Preventing Influenza: Part 2 – Superfoods – Lung Protection
Superfoods
Garlic
Referred to as “Russian penicillin” during WW2, garlic is not only antibacterial but also has antiviral properties: “…garlic and its OSCs (organosulfur compounds) have potential antiviral activity against different human, animal and plant pathogenic viruses through blocking viral entry into host cells. This review highlights that garlic possesses significant antiviral activity and can be used prophylactically in the prevention of viral infections.” (Source)
Garlic, unlike cruciferous vegetables, is best eaten raw for its antiseptic benefits. The killing agent in garlic is known as allicin, and is very sensitive to heat and oxygen. Each surface of the garlic that is exposed to oxygen allows the allicin to dissipate quite quickly. Thus, mincing is the wrong way to go. It is best to cut the garlic clove into a few large chunks and pour hot water over it, then use it to make miso (or add to soup that has been served up, so as not to over-cook it).
Another approach to using garlic is to cut the clove into about 4 thick slices and put that between some bread, or toast, and chew it up. This releases the allicin into the mouth, where it both kills local bacteria (sore throat), and begins to absorb into the blood through the mucous membranes. If you are afraid of odor, just do it once at night, before bed, and the body odor will be gone by morning.
Miso
Miso soup is the chicken soup of vegetarians, though you don’t have to be one to enjoy and benefit from it. (Now, grandma was right, because chicken soup is good for the flu since it does have immune enhancing properties. But it is counterproductive for those with blood types AB and B.)
As discussed in my radiation blogs, miso can remove radiation from the body and is a very alkalizing food. Macrobiotics like to say that if you give your children one cup of miso a day you don’t have to worry about whatever else they eat that day.
When I am ill, and often with little appetite, I will make a super-charged miso by pouring hot water over thick-cut garlic, then making miso by adding an appropriate amount of miso paste. To this I will add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, some fresh ground black pepper or cayenne, and some engevita (nutritional) yeast. And, it actually tastes pretty good for a medicine. If you don’t have garlic, or can’t stomach it, you can use any member of the onion family (including green onions) as a milder alternative.
Miso should never be boiled, as that kills the friendly bacteria that it carries. A quality miso is unpasturized, and organic, and is one of the best fermented foods you can consume to maintain good health in your microbiome.
There is not a lot of scientific research done on miso but one study extracted a beneficial bacteria from miso and fed it to a group of mice for a year, concluding that this bacteria “over generations promotes immune activation and tolerance and enhances immunological robustness”. (Source)
Another rat study confirmed that miso does indeed protect against radiation damage (keep in mind this also applies to radiation “therapy” for cancer treatment), along with reducing blood pressure (even though miso is relatively high in sodium). (Source)
Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are well known to offer valuable support to the immune system, and can be easily added to meals and/or soup. But, even the lowly white button mushroom has proven to be a valuable supporter of the immune system as was concluded by this study from 2020: “The results suggest that white button mushrooms may promote immune function by increasing production of antiviral and other proteins that are released by cells while seeking to protect and repair tissue.” (Source)
However, do remember that mushrooms will absorb toxins from soil, so when using them be sure they were grown in a clean environment, or are defined as organic. That being said, we can be pretty sure that the study referred to above did not use organic button mushrooms, so we can assume that the benefits of these mushrooms outweighs any potential detriments from how they were grown.
Unpasturized Honey
Normally, when we are ill, we should avoid sugars since they make the system acidic and allow bacteria to flourish. But, when there is a cough present honey has a valuable advantage. According to Asian medicine principles, honey moistens the lungs, helping with a dry cough, and allowing the body to discharge mucus with the coughing. In fact, a recent study showed that honey was more effective than conventional cough medications to treat coughs in children.
“There was no significant difference between honey versus dextromethorphan and honey versus diphenhydramine in a Cochrane review.”
Furthermore, in a study from Israel, 300 children with respiratory infections (1 to 5 yrs old), received 10 g (2 tsp) of eucalyptus honey, citrus honey, labiatae honey, or silan date placebo before bedtime. Parents reported that cough frequency, cough severity, and child and parent sleep quality improved in the groups that received honey. Another study, from Italy, “provided evidence for the benefit of using 3 consecutive doses of wildflower honey, together with milk, for children with nonspecific acute cough.” (Source) (Though, I suggest you skip the milk.)
