Virus

What is a virus? Viruses are small parasitic agents that can infect plants, animals, and bacteria causing disease and even death in the infected organism.

There are over 5,000 viruses that have been studied in detail and millions that are known to exist. Examples of viruses include the flu virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.

There are many natural antibacterial and antiviral agents. Depending on the virus, some of these natural remedies will work better than others.

Natural Remedies for a Virus:

Garlic:

Garlic contains sulfur which helps fight against many different viral or bacterial illnesses, including the flu virus. If you come down with the flu virus it is recommended by many natural health practitioners you consume as many as a dozen cloves of garlic each day of the illness. For preventative measures a couple cloves a day are recommended. There are garlic supplements, including odorless supplements. Or you can cook the garlic in bread, with vegetables or meat, as well as in soups or salad dressing.

Ginger:

Ginger is a known natural remedy for any type of nausea or stomach problems, and it also contains more than ten antiviral chemicals in the root. Ginger root can be made into a tea, shaved and added to food, or you can chew a small piece of the root as a way to fight any type of viral infection.

Licorice:

Licorice contains glycyrrhizin as only one of its active antiviral constituents. This substance is known to prevent the viral organisms from multiplying. You can make licorice tea by steeping a teaspoon of dried licorice root in boiling water for ten minutes.

Antiviral Plants and Other Substances:

  • Onion - Can relieve congestion in the lungs.
  • Turmeric - Can be used to help someone with a cold and cough.
  • Shiitake Mushroom - These are said to be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels.
  • Eucalyptus Oil - Research has shown this to be effective against the herpes virus when mixed with Australian Tea Tree Oil.
  • Echinacea - Studies have shown echinacea to help clear symptoms of influenza.

Keep It Clean:

One of the best ways that you can fight viral infections is to wash your hands. It has been discovered that using just a little soap and water and washing your hands as well as using physical barriers like masks, gloves, and gowns, will prevent the spread of respiratory viruses like the flu and Sars better than drugs will.

Reduce the Risk:

You can help your body fight back by doing a detox and internal cleanse. Once you’ve detoxified your body you can effectively reduce the risk of getting a virus if you significantly reduce your sugar intake, exercise regularly, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep.