Herbs for Immune Support

[liveonearth]

--rhaphanus = black radish naturopathic tx for gall bladder, no research yet, miracle story

IMMUNE SYSTEM
--broad categories of helpful herbs: antimicrobial, adaptogens, preventive nutrit, peripheral support: lymphogogue, resins, alteratives
--ANTIMICROBIALS have known anti-viral, fungal, bacterial properties, have strong aroma dt volatile oils, usu broadly active, not just vs one bug, very strong full strength may irritating, can be diluted substantially and still effective, malalucca = tea tree, calendula, thuja (urinary and GI), hydrastis = golden seal (oxyquinoline), allium = garlic etc, hypericum, rosemary, garden herbs make meat keep better (marinades), cured cheeses, sage, thyme, lavendar, mint, cumin, cilantro, yarrow (also alterative & cholagogue), work best if physically onto the infected part, soaks & poultices for external, tea drinking for GI tube, more for ACUTES than chronic infx, aggressive dose frequently taken if better then ramp down
--specific for FUNGUS: berberine, garlic, onions, tea trea oil, goldenseal, oregon grape
--ADAPTOGENS: immune polysaccharides incl large mols not known how they trigger immune response, body may regard as foreign and mount a response, mechanism of action stim WBC numbers, incr phagocytosis, NK cells more ative, TNF and IFN more output by WBC's, makes more sense for systemic infx or cancer, chronic viruses, more for serious chronic immunodef states, AIDS. Ganoderma = reishi mushroom grows in China and PNW, panax ginseng = classic best when root looks like person, rhodiola = native to Siberia, oplopanax = devil's club for chronic infx/fatigue, cordyceps = fungus that grows on dead insects, maitake, shitake, glycyrrhiza (does it all), astragalus = colds flus viruses allergies, echinacea (also lymph herb), wilthania = Indian "ginseng" = ashwagandha is stinky like a horse, eleutherococcus = Siberian ginseng. Lower dose for longer time period. For those who are ill all the time. Chronic fatigue syndrome, hep C. Chi tonics, for exhaustion, loss of vital force, mb mental or physical, low stamina.
--FOR SINUS oral horseradish, antibmicrobials in upper resp, anti-allergy protocols, neti pot, nasal lavage, isoquinoline alkaloids (berberine etc), steam inhalation w/ EO's

IMMUNE MODULATORS
adaptogens
for acutes
incr WBC's but stop excessive (allergic) immune response
immune polysaccharides
astragalus, lots of research for allergies and immunodeficiency
what about autoimmune disease? cancer?
they do no damage in research so far: fine with RA or SLE to tx other infx
too big a dose or too many at once "traps the robber in the house"
flu viruses that attack healthy pop causing cytokine storm
over-response of immune system: modulation is needed
cytokine storm mb fatal to infants or low chi individuals

PREVENTATIVE NUTRIENTS
prevent cancer, support immune and detox over a lifetime
whole foods
flax = linum usittisimum, EFA's
irritation leading to CA less if antioxidants and EFA's are plentious in tissues
anti-oxidants
brassica and the indoles (broccoli, cabbage) are anti-cancer
green tea = camelia
tumeric, zingiber affect inflammatory enzymes
phytosterols and beans decrease hormonal stim of senstitive tissues
lignans in pears
NOT for infections per se

ALTERATIVES
good to combine for infx
mahonia
arctium
trifolium
taraxicum
combines with adaptogens, antimicrobials

LYMPHOGOGUES
lymph mover
for stuckness & dampness, tissue stagnation, large LN's
for thick tongue coating, abundant mucus production
CFS pts get tender LN's with every cold
echinacea for anything with enlarged LN's, chronic, gangrene
phytolacca for dampness, colds always go mucousy, irritating/caustic when fresh handled
berries are not medicinal
viscum
ricinis = castor, more topical usage
lectins have been shown to glue/unglue cells, cell recognition of self/other, stim RBC/WBC;s
lectins affect coagulation

RESINS
larrea
sanguinaria
conniphora
myrrha
pine tar
comes out on hot day from coniferous plants
all are antimicrobial
more irritating than thyme etc
smaller doses than other antimicrobials
expectorating
make more mucus to push stuff out
increases mucus productoin
energy: hot and irritating, warming and drying
for old stuck conditions
long term smoker
caustic herbs on warts and on cervical dysplasia/cis: escharotic tx
12 repeats for cervical tx, 1 repeat for lazer tx, pt chooses
thyme is low resin but is also drying and antimicrobial