Of course if children benefit from honey in such a manner, we as adults should find the same level of relief.
That being said, a recent examination of honey products in the U.S. showed that up to 76% of honey purchased from supermarkets and big box stores actually contained no real honey. Honey given out at KFC and McDonalds were 100% devoid of real honey. (Source)
Thus, when buying honey, try to get organic and as local as possible. Good honey has natural antibiotic properties and certain honeys, like manuka honey, have very strong bacteria killing components. So much so that manuka honey is used to help kill H. Pylori bacteria (the one that causes stomach ulcers).
Honey and Tea
Certain herbs have expectorant properties (helping the lungs to get rid of mucus), and these made into a strong tea, and sweetened with honey, can be very effective at treating lung problems. Such herbs include fennel, fenugreek, ginger and licorice.
Because these herbs are seeds and roots they must be simmered for 5 – 10 minutes to extract all the medicinal properties, unlike herbs that are comprised of flowers and leaves, which can just be steeped for 3 to 5 minutes. The standard recipe for herb teas, if you aren’t using teabags, is one teaspoon of herb (or mix thereof) to one cup of water.
Further benefits can be gained by adding a tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice to the tea. Even better is to simmer lemon peel along with the above mentioned expectorant herbs, but if you do so it is essential that the lemon be organic, as non-organic lemon peel is heavily contaminated with pesticides.
And, for the whiny adult, there is always the traditional Hot Rum Toddy (though I prefer brandy to rum), a good warming delivery system for honey and lemon. The alcohol may not add any healing benefits but can take your mind off the illness and, for some, provide much needed relaxation.
Protect Your Mucous Membranes
In the early days of vitamin D research it was discovered that one reason we had more occurrences of the flu in the winter was because we received less vitamin D at that time of year, and so, were less protected. Vitamin D is a critical component of your immune system, but also, along with vitamin A and iodine, is necessary to maintain the mucosal lining of the sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs. When we have a healthy, strong mucous membrane in those areas, we prevent invading pathogens from getting into the body. This is our first line of defense. (For the full story see: How 3 Nutrients Can Heal Most Diseases)
Vitamin D Prevents The Flu
Those who read my newsletters regularly will be tired of hearing about vitamin D by now, since I have covered the subject in endless detail. (For more info on how much vitamin D to take see: Testing for Vitamin D.)
Nonetheless, I will include a few scientific reference points here, just to re-emphasize the importance of taking vitamin D supplements in the winter.
“An association has been established between low levels of vitamin D and upper respiratory and enteric infections, pneumonia, otitis media, Clostridium infections, vaginosis, urinary tract infections, sepsis, influenza, dengue, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV infections.” (Vitamin D: a new anti-infective agent? Borella E, et al.)
This study shows that vitamin D supplementation during the winter reduces the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren. That “subgroup” happens to be those that don’t already take vitamin D supplements. (Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Urashima M, et al.)
Another recent study, designed to explore the effect of vitamin D supplementation in prevention of respiratory tract infections, on the basis of published clinical trials, concluded that: “Vitamin D supplementation decreases the events related to respiratory tract infections.” (Vitamin D for prevention of respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Charan J, et al.)
As I noted at the beginning of this series, the most important thing to avoid all illness, not just the flu, is to keep your “terrain” healthy. This means maintaining a healthy diet, and eating more alkaline foods rather than acidic ones. But, if an invader should breach our defensive walls, it is up to our immune system to take up the fight. Next, I will discuss some of the best substances you can take to keep your immune system functioning at an optimal level.
In Part 3 we will look at Maintaining a Strong Immune System through the use of Medicinal Mushrooms.
(Author: All newsletters and blogs are written by Ken Peters who has worked as a nutritional consultant for the last 30 years, and as product designer for NutriStart for the last 25 years. He has also authored two books – Health Secrets Vol. 1&2. He may be reached at: kenpetersconsulting@gmail.com)