Antiviral Herbs

The world is under the grip of a new virus. I am sure as any informed person, you are following the covid-protocol- face mask - sanitization -social distancing, and if you see symptoms isolation.

This article is about using natural herbs in our day to day lives to increase immunity. The herbs listed here have been reported to have antiviral properties in addition to other medicinal benefits. Many of them are being explored for prevention and treatment in clinical settings, however their effectiveness against Covid 19 is yet to be determined.

Oregano (अजवायन की पत्ती)

They are an effective antiviral herb. It has been used for hundreds of years to fight infections allover the world. It has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties. It contains high amounts of monoterpenoidic phenols (about 90% thymol and carvacrol) this helps in the reduction of the biofilm formation and growth of food-borne pathogens and even spoilage microorganisms, thus making it a ideal natural choice for food preservation. To get its benefit you can take in:

• Herbal Tea: In a cup take few tsp (1-2) fresh or dried Oregano, fill it with boiling water. And leave it to steep. The duration of steep (5-10 min) depends on how strong you want your tea.
• Oregano Oil: You can also use oregano oil. The oil can be added on salads, soups and stews.

The conventional way of using it as seasoning will offer some health benefits but will not provide the concentrated amounts of antiviral essential oils needed to combat a viral illness.

Chamomile (बाबूने का फल )

There are two types of Chamomile: German and Roman chamomile. German Chamomile has many medicinal benefits. It has been used medicinally to treat sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, and as a gentle sleep aid. It is also used as a mild laxative and is anti-inflammatory and bactericidal.

It has antispasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and some antimutagenic and cholesterol-lowering effect. Chamomile can also speed up healing time of wounds. It has also shown some benefit in the animal model of diabetes. It demonstrates moderate antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and significant antiplatelet activity, as well as preliminary results against cancer. Essential oil of chamomile was shown to be a promising antiviral agent against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

You can take it as chamomile tea regularly ( up to TWO times per day) or as essential oil.

Rosemary (गुल मेंहदी)

Rosemary contains powerful antioxidants which are crucial for preventing cancer, heart disease & premature aging. It also contains essential oils such as cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, α-pinene etc. These compounds are known to have rubefacient (counter irritant), anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-fungal and anti-septic properties.

Large quantities should not be consumed internally, as it can have a toxic effect.

Like Oregano and Chamomile, rosemary too should be taken as tera or essential oil for obtaining health benefits.

References:

• Preuss, Harry G., et al. “Minimum inhibitory concentrations of herbal essential oils and monolaurin for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.” Molecular and cellular biochemistry 272.1-2 (2005): 29-34.
• Chávez-González, M. L., R. Rodrıguez-Herrera, and C. N. Aguilar. “ESSENTIAL OILS: A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO COMBAT ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE.” Antibiotic Resistance: 227.
• Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Marticaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy of generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2009;29(4):378-382.
• Gardiner P. Complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine: chamomile. Pediatrics in Review. 2007;28(4):e16-e18.
• Zeng, Huihui, et al. “Antioxidant properties of phenolic diterpenes from Rosmarinus officinalis.” Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 22.12 (2001): 1094-1098.
• Dörrie, Jan, Katrin Sapala, and Susan J. Zunino. “Carnosol-induced apoptosis and downregulation of Bcl-2 in B-lineage leukemia cells.” Cancer letters 170.1 (2001): 33-39.

The post was originally posted on the site https://imusingz.com/?p=413.

Disclaimer: If you are infected or experiencing symptom, kindly contact healthcare professional. The content given here is just for the information purpose.