Best Natural Anti Viral Foods, Herbs And Spices

natural anti viral foods

Do you know that your overall health and immunity can be boosted by following a healthy diet with good nutrition, including anti viral foods. The following are the best natural anti viral foods, herbs and spices that you should consider consuming daily.

Top Natural Anti Viral Foods, Herbs And Spices

1. Lemon Balm Oil

anti viral foods

Antiviral effects of lemon essential balm oil are well-known in German. Also, lemon balm creams are prescribed for cold sores and herpes outbreaks. Lemon balm oil is easy to grow in gardens, so you can grow this herb and use it as a home remedy.

In addition, lemon balm tea can be drunk for combating different kinds of viral infections like influenza and colds. Plus, lemon balm cream and can be applied to other viral lesions like chickenpox and shingles.

Also on VKool site: 43 health benefits of peppermint oil supplements.

2. Eucalyptus Oil

anti viral foods

Eucalyptus oil contains 3 well-known antiviral compounds, including tannic acid, quercetin and hyperoside. Eucalyptus oil can act to help you treat different conditions in different ways. The most common use of eucalyptus oil is to combat viruses causing congestion. Simply add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your warm bath and take a bath. Besides, you can mix eucalyptus oil with any carrier oil like canola oil or sunflower; and use this mixture to massage for getting relaxed.

3. Tea Tree Oil

anti viral foods

Next to powerful anti viral foods and herbs, try using tea tree oil. This herb with its great antiviral properties can help treat a variety of health problems especially sore throats. Moreover, the tea tree oil can be applied to the affected areas more than 2 times per day. To cure sore throats, mix several drops of the tea tree oil with 1/2 cup of gargle and warm water.

4. Juniper Oil

anti viral foods

Researches on juniper oil have shown that the oil has a potent antiviral property called deoxypodophyllotoxin. This can be effective to prevent against both flu viruses and herpes. The juniper oil can be used as massage oil, as a compress, in a diffuser, in a soothing bath or in lotion form. It’s not recommended using during pregnancy as the oil may increase muscles of uterus.

5. Oregano

anti viral foods

Next to effective anti viral foods and herbs, this is oregano. This plant has been using for 100s years for its infection fighting benefits. It has antiparasitic, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. In a study from the Cornell University, oregano is found to be effective against more than 30 different germs.

Used as an effective antiviral remedy, oregano can be used in the capsule form, drunk as herbal tea and it is also taken diluted in the extract form. Simply, consume oregano in your foods for seasoning to get its health benefits. It, however, won’t provide concentrated amounts of antiviral oils that are needed to fight off viral illnesses.

6. Astragalus

anti viral foods

Astragalus is powerful antiviral herb for strengthening immunity. It is an effective antiviral source for combating common colds and flues. Beside, aiding its benefits in fighting off viruses, astragalus also has a warming effect for comforting the body. Astragalus herb is available in different forms. The herb can be boiled to consume in daily meals or taken in the capsule form or used like an extract.

7. Garlic

anti viral foods

Garlic is a powerful herb for its antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. So, it is a natural cure for illnesses, flues while boosting the immune system and improving the overall health.

There are different ways to make use of this spice, also herb. For instance, you can add a few cloves of garlic to your daily meals, add raw garlic to your salad, or drink garlic oil.

8. Ginger

anti viral foods

Next to anti viral foods and herbs, ginger is considered a warming herb for preventing nausea and stomach upset. Ginger can work as a powerful anti-nausea cure because of its anti-viral properties.

Ginger teas are spicy and palatable. You can sweeten ginger with honey for adding more flavors and increasing its germ-fighting benefits. If you feel first symptoms of a flu or cold, drink some of ginger tea a few times a day. You, then will feel better because ginger can help fight off viruses causing your flu. Note that ginger herb is recommended using for pregnant women.

