HEALTH: Use nature to beat swine flu

Tackling Flu – Swine or otherwise


Nurturing
Sabine Hiller*

The swine-flu has been around for quite a while now, and while it appears that most of those infected get over it pretty fast and there’s no need to panic, you don’t want to ignore it either.
Like the seasonal flu, it transmits easily from person to person through droplets from coughing or sneezing or by touching something with the flu virus on it and then transferring it to your mouth, nose or eyes. 

Symptoms
Here’s a recap of the main symptoms (and no, ‘breaking out in rashers’ is not one of them!) - Sudden fever over 100F or 37.7C plus some of the following:
>  Sore throat
>  Extreme fatigue
>  Lack of appetite
>  Cough
>  Headache
>  Body aches and chills. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also common.
Prevention
Prevention tips include washing your hands more regularly, especially when in public places. If you are in an area with confirmed cases, it can be an idea to carry a packet of alcohol wipes with you, to use after touching doorknobs, handles and other public surfaces. Otherwise try to stay in good general health – eat nutritious food, manage your stress, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. In this way you will be more likely to stave off an infection and even if you should get it after all, be better able to fight it. If you think you are infected, stay at home, go to bed, and treat it like you would an ordinary flu. If those ordinary measures don’t seem to work or you are concerned in any other way, ring your GP (but don’t go to the surgery!).

Natural solutions
Herbs can help both in terms of prevention and getting over the infection itself. Anti-viral plants prescribed by medical herbalists include Echinacea, Andrographis, St John’s Wort, various medicinal mushrooms and many other herbs that help with flu and cold symptoms. Two herbs suitable for self-medication are garlic and elderberries.
Garlic has anti-viral actions and supports the immune system. Trials have shown that it helps to prevent colds and flus when taken on a daily basis over several weeks or months. A raw clove of garlic or two taken daily – crushed onto your vegetables, salad  or mixed into yoghurt and eaten with a bit of toast – can help prevent viral infection. Taking three to nine cloves daily (if you or yours will bear it!) can help shift the most tenacious chest infection! However, as garlic is a bloodthinner, if you are on Warfarin or Heparin, high doses of garlic may be contraindicated.
Elderberries are great for treating feverish colds and flus as they have anti-viral, immuno-modulating, and anti-inflammatory effects. Elderberry syrup has been shown to reduce the duration of flus by almost 60 percent. The following recipe can easily provide you with a simple and effective home remedy, but consult your doctor if you are on immunosuppressant medication.
As with any other wild-harvested plants, it’s important to only pick where you know no pesticides have been sprayed and not to over-harvest. In the case of elderberries – remember to leave some for the birds! And when you go to the garden centre next winter, buy a few elderberry trees instead of ornamentals and you’ll have your own supply of delicious elderberry syrup as well as providing for the wild life in your garden!

Elderberry syrup
>  Pick 1 kg of elderberries. Remove any unripe berries, stalks and leaves, wash the ripe elderberries and put into a pan with a little water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1/2 an hour until the berries yield their juice. Halfway through the process you can add 1-2 inches sliced fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick
>  Strain and press through a fine sieve or muslin (possibly leave to drip overnight).
>  Measure the resulting liquid and return to the pan with 500g sugar for each litre of juice. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
>  Bring to the boil for 5 minutes.
>  Strain, bottle and store in the fridge.
>  Take 1-2 teaspoons every 2 hours in hot water when acute, then 3 times a day until better.

*Sabine Hiller BSc (Hons) MIIMH MNIMH is a qualified medical herbalist practicing in Westport, Co Mayo.