespread, it certainly seems worth preparing for. It’s a good time to support our immune systems and stock up our medicine chest with home remedies. I spoke with a few of Southern Humboldt’s alternative practitioners to compile information on approaches from our different traditions. I’ve collected quite a number of promising suggestions for avoiding and combating the flu and other coughs, colds and viruses that abound in the winter.
Prevention
Each practitioner I spoke with emphasized the importance of vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin, important to the immune system) for prevention of flu and other wintertime ailments. Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise, probably from indoor lifestyles, and avoiding sun exposure through sunscreen use or covering up. Some research indicates that adequate vitamin D levels correlate to a smaller chance of getting the flu. This modest research got a big boost this year from Dr. Adit Ginde’s 2009 research study of 19,000 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a random cross section of the U.S. population. His research team found that in every season, people in the lowest vitamin D group were about 36 percent more likely to be suffering a respiratory infection (like flu and pneumonia) than those in the highest group. The protective effect is dramatically stronger for people with pre-existing respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.
It’s easy to get deficient in vitamin D in the low light months of the year. Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to midday sunshine, March through October in Humboldt County. You also get vitamin D in food, mainly fish and fish oils; and it’s added to commercial milk. If you’re not maintaining your vitamin D blood level through the low light months (November through February) you can supplement with cod liver oil or manufactured supplements. The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 400 mcg, though many practitioners and some studies recommend more. (Excess vitamin D can leach bone minerals, so don’t overdo it.) You can find out your vitamin D level by having your practitioner order a blood test. Or you can get inexpensive testing by joining the vitamin D deficiency study at http://www.
grassrootshealth.net. On this Web site, you’ll find more information about recommended levels of vitamin D and its protective effects in preventing infections, cancer and other conditions.
A second research-validated method for prevention of winter colds, coughs, and flu, recommended by local naturopathic doctor Peter Stern, is daily intake of friendly intestinal bacteria supplements (probiotics). Peter cites recent research published in Pediatrics, a standard Western medical journal. In a double blind placebo-controlled study, researchers found that 3-5 year olds in a daycare setting who were given a combination probiotic with acidophilus and bifidobacterium had 73 percent less fever, 62 percent less coughing, and 59 percent lower incidence of runny noses compared to the placebo group. The length of episodes of fever, cough and runny nose was also significantly shorter (by 48 percent) in the group receiving the combination probiotics.
From the world of homeopathy, the remedy Influenzinum (made by the Boiron homeopathic pharmacy from each year’s strain of flu) is used as a preventative. Naturopath Peter Stern and his office staff use this remedy every year, and he recommends it based on clinical experience.
For general prevention of winter ailments, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, says Peter, emphasize tonifying the energy of the lung meridian during the time of change from summer to autumn. This might involve recommendations of herbal combinations, specific foods, and Qi Gung exercises. A common over-the-counter combination from this tradition is Jade Screen, a three-herb formula. In a similar vein, homeopathic practitioners recommend individualized treatment of the whole person (while not sick) to reduce susceptibility to colds, coughs and flu.
Western herbalism also has preventive botanicals. Medical herbalist Sarah Murray recommends Echinacea, especially the flowering tops of Echinacea purpurea. Unlike Goldenseal (another prominent herb good for the flu, which should be taken in briefer courses), Echinacea is safe to take all winter for prevention. Sarah recommends Western Botanical Medicine’s own Echinacea Triple Blend tincture in half-teaspoon doses 1-2 times daily for prevention as it contains the flowers as well as the root.
And a word to the wise from Nancy Peregrine, nutritional consultant, who says that one teaspoon of a sweetener can slow down immune activity 6 hours. She says, “Even one soda can make your immune system sluggish.” Yet another incentive to eat those fruits and veggies and steer clear of the junk food! Nancy also likes to supplement with selenium (deficient in many soils, including our local soils), a natural anti-viral mineral and vitamin C, as much as 4-6 grams daily if a bug threatens. Sarah emphasizes food sources of C, suggesting “getting plenty of vitamin C from fresh fruit, especially orange juice, 4-8 cups daily.” Nancy (like Sarah) likes to use botanical anti-virals and suggests elderberry, olive leaf and, of course, garlic to fend off the winter bugs. Garlic is also touted by Peter Stern, as well as allicin, a garlic derivative.
Treatment
As with Western anti-virals for the flu, many alternative practitioners recommend that treatment begin as soon as you experience the beginning of flu symptoms -- this is where you’ll get your best results. Unlike with Western antivirals, however, where you must wait to see a doctor and get a prescription, alternative practitioners recommend a number of different inexpensive and safe over-the-counter products that you can have in your home cupboard or buy easily off the shelf.
Peter, Nancy and Sarah all describe the virtues of elderberry, variously preferred in tincture, syrup or tea. Sarah says, “Elderflower as well as Elderberry are antiviral herbs that also help to dissolve the mucus so often associated with respiratory viruses.” She points out that mucus can induce a secondary bacterial infection, which then lingers longer that the flu itself. She says that in addition to being anti-viral, elderflowers also fight fever. She points out that elderflowers and elderberries actually taste quite nice, and recommends 1 tablespoon of each to a cup of boiling water 1-2 times a day for herbal cold and flu season protection and treatment. Other treatments favored by our local practitioners include Tri-Quench (an iodine product, Nancy’s favorite -- look for her Thursday afternoons at Chautauqua, and she’ll give you details and a handout) and Goldenseal tincture (Sarah’s suggestion). Sarah says that Goldenseal helps to normalize the mucus lining of the upper respiratory and gastro-intestinal systems. Like elderberry/elderflower, she says, it helps to prevent secondary bacterial infections.
As a homeopath, I’m especially enamored of the dramatic effect a well-chosen homeopathic remedy can have on an incipient flu or other infection. The choice of a remedy must be based on specific symptoms (no one-size-fits-all flu remedy -- the remedy must be suited to the specific characteristics of the specific strain of flu). The remedy stimulates the body to mount its own immediate and accurate defense. I am still sometimes startled by the speed with which a remedy can turn the tide. Homeopathy has an impressive track record in treating the infectious epidemics of the past, including cholera and typhoid fever. It also had tremendous recorded success in treating the great flu pandemic of 1918. A single dose of a remedy that has been successfully chosen for a given strain of virus can be used as a preventative for people who have been exposed.
Although to get a well-targeted homeopathic remedy you must either consult a homeopath or a homeopathic home treatment guidebook, one remedy stands out, the hard to pronounce but easy to take Oscillococcinum, which has earned its place on the grocery shelf. A number of studies have shown that Oscillococcinum seems to shorten the duration of the flu. For good results, this remedy should be taken at the first onset of flu symptoms.
Each of the practitioners I spoke with had much more to say than I could include in this article, and there are many good practitioners I did not interview. I have not spoken of the many stress-reducing and immune enhancing practices available to us, including yoga and various forms of bodywork. I hope the reader is inspired to learn more about the wealth of alternative healthcare offerings. Don’t forget to pay attention to the health of your immune system now, and stock your shelf with a selection of these remedies, many of them time-honored, many confirmed by research, all confirmed in the clinical experience of local practitioners. Be prepared to treat at the first sign of illness or exposure!
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