Alternative medicine vs. the common cold and flu

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	Alternative medicine vs. the common cold and flu [Posted 30 May 2004] I don't enjoy having a flu or cold. It's not only uncomfortable, but sometimes also a work stoppage or slowdown. Like everyone else, I'm looking for a quick fix to get me back on my feet and working as soon as possible. Alternative or natural medicine has a lot to offer in fighting the bacteria and viruses behind colds and flus. It ranges from state-of-the-art electronic medicine to food-grade herbs used as medicines in various cultures for thousands of years. Thankfully, I rarely have to suffer at all when flu strikes. Even when doctors say there's nothing they can do, alternative medicine is able to get me back on my feet and working within the day. In this article, I'll list some of the things alternative medicine uses to fight the flu, and mention some of my own experience as well. Hulda Clark's Zapper Ever since I was a child, traveling occasionally made me ill -- I'd find myself with a sore throat or cold almost as soon as I hit the road. Perhaps this was caused by exposure to new germs in the area, or more likely I don't eat as well on the road, surviving on restaurant food. Whatever the cause, on a trip to Houston for a former job, I contracted a flu that made me feel very fatigued, too fatigued to work in fact. Of course I wouldn't have been in Houston if there hadn't been an urgent and critical matter. So I came prepared -- I'd packed my zapper. I slapped the hands-free model zapper on at work and continued working on my laptop, which of course elicited teasing by the boss. So I reminded him that I had no doctor in Houston, I'd have to spend the day at an emergency room to be seen at all, and might have to miss work for a day or two if they said it was "viral" and couldn't be treated. OR, I could use the zapper and keep working. "I love that machine!" proclaimed the boss, and the day went as planned, no need for further medical care. Ironically, that particular employer made most of its income through contracting research scientists to the pharmaceutical industry -- a part of the big pharma/medical mafia that tries to discredit and destroy the zapper, and every other effective treatment coming from alternative medicine. Hulda Clark to the rescue yet again, ensuring that pharmaceutical contractors were paid on time and correctly to keep them happily at work, through the payroll/billing software that I'd developed to resolve their payroll problems. Effectiveness of the zapper on colds and flus ranges from an instant cure to very little effect, depending on the illness itself. Some claim that the zapper only helps at the outset of a cold, but I find that theory to be false. At times the zapper is an instant cure without added help from herbs, at others the zapper only helps for a couple of hours after each use, and needs help from herbs to get the job done. The zapper is "experimental" electronic medicine, killing viruses, bacteria, and parasites within the human body, through use of electrical/radio waves. It was invented by Hulda Clark, a brilliant modern-day research scientist who cures cancer, AIDS, and many other "incurable" diseases at her research clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. A part of her therapy often includes the zapper for people who can use it. Although she gives diagrams in her book The Cure for All Diseases on how to build a zapper from parts at Radio Shack, most people opt to buy a zapper online. DrClark.com is a good resource, as her research association sells them on that particular site, and the consumer can be sure that Clark approved of their design. DrClark.com offers hands-free models which are very convenient. There are some cautions and side effects with the zapper. Clark avoids its use on three types of people, not because it would harm them, but because it hasn't been tested on these groups yet: people with pacemakers, people with metal implants such as titanium pins and rods after auto accidents, and pregnant women. (I've heard that people with metal implants are able to use the zapper, if the zapper is used on areas of the body away from the metal implants, but haven't been able to confirm this yet.) She discourages people within these groups from making themselves into test subjects when there are other (although slower) options available to them. The most common side effect is that sometimes people are fatigued the day following the zapper's first use. Subsequent uses usually don't involve fatigue. In my personal experience among friends and relatives who try it, fatigue happens in about 50% of the zapper's first-time users. Also, the 50% who become very fatigued the next day were usually those who tried the zapper when very ill with a flu or other type of illness. I was one of that 50%. Colloidal Silver Colloidal silver enjoys immense popularity because of its versatility and effectiveness. It is a powerful anti-viral compound, and can be used topically as an antiseptic or internally to fight bacteria and viruses. Some people use it as a cleansing agent. Although theoretically "colloidal" means plant-derived, there are battery-powered devices which supposedly make the same compound from metallic silver. Many opt for the machine, as colloidal silver can be a little pricey at health food stores. Some people like to take the substance in large quantities, but I find that following the directions on the bottle, usually no more than a couple of eye droppers full 2 or 3 times a day, helps fight any cold I have. Grapefruit Seed Extract Grapefruit seed extract recently gained immense popularity, with some claiming it's a better anti-viral agent than colloidal silver. It often comes in strong syrup form, which is very caustic and has to be mixed with juice in order to take it internally. There are also other forms, such as capsules, or ear dropper bottles for ear infections. In my personal experience, it has been extremely effective against the flu when taken internally. Goldenseal Goldenseal is an anti-bacterial herb that's often used as a tincture (alcohol extract), capsules, or herbal tea. Because it doesn't grow well as a cultivated plant, goldenseal is usually wild-crafted, i.e., obtained from wild woodlands, and at times heavy demand causes a shortage and therefore price increase of this limited herb. Although the herb is very effective against bacteria, some caution against using the herb for a prolonged period (weeks at a time), as