The Flu – A Summary of Recommendations

Prevention:

1. NAC (600 mg) – take 1 capsule twice a day
2. Vitamin D3 – 2000-5000IU daily
3. Elderberry Syrup – 1 tsp 4 times a day in water
4. American ginseng (250 mg) – 1-2 capsules twice a day
5. Licorice root extract (400 mg) – take 1-2 capsules twice a day. Important note: consult with your physician before using licorice if you have high blood pressure.
6. Echinacea (250 mg) – take one capsule 4 times a day.
7. Thieves oil – apply 2-5 drops to bottom of feet at night before bed. 

While sick with the flu…

Dr. Mitchell’s Viral Knockout Tea [1]

Cinnamon bark sticks – 2-3

Ginger root slices- 4-5

Cardamom seeds 1 tbls

Add the above ingredients to 4 cups of water or more. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Remove from heat. Add the juice of half of a fresh- squeezed lemon. Add honey to taste.  Drink 1 cup three times a day for a maximum of seven days during a bout of flu.

A Final Note:

In a systemic review of the literature the authors looked at the expectation of how long a cough should last (6.5 – 9.2 days) versus the actual number of days the cough lasted, which was 17.8 days. “It is during this time that most will assume something is wrong and seek medical care, which can result in antibiotic prescription. Reality and our expectations, as is demonstrated in this study, do not line up and the overuse of antibiotics during this normal recovery phase should be avoided.” [2]

Reference:

1.         Yarnell, E., K. Abascal, and R. Rountree, Clinical Botanical Medicine: Revised and Expanded. 2009: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

2.         Ebell, M.H., J. Lundgren, and S. Youngpairoj, How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature. Ann Fam Med, 2013. 11(1): p. 15.