Natural Cures For The Flu: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know

Flu typically affects 20 to 50 percent of the U.S. population each winter. The flu virus can linger in the air for as long as three hours. In close quarters, conditions are ripe for the spread of the virus. That explains why the highest incidence of the flu is in 5- to 18-year-olds, who spend much of their time in school, in close contact with their classmates.

The most serious complications occur in older adults, however. Do not give aspirin or other "salicylates" to children or teenagers with symptoms of a cold or flu. Don't bother taking antibiotics to treat your flu or cold; antibiotics do not kill viruses, and they should be used only for bacterial infections. Overuse of antibiotics has become a very serious problem, leading to a resistance in disease-causing bacteria that may render antibiotics ineffective for certain conditions. According to a National Survey OTC cough and cold medication sales totaled 3.2 billion dollars in 1995, That's no surprise, considering Americans endure about 1 billion colds each year. The "experts" will use fear to motivate people to get a flu vaccine, but this is yet another healthcare illusion.

Let's be clear, flu can definitely be a killer disease and is not something that should be easily dismissed. But, remember that flu shots don't prevent illness--never have, never will. The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness. And the side effects of FluMist, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever, sound just like the symptoms of the flu. If you decide to get the nasal flu vaccine, you will get not only a live flu virus in each dose but also table sugar and MSG, which are fraught with their own problems. If you take the shot you may get mercury as an added bonus.

1) Detoxify your digestive tract and liver/gallbladder now. Disease often begins in the digestive tract and the liver is the main filter of the body. When either or both of these are sluggish then your body can be ripe for illness. This will prepare your body to readily be able to absorb, utilize and transport the good food and supplements that you will be using. It is good to do this in the Fall and in the Spring. After cleansing and detoxification make sure that you continue with an effective spore-bearing probiotic.

2) Eliminate all sugar. A teaspoon of sugar can bring the immune system down for up to 6 hours. Natural, healthy substitutes for sugar are stevia, agave nectar and Xylitol. It is best for you to satisfy your taste buds with fresh, organic fruits. Be sure to eat the whole fruit. Juicing your fruit will cause your insulin levels to spike.

3) Change your diet. Your immune system will flourish on a diet of organic fruits and vegetables. Two raw salads a day will help to provide you body with much-needed vitamins and nutrients. Incorporate soups and stews into your diet. If you eat meat make sure that it is organic and free-range. Cook with organic, unrefined coconut oil (try to consume 2 tablespoons daily) and for salads use organic, unrefined, cold-pressed olive oil. Try to stay away from pre-packaged foods and those foods that are canned or bagged. Purchase organic, free-range eggs and organic butter. Substitute pasteurized/homogenized milk with almond milk. You can also bake/cook with almond milk.

4) Eat a clove of garlic every day. Garlic acts in the body as a natural antibiotic. You must smash the clove in order to realize the immune enhancing properties.

5) Drink half your body weight in pure water every day. Our body is 95% water. We must put back what we eliminate through breathing, sweating and urination. Water helps the kidneys to continually flush toxins from the body. Make sure that you are drinking pure, clean water. I recommend distilled or Wellness Water with organic apple cider vinegar.

6) Exercise every single day. Exercise not only helps with blood circulation and to keep unwanted pounds away but also can help with depression. Exercise helps to move the lymph system, which will in-turn move toxins from the body. Walking outdoor will help your body with Vitamin D production. For those who don’t experience a lot of sunshine it is recommended that you supplement with Vitamin D under the care of a health professional.

7) Adequate Sleep. Almost 80% of the population is sleep deprived. Sleep is necessary for our body to repair and heal. The body does the most healing between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. There is no such think as catching-up on sleep as once it is lost—it cannot be regained through marathon sleeping. Getting adequate rest allows the immune system to repair and be in top condition.

8) Take a good organic multi-vitamin/mineral formula + Vitality Vitamin C which allows high dose without gastric upset. Unfortunately eating organically doesn’t always protect us in a perfect manner. The soil conditions and the fact that herbicides and pesticides are carried through the air makes it necessary to supplement with vitamins that our body may not be receiving from our food intake. I have found one that I consider the "Cadillac" when it comes to providing the body with everything it needs to continue in health. Take at least 1-2 grams of Vitamin C daily in divided doses.

9)  Vitamin D-3.  Studies now indicate that making sure Vitamin D levels are adequate can help people to avoid the flu or at least allow for a shorter duration of symptoms.  In the July 2005 FASEB Journal, Adrian F. Gombart of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his colleagues reported that vitamin D boosts production in white blood cells of one of the antimicrobial compounds that defends the body against germs. I highly suggest performing a baseline Vitamin D serum test in order to determine if there is a need for supplementation.

10) Wash your hands frequently. Wash your hands in the mornings, after every meal, after all outings, after shaking hands with people, after each trip to the bathroom and before bed. Teach your children to do the same. Do not use antibacterial soaps. The antibacterial compounds found in most of these soaps sold in the United States are likely contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Use a good all-natural soap from the health food store. Wash with warm water and use a nailbrush along the nail line and in-between fingers. Make sure that you keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth.

11) Eliminate toxic stress. Repeated stress is one of the main causes of a suppressed immune system. Learn to manage your stress with meditation, deep breathing, walks in the sun, good music, Yoga, Pilates and removing yourself from negative situations. Refuse to allow anyone or any situation to make you stressful. There are natural supplements that you can incorporate to help with stress such as Lithium Orotate, Max Stress B or SamE.  If you live in the Houston area, call us and inquire about the NanoSRT for stress reduction. 