9. Olive Leaves

anti viral foods

Olive trees has grown wild and they were probably cultivated around 3500 BC. Olive oil was a part of the Mediterranean’s diet. The olive leaves contain a substance called oleuropein that is a potent inhibitor of different viruses in laboratory tests. Calcium salt in elenoic acid present in olive leaves can destroy a wide range of viruses that’s tested to against influenza, coxsackie viruses, herpes and polio. The calcium elenolate component in olive leaves also act on retrovirus for the murine leukaemia to block reverse transcriptase enzymes. These transcriptase enzymes allow viruses to replicate by changing the RNA and DNA of healthy cells. Researches on infected animals have indicated that the calcium elenolate could reduce level of type-III myxovirus parainfluenza and prevent its spread to lungs.

10. Green Tea

anti viral foods

Green tea has been used as a natural medicinal remedy in China for more than 4,000 years and health benefits of green tea have been validated by various scientific methods. Green tea has flavonoids called catechins that work to inhibit various viral infections by binding to haemag glutinin of influenza virus, so it can help prevent viruses against entering host cells. Recent studies in China has found that catechin in green tea can act to block viral enzymes and DNA polymerase that allow the viruses to replicate. Green tea compounds are also effective in preventing and inhibiting hepatitis B virus, HIV and herpes simplex.

11. Cinnamon

anti viral foods

Cinnamon is a common spice and herb that can help warm the body, help in improving the digestive system thanks to its antibacterial properties. Cinnamon is often taken as an essential oil, drunk like a tea, and added to different foods. When using this spice as an essential oil, you should use it with carrier oil for preventing the skin irritation.

12. Clove

anti viral foods

Clove is commonly used as an essential oil, a topical analgesic and infused oil for killing bad intestinal bacteria. For its internal use, you can use clove in cooking or making clove tea. When using topically, remember to dilute in carrier oil.

13. Echinacea

anti viral foods

Next to effective anti viral foods and herbs, take advantage of Echinacea.

You can make use echinacea flowers and roots to reduce the severity as well as duration of common cold, viral bronchitis symptoms and upper respiratory tract infection. The natural antivirals of Echinacea are described to provide an effective alternative to various pharmaceutical drugs. As this herb has been found to fight off viruses just in test tube without clinical trials, so, the best way to treat viral illnesses may be the holistic approach.

In fact, echinacea can involve the use of antiviral products and immune-boosting nutrients like vitamins A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, probiotics, selenium and CoQ10.

14. Marshmallow Root

anti viral foods

Marshmallow root is famous for its pain-easing properties. Besides, this herb can work to soothe, lubricate, soften and heal skin thanks to tannins. This component is found in marshmallow root to prevent against bacteria in the urinary tract infections. Normally, marshmallow root is taken internally as herbal tea.

15. Usnea

anti viral foods

This lichen is antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral. This is also a powerful antibiotic to treat staph infections, urinary tract infections, respiratory, sinus infections, fungal infections (yeast and vaginosis) and strep. Usnea is commonly used like a tincture. No precautions, yet consult a doctor or an herbalist before using usnea before and during pregnancy.

16. Uva Ursi

anti viral foods

Uva Ursi is commonly used as a capsule or tincture for improving urinary tract infections since it has compounds that are effective in combating pathogens that are associated with urinary tract infections. Due to its strength, people shouldn’t use this herb continually longer than two weeks. It is also not recommended using for pregnant women, nursing women, people with kidney disease and young children.

17. Yarrow

anti viral foods

Yarrow flowers have different uses. In the form of powder, yarrow flowers can be used to stop bleeding fast. When infused in water, they can help speed the healing process of canker sores. When used as a tea, yarrow flowers can help fight off urinary tract infections. As this herb is found to cause uterine contractions, so you should avoid using it during pregnancy.

18. Cat’s Claw

anti viral foods

Next to anti viral foods and herbs, cat’s claw is great for boosting immunity, increasing the body’s protection against common illnesses and flues. This herb can be used as a capsule, tincture or tea. It is not commended taking Cat’s Claw during pregnancy.

Bottom line:

These are top 18 anti viral foods, herbs and spices for preventing illness, diseases and boosting your immunity. For specific health condition you suffer from, consider using these natural herbal remedies!

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