warning: loooooong post
What a great thread! Thanks for starting this Danny and to all for the good info here. Im getting interested in licorice and low-dose naltrexone now.
Pre-xmrv (its sort of like A.D., B.C. for us, isnt it?) my guestimate had been that ME/CFS was virus caused or a major factor. Id been trying to target infection, inflammation and pain and to get lots of anti-oxidants as my glands are always swollen, I run fevers, have big swings in temperature, get sweats, ache,. I favour a natural approach, food and herbs before supplements, and both before pharmaceuticals from my philosophical bent, past experience and drug sensitivity.
Cant find the research Ive gathered right now, but the main things Im using for this aspect of ME/CFS are
curcumin, cinnamon, cayenne, grape seed extract, colloidal silver and green tea (and lots of onion and garlic and lemon), along with omega 3, vit D, A, E and C and lavender essential oil, and a baby aspirin. A recent addition a few days ago instigated by reading some of the posts here and further research is
olive leaf extract and using
tea tree essential oil more regularly. Also am going to return to daily
cranberry (100% no additive) juice.
Curcumin: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic, chelator and decreases the production of the cytokine TNF-a. (anti-viral = studies contradictory on this so far)
(I add turmeric to most food. It needs to be combined with pepper to be effective)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18324353
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Since I couldnt find the info Ive been collecting, I looked on-line. I know nothing about this source, but like that they show the pubmed studies the info is based on.
Its in reaction to h1n1, but looks at antivirals, immune boosters and at what decreases cytokines TNF-a and IL-6.
http://the-health-gazette.com/496/natural-antivirals/
Research suggests certain natural foods may be as effective against virus H5N1 as commercial antivirals.
(PRWEB) May 10, 2006 A Biology teacher from Australia, named Stephen Jones, has done extensive research into the H5N1 virus and compiled a list of natural foods that are effective against it and listed others that are detrimental.
The list may come as a surprise to many people since foods such as
spirulina and echinacea are listed as detrimental. This strange occurrence is largely due to the fact that the virus is immune to 2 cytokines that the body produces (TNF-a and IL-6). Cytokines are compounds produced by the bodys immune system that attack and remove foreign bodies. The problem is that when a foreign body is immune to certain cytokines, the body sees that its immune response is not working and tries even harder, which can lead to what is called a cytokine storm, where the body becomes flooded with these compounds and they eventually destroy the body itself. Foods such as Echinacea actually stimulate the production of these specific cytokines; hence consuming it is not a good idea if one suspects they may have the virus.
During the 1918 Spanish Flu many healthy young people died from cytokine storms due to their immune systems overreacting. Consuming foods which suppress the production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6 and enhance the production of the ones that actually are effective against the virus will aid the patient greatly.
Other
foods that create mucous in the respiratory tract, such as bananas, are also listed as
detrimental due to the fact that the predominant breeding ground of the virus is the respiratory tract and another way in which a patient may suffer is due to the bodys over production of mucous in this area.
Folk Medicines and Herbs to use and avoid with Bird FluBelow is a list of foods that are said to contain substances that are natural antivirals, immune boosters or they decrease cytokines TNF-a and IL-6.
Alternative medications that are most likely to help us during a severe pandemic:
Garlic (allicin) Very effective antiviral. Best if fresh (raw) and crushed. Must be consumed within 1 hour of crushing. Dosage is initially 2 to 3 cloves per day but later reduce until no body odour occurs. No toxic effects noted. (Pubmed PMID 9049657)
Vitamin C Boosts the immune system and is an antiviral by blocking the enzyme neuraminadase. Viruses need neuraminadase to reproduce. There are anecdotal stories of people taking large amounts of Vitamin C (children) surviving the Spanish Flu. Research shows that it may reduce the production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. A study on 470 people involved giving the test group 1000 mg hourly for 6 hours and then 1000 mg 3 times daily after reporting flu symptoms. Symptoms decreased by 85%. (Pubmed PMID 10543583, 634178, 16169205, 12876306)
Green Tea (possible Tamiflu/Relenza alternative) Very effective antiviral. Also decreases the production of the cytokine (catechins) TNF-a. Inhibits neuraminidase. May have antiviral activity that is equal to other antivirals such as Tamiflu. (Pubmed PMID 16137775)
St Johns Wort (Hypericum) Very effective antiviral. Also decreases the production of the cytokine IL-6. Hypericum is an extract from St John’s Wort. There have been some very successful field trials in commercial flocks infected with H5N1 in Vietnam. (Pubmed PMID 7857513, 11518071, 11362353, 7857513, 11518071)
Vitamin E Immune booster. Also decreases the production of the cytokine TNF-a. (Pubmed PMID 155882360, 10929076) Experiments involved using mice. Very suitable for immune compromised people, especially the elderly. Effects enhanced when taken with Vitamin C.
