Herbal Flu Relief/Prevention

[goatlady]

www.herbalgram.org

Americans Seek Alternatives for Flu Protection


Research suggests herbs are promising alternatives

Austin, TX (October 26, 2004). The shortage of flu vaccine has forced millions of Americans to seek alternatives. These alternatives include options that have shown success in clinical studies. The United States has lost much of its vaccine supply and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are instructing clinics and hospitals to vaccinate priority groups. These include the elderly, the very young, healthcare workers, those with heart, lung, or metabolic diseases, and those with weakened immune systems.

The American Botanical Council (ABC), an independent nonprofit research and education organization providing information about herbal medicine, points out several natural options that may help normal, healthy adults protect against flu, diminish flu symptoms, and/or shorten flu intensity and duration.

Some herbs have demonstrated benefits when taken at the first sign of flu symptoms. According to ABC founder and executive director Mark Blumenthal, there are a handful of herbs with proven safety that can help improve the body’s immune functions. These herbs include the popular herb echinacea, the traditional and increasingly popular immune booster, elder berry, and the Chinese herb andrographis.

Clinical studies on echinacea show that it can diminish the symptoms and duration of colds and flu. Blumenthal noted that although some recent clinical trials on echinacea have not confirmed its effectiveness, others have. One recent Canadian clinical trial on an echinacea extract (Echinilin®, Natural Factors, Burnaby, British Columbia; sold in the U.S. as Echinamide™), showed that the herbal extract lowered respiratory tract symptoms in people with colds.

In a recent Norwegian study scientists were able to demonstrate that patients receiving elder berry extract (Sambucol®, Razei Bar, Jerusalem, Israel) recovered from the flu four days earlier than patients in the control group. The study revealed that the elder berry extract shortened the duration of flu types A & B by four days, in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Symptoms were also made less severe with no significant side effects reported.

“Some of the best things about elder berry are its mildness, its safety, and its great taste,” added ABC’s Blumenthal. “It’s a good remedy for children too.” ABC will soon publish a monograph on elder berry. This monograph is based on a search of the scientific literature and includes the clinical and laboratory research documenting the beneficial immune-stimulating properties of elder berry preparations.

In addition to echinacea and elder berry, andrographis is an herb with pronounced benefits for the immune system, said Blumenthal. A recent published review of 11 clinical trials shows that andrographis is safe and effective in treating upper respiratory tract infections associated with colds and flus. “Unfortunately,” added Blumenthal, “despite its good record of being scientifically documented for its safety and benefits, it has not yet become popular in the United States, although it is available from a few manufacturers.”

Andrew Weil, MD, best-selling author and leader in integrating conventional and alternative medicine, and a member of the ABC Advisory Board, has been providing consumers advice on alternatives during the flu vaccine shortage. According to Weil, “There are other ways of preventing and treating influenza. My first choice is to take a standardized extract of astragalus, a well-known Chinese herb throughout the flu season. It is nontoxic and has immune-boosting activity. People should be aware of other herbal treatments such as echinacea and elder berry extract. (Of course they should also make an effort to avoid sick people and to wash hands frequently.)”

Extensive information about echinacea, elder berry, andrographis, astragalus and other herbs is available from ABC (www.herbalgram.org). The American Botanical Council is the nation's leading nonprofit organization addressing research and educational issues regarding herbs and medicinal plants. The 16-year-old organization occupies a 2.5 acre site in Austin, Texas where it publishes HerbalGram, a peer-reviewed journal. ABC is also the publisher of The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs, a continuing education and reference book, which contains extensive monographs on the safety and efficacy of echinacea and 28 other popular herbs. The soon to be released elder berry monograph will be shipped by ABC with copies of The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs.

Contact: ABC at P.O. Box 144345, Austin, TX 78714-4345, ph: 512-926-4900, fax: 512-926-2345. Website: www.herbalgram.org.

References

Coon JT, Ernst E. Andrographis paniculata in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review of safety and efficacy. Planta Medica. 2004;70:293-296.

Goel V, Lovlin R, Barton R, et al. Efficacy of a standardized Echinacea preparation (Echinilin™) for the treatment of the common cold: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004;29:75-83.

Zakay-Rones Z, Thom E, Wollan T, et al. Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. J International Med Res. 2004;32:132-140.

[Reasonable Rascal]

Additional information on Sambucol. Experiences with this or similar products from members would be appreciated.