1) Hydrogen Peroxide. In 1928 Richard Simmons, M.D. hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter through the ear canal. The medical community dismissed his findings. According to Dr. Simmons, contrary to what you may think or have been taught about how you catch the flu or the cold there is only one way that you can catch the two, and that's via the ear canal not through the eyes or nose or mouth as most have believed. We have found good results in curing the flu & cold within 12 to 14 hours when administering a few drops of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) into each infected ear, (sometimes only one ear is infected) The H2O2 starts working within 2 to 3 minutes in killing the flu or cold; there will be some bubbling and in some cases mild stinging occurs. Wait until the bubbling & stinging subside (usually 5 to 10 min) then drain onto tissue and repeat other ear. A bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide in 3% solution is available at any drug store for a couple of dollars. Although this method is perfectly safe for infant/children to use, the loud bubbling and stinging frightens them, they'll need someone they trust to put the hp in their ears. (Don’t get h2o2 in the eyes- if you do, flush with water).

2) Colloidal Silver. Colloidal Silver is anti-bacterial and anti-viral. It has an antibiotic effect on the body.  Many of the silvers on the market today are not prepared properly. Call your healthcare professional for therapeutic dosages.

3) Oregano Oil. Oregano Oil can be as an effective pain reliever as morphine. Place 1 drop of oregano oil in 1 ounce of warm water. Make sure that the oil is dispersed. Place 1-2 drops of the mixture in each nostril and sniff. The mixture will burn for about 30 seconds. This will help to break up sinus congestion. Do this 3-4 times daily and before bed. To take orally drop 3-5 drops in a veggie cap and take with food three times daily. Oregano Oil is also anti-bacterial and anti-viral.

4) Vitamin C. Make sure that it is ascorbic acid. Capsules and liquid are best. Take up to bowel tolerance in divided doses. Taking the recommended dosage on the bottle will not be enough—for preventative purposes, double or triple it. If sick, divide the dosage and take some every hour---up to 5 grams daily. I highly recommend Vitality Vitamin C.

5) Drink lots of freshly juiced vegetable juice and pure, clean water. Flooding the body with liquids will help to flush out toxins and will also give the body added enzymes (helps with inflammation and pain) and nutrients.

6) Lauricidin. Lauricidin® is a concentrated mini-pellet (~30 mg) of sn1 (3)-monolaurin. Lauricidin® is nontoxic and does not interact with most drugs or supplements. Lauricidin® is bioactive therefore the exact amount that you need for optimal health depends on your diet and genetic makeup. Hierholzer and Kabara (1982) first reported the antiviral activity of the monoglyceride of lauric acid (monolaurin) on viruses that affect humans.. They showed virucidal effects of monolaurin on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses. This work was done at the Center for Disease Control of the U.S. Public Health Service. This study was carried out using selected virus prototypes or recognized representative strains of enveloped human viruses. All these viruses have a lipid membrane. The presence of a lipid membrane on viruses makes them especially vulnerable to lauric acid and its derivative monolaurin. These initial findings from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) have been confirmed by many other investigators. 

7) Zinc Orotate. When using zinc lozenges it is important to recognize that they need to be sucked on, NOT swallowed, and smaller doses taken more frequently seem to work better. Suck on a quarter lozenge every 30 minutes. If started early, this approach seems to work well for the majority of people. One caution: if the lozenges make you nauseous they should be stopped immediately as this is a sign of zinc toxicity.

8)  Grapefruit Seed Extract. A quaternary compound, grapefruit seed extract is converted from bioflavonoids (naringin, isosacuranetin, neohesperidin, hesperidin, dihydrocampherol glycoside, poncirin, quercetin glycoside, campherol glycoside, apigenin rutinoside, etc.) that are found in grapefruit seed and pulp. GSE is a plant-based germicidal that has proven to have a strong growth-inhibiting effect on bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Because GSE is extremely low in toxicity for humans, plants, and animals, it is becoming the the preferred treatment by those needing a broad-spectrum antimicrobial without the common side-effects that are associated with pharmaceuticals.

9)  Quercetin or NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine).  For sinus issues, congestion and stuffiness. Quercetin is a natural anti-histimine bioflavonoid, shown to support the immune system, support liver health, reduce congestion, reduce allergies and reduce sinus congestion. NAC helps to thin mucus and lesens sinus congestion.

10)  Boswellia Serrata (wildcrafted).  Boswellia Serrata is actually Indian frankincense. Boswellia Serrata is known among herbalists as a treatment for arthritis, inflammation and joint health. Boswellia Serrata shows natural anti-inflammatory activity at sites where chronic inflammation is present by switching off pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators, which initiate the process. For aches and pains along with inflammation, Boswellia Serrata is a good choice. 

If you take preventative steps now you will be doing yourself a huge favor. Make sure that you are prepared if the flu happens to hit you or a family member. When the immune system is at a peak level then the "down time" and symptoms should be minimal. Talk with your family about the suggestions in this article and then implement as many as possible. You will be glad that you practiced prevention!

Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP is a Doctor of Naturopath, Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Clinical Herbalist and Founder / CEO of Oasis Advanced Wellness located in The Woodlands Texas. A cancer survivor, educator, author and seminar speaker, she counsels Oasis Advanced Wellness clients about the aspects of getting and keeping the body healthy and also develops customized natural health programs.  A self-taught formulator, she is also involved in researching new natural medicine treatments and products/supplementation. Dr. Lanphier is Editor and contributor to the worldwide Free E-newsletter Advanced Health & Wellness. Be sure and visit our natural skincare site Oasis Serene Botanicals.