Apple Juice Antiviral. Fresh apple juice including the pulp and skin has greater antiviral activity than heated commercial apple juice. More research is needed. Effectiveness on H5N1 is unknown. (Pubmed PMID 32832, 12452634)
Resveratrol Antiviral. In addition to inhibiting neuraminidase, Resveratrol also sends a message to cells to stop manufacturing viruses. This is a proven antiviral found naturally in red wine, peanuts, mulberries, Japanese Knotwood root (richest source), raisins and red grapes. Resveratrol supplements are relatively inexpensive, are more stable than wine and is available in liquid form for absorption in the mouth. No toxic effects noted. (Pubmed PMID 1583880, 12817628, 15985724)
Scuttellaria (Skullcap) Antiviral. A herb used as a tea. It has no side effects and is also a mild tranquilliser. Research suggests neuraminidase, which is a substance needed by the H5N1 virus to reproduce, may be inhibited.
Cranberry Juice Early research shows that it may be an antiviral, making viruses less able to invade or multiply. Effectiveness on H5N1 is unknown. (Pubmed PMID15781126)
Cats Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) Decreases the production of the cytokine TNF-a. Also boosts immune system. The number of white blood cells was significantly increased during treatment. No toxicity was noted. (
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed) Active constituents can be found in the leaves, bark, vine, and roots. Water extraction from bark used. Children and pregnant women are to avoid. Has a potentially damaging effect on the DNA of proliferating cells. (cancers, foetuses, growing children)
Curcumin (Tumeric Spice) Decreases the production of the cytokine TNF-a. This is the yellow compound in turmeric spice. Research shows that this may be very good for preventing a cytokine storm although this is not proven. Must be taken with food or gastritis or peptic ulcers may occur. Pregnant women and feeding mothers should avoid this. The medicinal properties of curcurnin cannot be utilised when used alone due to rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall. When combined with Piperine found in black pepper the absorption is increased with no adverse effects. Obtainable from health stores in tablets, liquid, capsules already combined with piperine. Dosage is 500mg to 4000mg daily.
Astragalus root (Astragali Radix) Boosts immune system. (Pubmed PMID15588652)
Tea tree Steam Inhalation Reduces the cytokine TNF-a. Add 2 drops of tea tree oil in a bowl of steaming water. Cover head with a towel and inhale for 5 to 10 minutes. Relieves congestion and fights infection. Its effectiveness is unknown. (Pubmed PMID 11131302)
The following substances may be best to avoid during a H5N1 pandemic
Elderberry juice (Sambucal) AVOID Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. This substance is very effective against the common flu but may not be desirable for the H5N1 virus. Increases in these cytokines may trigger a lethal cytokine storm. (Isr Med Journal2002 Nov;4:944-6)
Micro Algae (Chlorella and Spirulina) AVOID Increases production of cytokine TNF-a. (Pubmed PMID 11731916)
Honey AVOID Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. (Pubmed PMID12824009)
Chocolate AVOID Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. (Pubmed PMID 12885154, PMID 10917928)
Echinacea AVOID Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. Although it is often used for normal flu, research shows that it may increase the chance of cytokine storms for H5N1. (Pubmed PMID 15556647, 9568541)
Kimchi AVOID Increases production of cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. (Pubmed PMID15630182)
Dairy products & Bananas AVOID These foods increase mucous production.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/ (search using Pubmed ID number listed after each food)
hmmm food for thought here for me

p


). When I'm warding off viruses (and weirdly I almsot never get them - maybe have an immunity from 25 years of teaching or maybe as someone posted here, maybe my body doesn't show extra symptoms any more) I turn to echinacea, greens, lemon with honey and cayenne, and vit C.
ohh and I forgot
lycopene from food sources. Its an acknowledged antioxidant
Lycopene may be the most powerful carotenoid quencher of singlet oxygen[17], being 100 times more efficient in test tube studies of singlet-oxygen quenching action than vitamin E, which in turn has 125 times the quenching action of glutathione (water soluble)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopene
and has contradicting studies now as to whether its an antiviral as well.