ALLIUM
garlic, chives, onion
hot
for BP, circ, high lipids, high sugar
cough syrup: chopped onion soaked in honey
antimicrobial best with physical contact
for ear infx: eat garlic or take tincture
stimulates mucus, flow unstops eustacian tubes
some systemic affect
for lung infx: sulfur in isothiocyanate like to volatilize from inner tissues & inhaled
make mucus thinner, planes out into sheets that slide, better expectoration
expectorating
antimicrobial
for GI infx, bact, dysbiosis, yeast
topicals for athlete's foot blended with water and vinegar

ALOE VERA, ALOE FEROX
demulcent
wound healing
for sunburn
has immune polysaccharides: mannose, acimannin
for intestinal infx, ulcer
bitter in flavor
AIDS pts using mannose improves viral load, cell turnover rate, more dt acimannin
LILY family, same as garlic

CALENDULA OFFICINALIS
salves
weak antimicrobial
demulcent
wound healing
topical for infx
lymphogogue too
improves circ just below dermis
esp for skin infx
preventative
sucus = extract w low alc content
epsom salt soaks for infected wound, then calendula salve
for any mucus membrane it could contact
for sore throat, for ulcer
whole flowers in tea for bladder infx
easy to grow (very)
best to gather flowers just before they open & before pollenation
related to marigold, Asteraceae

ECHINACEA PURPUREA
purpurea = most purple one
augustifolia = narrow leaved one
pallida = white
tennesseensis = in TN
used by natives in PNW and great plains for infx, snake bites
snake venom has hyaluronidase which breaks down hyaluronic acid-->
disseminating poison by breaking connective tissue
echinacia has hyaluronidase inhibitor, use topical and internal high dose
lectins helps glue cells together or unglue for cancer response
many lymphogogues have glue/unglue ability
best for gangrene, necrotic tissue
contains lectins helps body recognize dz
more for serious infx not the common cold
for old infected tonsils with ulcers etc
better than ech for common cold: garlic, thyme
"purple coneflower"
can be used longterm for deep infected wounds
current rumor that you shouldn't
german research showed healthy people's WBC pop incr w/ ech and after 2 weeks stopped meds
mistranslated into eng to say WBC pop went down (not mentioning stop of med)

PANAX GINSENG
immune modulator
classic chi tonic
panax quinquefolium is the one that grows in the US
five leaflets
some young people don't tolerate: headache, heat, poor sleep
HOT
not so hot: ashwaganda, eleutherococcus
not for person with yang dominance
for deficiency, coldness, lethargy
for longevity
for sexual reproductive function
gifts at age 50 in China
large roots sell for high dollar
eastern forests were harvested and now have little left
farmed roots not as highly valued
animals love it too, deer, gophers, etc
steamed with olive oil and maple syrup (how Stansbury eats it)

HYDRASTIC CANADENSIS
goldenseal
oxyquinoline alkaloids incl hydrastine
(also in oregon grape berberine)
expensive here, overharvested so people are using oregon grape more now
grows in forest, need shade cloth or forest cover

LARREA TRIDENTATA
chaparral
antioxidant
used by indigenous pops of Mex, SW US as cureall
anti cancer, allergy, inflam, sun damage
may irrit liver (animal studies, large doses)
resin norhydroguauretic acid
good for lungs, expectorant, anti-inflam

LOMATIUM DISECTUM
antiviral in particular (so is ligusticum)
both in umbel family (carrots, celery, ferny look)

THYMUS VULGARIS
antispasmodic
drying

ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIA
alterative
good for BP
all purpose antimicrobial

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS UVA URSI
antimicrobial for urinary sys

ELEUTHEROCOCCUS SNETICOSIS
siberian ginseng

ASTRAGALUS
for immunodeficiency or hyper immunity

EUPATORIUM PERFOLIATUM
used in 1918 flu pandemic better success than hospitals
boneset

GANODERMA LUCIDUM
reishi
immune mod

LINUM USISTATISSIMUM
purple flower

MAHONIA

MAITAKE

MALAELUCA
relative of eucalyptus

MATRICARIA

SOURCES
Stansbury lecture May 10, 2009