How to beat the flu

I found this at herb wisdom.com I think it has some very important information so I wanted to share this with all of you.
How to Beat the Flu!By
Flu Time
Well it’s Flu time again unfortunately! Thankfully so far we haven’t had a major Flu epidemic, such as the dreaded Bird Flu. However any strain of Flu tends to be very unpleasant and can sometimes be lethal, so it’s important to help the body be prepared.
Many people think that any immume boosting herbs will help fight the Flu, but that’s certainly not the case. Echinacea and Astragalus, for example, should be avoided especially in the active Flu Stage, as an increase in Cytokines brought on by a stimulated immune response can lead to a Cytokine Storm and actually ravage the lungs.
THIS IS WHY BIRD FLU DEATHS SEEM TO BE MOSTLY IN THE YOUNG AND FIT.
Anti-inflammatories and anti-virals are therefore thought best to help the body cope with Flu strains, especially should we ever encounter an epidemic such as Bird Flu (H5N1).
There are three herbs that I would choose to fight flu, namely:Ginger, Green Tea and Lemon Balm. This is based on their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory action, but equally importantly because none of them are thought to specifically boost Cytokine response.
Taste, safety and cost are also considered and these are generally regarded as very safe. Caution should be taken with Lemon Balm if pregnant or breast feeding, if you have a Thyroid condition, or Glaucoma.
Each herb was chosen for very specific reasons. See below:
Ginger Root: This herb was chosen because it contains 10 anti-viral compounds and is a stimulating herb that is warming to the system, making it a wonderful warming cold and flu remedy. It is also thought to be a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and there has been much recent interest in its use for joint problems, relieving headaches, soothing sore throats and reducing fever. All these symptoms are commonly associated with Flu. In her book ’10 Essential Herbs’ author Lalitha Thomas describes the properties: “The major active ingredients in ginger are terpenes (quite similar to the chemical action of turpentine) and an oleo-resin called ginger oil. These two, and other active ingredients in ginger, provide antiseptic, lymph-cleansing, circulation-stimulating, and mild constipation relief qualities along with a potent perspiration-inducing action that is quite effective in cleansing the system of toxins.”
Lemon Balm: This herb is another excellent herb. It is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, sedative, and thyroid-regulating. It is often used to treat children with fever, flu, and colds. In adults, it treats colds, headaches, depression, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and nervous stomachs. In addition, it is a soothing, sedative herb that can relieve tension and lift depression. This is important as people do get very tired and fed-up when fighting the Flu. If you can start to FEEL better your body will heal much better.
Green Tea: Green Tea possesses one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate). Even moderate doses have an effect. In addition, Green tea is an excellent anti-inflammatory. It is thought the tea acts at the cellular level by inhibiting inflammatory pathways to reduce inflammation. The tea’s high content of polyphenols is likely to be responsible for its high anti-inflammatory activity. It has been shown to REDUCE THE RELEASE OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. (reference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=57923).
Make a mug of Green Tea and add tinctures of Ginger and Lemon Balm, also a dash of Lemon juice for Vitamin C, and drink several times a day!Garlic is another great herb for helping fight Flu. I haven’t added into my top 3 as it’s hard to add it to a warming beverage and drink it! But try regularly adding it to food. Be aware though, that too much Garlic can cause the Red Blood Cells to burst, causing Anaemia, so don’t go overboard with it! www.organicnutrition.co.uk. Again I haven’t added Goldenseal to my top three as it is very expensive, therefore not easily available to a lot of people. But if you can afford it, take it!cldavis|Uncategorized

I believe this is an excellent combination of herbs that are easy to take, taste nice and are not too expensive.

Goldenseal is another great herb that is both antiseptic and immune stimulating, increasing blood supply to the spleen. The spleen is the bodies staging area for the fighting cells in your immune system. Berberine is present in goldenseal, and activates macrophages (special white blood cells), which are responsible for destruction of bacteria, fungi, viruses and tumour cells. (Info taken from:
Please Note: This kit is NOT a substitute for the Flu injection and these herbs will not give you complete immunity from colds or Flu. What they aim to do is reduce the likelihood of catching an illness in the first place. And if you do become ill they should hopefully reduce the severity and duration of your symptoms, and help you recover afterwards.