Did you know that there are hundreds of viruses that are responsible for many types of infections, including flu, hepatitis, cold, and HIV?
A virus is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of living form: human, animals, plants, and microorganisms, including bacteria.
There are many ways that a virus spreads. A person with a cold can spread the infection by coughing and/or sneezing. Viruses can also spread through body fluids, such as blood and saliva. The infections like hepatitis or AIDS are particularly transmitted from injection or blood transfusion. The scary thing about contracting a virus is that antibiotics are not effective.
Antiviral herbs, inhibit the development of viruses. They can be used to treat infections without caution because they’re harmless and typically cause no or few side effects. Many antiviral herbs boost the immune system, which allows the body to attack viral pathogens.
Top antiviral herbs
Garlic
Garlic is a super antibacterial herb that works better than penicillin. And unlike penicillin, garlic will kill off the bacteria without killing the good bacteria in the digestive system. Experiments have shown that special chemical compounds found in garlic is highly effective at killing countless microorganisms responsible for some of the most common and rarest infections, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, thrush and herpes.
To obtain its benefits as antiviral herbs, garlic is best eaten raw but you can also make garlic oil infusion at home. Simply crush garlic cloves and add them to carrier oil (like olive oil). Let the mixture sit for about five hours, and then strain the bits of garlic and keep the oil in a jar with a lid.
Cat’s claw
The herb is most often sold as a tea but it also can be purchased as a supplement. Cat’s claw is known to improve the immune system, which will increase your body’s ability to fight of disease or viruses; it’s used as a herpes natural cure. Cat’s claw contains powerful antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial compounds.
The best way to consume cat’s claw regularly is by making an herbal tea with a tablespoon of the herb in eight ounces of water.
Astragalus Root
Astragalus root has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and its main use is to boost the body’s immune system. The herb works by improving and strengthening the immune system. Scientific studies have shown that astragalus has antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system, suggesting that it may help prevent the common cold or flu.
When you feel a cold or the flu coming in, astragalus tea will help your immune system counter the viruses that are currently at work. Add the 10gram dried astragalus root or astragalus powder and boil with 500 ml water in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes. Remove the slices from the water, and place 1 red tea bag into the mixture, let steep for a couple of minutes. Your tea is ready.
Ginger
Ayurvedic medicine has praised ginger’s ability to boost the immune system before recorded history. It believes that because ginger is so effective at warming the body, it can help break down accumulated toxins in your organs.
To fight viruses with ginger, you can use fresh, dry, or powdered ginger for making teas or flavoring your dishes. Apart from that, you can also eat ginger lounges, ginger candies and ginger tinctures.
Oregano
Medicinal grade oregano is distilled to extract the essential oil and preserve its healing compounds. Oregano oil has been proven to be superior to some antibiotics, without the harmful side effects. Oregano contains two powerful compounds, carvacol and thymol, that have powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Oregano essential oil can be taken orally as a supplement when you have an infection to help speed healing. If you wish to use oregano oil topically, always mix it with a carrier oil (such as olive oil) to stop the skin from being irritated as oregano oil is quite strong.
Licorice root
Licorice is emerging as a prominent player in the search for treatment and prevention for diseases like gastric ulcer, hepatitis C, HIV and influenza. Licorice can be taken internally for viral infections and used externally on viral sores such as herpes lesions. When using licorice for its antiviral properties, the whole licorice root must be used.
