Emily Kane, a naturopathic doctor, recommends using herbs and mushroom supplements to augment your immune system.
The change of season is a time when our immune systems must adapt to a new environment and weather pattern. We are more vulnerable to contagious illness during these colder days and longer nights. Warm hats, scarves and gloves can help. Cold wind can literally drive pathogens into your system, so bundle up.
In many parts of northern Asia, the preferred winter drink is hot water. Take your water warmer if you are feeling chilly. Warming herbs which can be added to hot water include ginger, cumin, cinnamon and the whole range of peppers (cayenne, paprika, kava). I love just-squeezed hot lemonade with fresh sliced ginger and a tiny pinch of cayenne as a winter tonic.
Kitchen and herbal medicine is a fantastic way to stay healthy. Of course, healing your gut and your immune system will cure most ailments. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" remains sage advice. If you take care of your intestinal tract (which connects the outside world to your trillions of cells) and your immune system (white blood cells, which along with the oxygen-carrying red blood cells, emanate from the bone marrow) you will most likely stay healthy.
My favorite plant medicines for a healthy digestive tract are "bitters." These bitter (but delicious) tasting herbs stimulate digestive secretions to flow, thus enhancing the breakdown of food into fundamental units (amino acids, simple sugars and essential fatty acids) to allow for optimal absorption. A classic bitter formula would certainly contain Gentian (Gentiana lutea) and probably also anise (Pimpinella anisum) and ginger (Zingiber officinalis). If you wanted a sweeter bitter, Fennel is a good addition (Foeniculum vulgare). If your GI tract is touchy, add slippery elm (Ulmus rubra). Gentian works by directly stimulating the taste buds to initiate the promotion of saliva and gastric juices. Even small doses gently stimulate peristalsis (rhythmic contraction of the colon to trigger evacuation of previous meals' waste) without speeding up the passage of food through the tract. Ideal "transit time" is 18-24 hours. Faster means you won't absorb nutrients adequately and slower means constipation and potential return of toxic wastes to the bloodstream. A simple and effective bitter formula might contain 50% gentian, 20% anise, 20% ginger and 10% slippery elm. Take ½-1 teaspoons before main meals.
Some of my favorite immune support herbs are anti-virals. Viral illness is very prevalent and also difficult to treat. Viruses get inside our cells and can mess with the DNA and mitochondrial functions. The mitochondria are tiny organs within each cell that produce the energy to drive all our systems. An antiviral/immune tonic might contain echinacea, goldenseal, lomatium (sometimes called osha) and cedar leaf (Thuja occidentalis) Equal parts of these in a tincture (alcohol) or glycerite (honey) can help prevent colds and flus (1 teaspoon 1-2 times daily) or treat an acute viral illness (2 tablespoons twice daily for 3-10 days). Many drugs, including over-the-counter medication, produce unwanted side effects, typically drying not only your mucous membranes but also your brain. Almost all drug classes mess with the microbiome and cause blood sugar fluctuations. Stable blood sugar is a foundational concept for good health, optimal brain functioning and stable mood.
Therapeutic herbs can be made into beverages or incorporated into cooking and will go a long way to keeping you free of colds, flu and aches this winter. For blood type O, sea veggies are particularly beneficial – both due to their mineral content and because they bind lectins (especially grain lectins which tend to drag down the O immune system). Dulse is a super-food for Os. You can often find it pulverized in a shaker jar all ready to sprinkle on all your savory meals or even at the top of a smoothie. Carob and curry are also beneficial condiments for Os.
People with blood type A can trend a bit nervous and have low stomach acid so eating slowly and chewing your food well is essential. Herbal medicine to help As manage day-to-day stress include Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) and gingko biloba. Explore these herbal medicines in tea or tinctures and find one, or a combination, that works for you. As also benefit greatly from green tea/matcha and aloe juice. Both will soothe the intestinal tract and help prevent potential infections getting deeper into the body. Generally, herbal medicines take a bit longer than pharmaceuticals to manifest results (maybe 10-14 days of taking 1 teaspoon tincture or 1 cup strong tea daily) but there are no unwanted side effects, unlike drugs, which usually produce side effects because they are foreign chemicals not recognized by the immune system.
People with blood type B tend to have mild personalities and are in general intelligent and agreeable people. However, they internalize stress and can benefit from long-term strategies to reduce a tendency to produce high cortisol levels. Like As, they benefit from adaptogens
like ginseng, ashwagandha and holy basil. Licorice provides adrenal support for Bs. Bs with early signs of memory loss or a family history of neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's) may want to take bacopa monnieri leaf extract, which provides antioxidant support for the brain and nervous systems. Bs do well with curries.
ABs tend to be friendly people but don't like crowds. They are intuitive and broad-minded but also want to be liked by others and this can cause internal stress. Neurochemical balance for ABs (the rarest and most modern blood type) is enhanced by rhodiola species, readily found in capsule form, and B vitamins (especially important for vegetarian ABs) including folic acid (not the synthetic folate). Good kitchen medicine for ABs includes curry and parsley.
All blood types can benefit from using herbal medicines regularly. The longer you take herbal medicine, the more it will protect your immune and nervous systems. Medicinal mushrooms are highly beneficial for most, especially as water (not alcohol) extracts: cordyceps, reishi, maitake and coriolus have been shown to improve NK (natural killer cell) function. Fungi Perfecti (Paul Stamets' company) is a brand of medicinal mushrooms, and widely available. My all-time favorite herbal medicine for long-term use (teas, tinctures or glycerites) remain ginseng, astragalus, licorice and echinacea. Remember, Os should avoid echinacea and choose larch arabinogalactan (sold as ARA-6) instead as your go-immune tonic. For infections of mucous membranes (food poisoning to fissures to sinusitis) goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a brilliant remedy. Often the dose listed on the bottle is geared to someone who weighs around 175 pounds. Adjust dose according to your weight. If you are using a commercially available herbal medicine to prevent illness, or maintain health, use as directed. If you are treating an illness, double the suggested dose for 3-10 days until resolution. In the right season, picking therapeutic plants and making your own medicine is magical for holistic well-being.
Emily Kane is a retired naturopathic doctor based in Juneau. Contact her online at http://www.dremilykane.com.