RR


Israel's elderberry remedy Sambucol provides solution to U.S. flu vaccine shortage
By David Brinn
October 31, 2004

http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Articles%5El814&enZone=Health&enVersion=0

Americans are nervously bracing for the expected flu vaccine shortage as health experts predict people will begin feeling the effects of the flu by next month. But as the hundreds of thousands of Americans who use Israel's elderberry extract Sambucol will tell you, vaccines aren't the only answer to alleviating the flu's debilitating symptoms.

Nicknamed 'nature's flu fighter', Sambucol - which is produced by Jerusalem-based company Razei Bar - has been clinically proven to eliminate flu symptoms within one to two days. A standardized extract, the 100% natural Sambucol contains a potent antiviral compound, AntiVirin as well as a high amount of three flavonoids, naturally occurring plant antioxidants.

Developed by prominent Israeli virologist Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, Sambucol is derived from the black elder tree, Sambucus nigra L. Beginning in the 1970s, Mumcuoglu began research that led to her discovery of the key active ingredient in elderberry.

"I became interested in the natural healing elements of elderberry when I did my PhD on it in Switzerland," Mumcuoglu told ISRAEL21c. "I isolated the active substances from the elderberry and tested them against the flu virus, and found them to be effective. After finishing my studies, I came back to Israel and continued to work on research for about 10 years at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem."

According to Mumcuoglu, the black elderberry has been known since the 5th century BCE and was mentioned in the writings of Hippocrates, Dioscurides and Plinius. It can be found in every pharmacopoeia. Elderberry wine was traditionally used for influenza and the ill effects of the chills, and the juice of the black elderberry has historically been an invaluable remedy.

After assessing its effectiveness against the flu during her research, which was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Virology, Hebrew University School of Medicine, Mumcuoglu decided to commercialize an elderberry supplement she named Sambucol, and founded Razei Bar in 1992. Mumcuoglu was able to test her products on patients during a flu epidemic in southern Israel in the winter of 1992-93.

The results were very encouraging. Within 24 hours, 20% of those patients taking Sambucol had dramatic improvements in symptoms like fever, muscle aches and pains and coughing. By the second day, 73% had shown improvement, and by Day Three, 90%. In the untreated group, only 16% felt better after two days. The majority of that group began feeling better only after a week.

Another double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted using Sambucol during an outbreak of influenza B Panama. A significant alleviation of symptoms, including fever, was seen in 93.3% of the cases in the Sambucol treated group within 2 days. A complete cure was achieved within 2 to 3 days in nearly 90% of the Sambucol treated group compared to at least 6 days in the placebo group.

Most recently, in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Norway, Sambucol was shown to significantly reduce the duration of the flu by approximately four days. The use of rescue medication (pain relievers, etc.) was significantly less in the group receiving Sambucol than in the placebo group.

The study concluded that Sambucol stimulates the healthy immune system by increasing production of inflammatory cytokines. Cytokine production was measured using monocytes, derived from the blood of 12 healthy volunteers, which were incubated with four different Sambucol products: Sambucol Black Elderberry Extract, Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup, Sambucol Immune System, and Sambucol for Kids.

Mumcuoglo will not divulge the exact makeup of Sambucol and what makes it different from other elderberry extracts, but stressed that Sambucol stands alone among elderberry extracts.

"I was the first to introduce the elderberry in the U.S., and now there are about 70 copycats. But to our credit, we still have about 80% of the market. We have a very special recipe. It's very easy to destroy the active element, which is why most of those other products aren't effective," she said.

Even though the product is produced and manufactured in Israel, the elderberries are imported from Europe, as the Middle East does not offer the proper climate for growing them.

Sambucol costs $12 for 30 lozenges, and can be found in just about any health food store in the U.S. It's distributed by Nature's Way Products. Sambucol is also sold in Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Israel, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand.

"I think that Sambucol has a great role to play - it really can save lives. To my knowledge, it's the only product that can cut the duration of the flu in half, before complications have a chance to develop. At least 30,000 deaths are reported due to flu complications every year in the US.," Mumcuoglo said.

"I'm very concerned about the situation in the US. Half the population that has been receiving the vaccine in the past will not get it this year. Many of them will get sick, and transfer the flu to their families and friends. It's important to pass the message on: you need to stem the flu immediately, as soon as you experience a symptom."