it can interfere with the absorption of B vitamins. I usually opt for the tincture form of goldenseal, although at the outset of colds I brew an herbal tea from one teabag of goldenseal (anti-bacterial) and one teabag of licorice (anti-viral). The licorice sweetens and largely covers the woody goldenseal flavor, and combining the two often defeats a cold or flu for me before many symptoms appear. My colds with a cough or sore throat respond well to goldenseal. Elderberry Extract Elderberries are a tasty fruit that many enjoy eating. Elderberry extract is a popular anti-viral agent, sometimes combined with zinc in capsules for fighting the flu. I've found that it seems to work well in colds with lung symptoms. Echinacea Echinacea is another name for the purple coneflower, a daisy-like flower with drooping purple petals and a dark cone-like center. It works by stimulating the immune system, and is most effective when taken at the outset of a cold. Often it is combined with zinc and sometimes Vitamin C in herbal cold remedy tablets. Although very popular in the 90s, it seems to be less popular today as it is replaced with more effective herbs. Zinc Zinc stimulates the immune system, and is often taken in combination with herbal supplements at the outset of a cold or flu. Although zinc is an essential trace mineral, it is an oxidant, and shouldn't be taken in large quantities over an extended period. Ginger Ginger is a wonderful food-grade herb that's anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic. It's so good at settling upset stomachs that sailors use it for sea sickness, and others use it for motion sickness in cars. Some people are surprised by the taste of natural ginger -- it has a sort of chemical taste to it. Ginger can be taken in the form of capsules, herbal tea, candied ginger, cooked into dishes, or chopped into capsule-sized pieces and swallowed. Ginger is a hot herb though, and usually isn't found in large quantities in cooking. (My recipe for Yam Coconut Curry Soup, found on VeggieCooking.com, contains ginger.) I've found that flus with a gastrointestinal element (stomach aches or diarrhea) respond the best to ginger. Garlic and Onion Garlic and onion are in the same plant family, and both have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Garlic is also anti-fungal, and is stronger than onions for fighting microorganisms. I've had quite a few experiences using garlic to fight the flu, both cooked and raw. Usually I prefer to swallow the smaller, capsule-sized cloves (peeled, of course), whole and raw. Sometimes the flu is more powerful than that, and once I found myself cooking the larger cloves in oil and then eating it over pasta. Surprisingly, the cooked garlic completely killed the flu within the hour. This proved to me that garlic can be effective in its cooked form, too. There are a few warnings that come with garlic. Namely, it's a blood thinner and should be used with caution (i.e. don't overdo it) if already on a blood-thinning drug. Its smell is also a concern -- often when large quantities are taken, a smell is exuded not only from the mouth, but the skin as well. And Hulda Clark cautions against all members of the onion family (garlic, onions, asparagus), because a certain type of parasite seen in cancer cases feeds on them within the intestinal tract. Otherwise, it's a wonderful food-grade herb that can sometimes cure the common cold. Licorice Licorice is a powerful anti-viral herb, usually taken as herbal tea or capsules. However, it comes with warnings. Namely, more than 2 cups at a time may cause headaches, and extended use (over 2 weeks at a time) can raise the blood pressure in a small percentage of people. Otherwise it's a naturally sweet herb that's often used in herbal tea mixtures. The flavor of pure licorice tea is very sweet and mild. White Willow Aspirin is the synthetic version of white willow. Willow blocks pain and reduces fever just like its synthetic form, and is often taken in capsule, tincture, or herbal tea form. Cayenne Pepper Cayenne works in a similar way to willow, utilizing the same type of chemicals to block stronger pain with weak pain signals. Cayenne can also reduce fever somewhat. Its active ingredient has even been incorporated into a brand of pain-relief cream. Horehound Horehound is a very bitter herb that works well as a natural expectorant. Wild Cherry Root I once used a tincture mixture by the company Gaia which used wild cherry root bark. It worked well at controlling my cough from the year 2000 flu. Lemons Lemons are a nice anti-bacterial fruit, and some prefer to squeeze a little into water not only when they have a cold, but every time they drink water. It's a refreshing healthy drink. My worst flu ever The worst flu I recall having was last year's flu, which landed many in the hospital and killed a few people. My zapper not only made little noticeable difference, but I added 4 of the strongest supplements possible before the flu was under control with almost no symptoms. They were colloidal silver, grapefruit seed extract, elderberry extract, and goldenseal tincture. You'd think that only one of these supplements would be effective, but I found that I needed all of them or my symptoms would return. In the end, I was glad to know enough about alternative medicine to avoid the hospital and any major discomfort. The hit-and-miss nature of herbal medicine Herbal medicine's effectiveness seems to vary from flu to flu. Some years, garlic is enough to knock everything out, other years the flu only responds to ginger. It seems the only way to find an effective herb is to move onto the next when the first one fails. However, at least the cold or flu can often be cured or controlled. I think the extra effort is worth the trouble; others may want to just go to bed and suffer through the week. It's a personal choice, something for each individual to decide on his or her own. Other health and nutrition articles from pamrotella.com Today's medical fad: The Genetic Myth Essential Fatty Acids, the "healthy fats" we all need Copper: What aneurysms, white hair, and wrinkles have in common Dr. Lawrence Broxmeyer's BACTERIAL Mad Cow Disease theory Mad Cow and Mark Purdey's Organophosphate theory Multiple Sclerosis: The mercury/parasites model Hulda Clark: A cure for cancer and AIDS? Vegans and the B-12 deficiency myth Aspartame, MSG, and other excitotoxins Sickle Cell Anemia: Dr. Agbai and B-12 deficiency Jake Beason on children and boredom Back to the top © 2004 by Pam Rotella. Back to the main page