Garlic
Garlic is a potent antiviral food. It works against such viruses as influenza and common cold. It is presumably due to it’s ability to produce a warming and drying action generally, leading to stimulation of the blood flow and thereby producing additional energy. Such an increase in overall metabolism may well provide a general strengthening of the overall immune system.
Garlic acts directly against the influenza virus and also stimulates the body’s natural defenses against it. In an animal study, researchers fed a garlic extract to mice and then introduced the flu virus into their nasal passages. All the mice that had received the garlic were protected from flu, while the untreated animals all got sick. The researchers presumed that garlic’s effect was partly due to its antiviral effect and partly due to its immunity stimulating effect.
Garlic soup is an ancient remedy to reduce the severity of cold. It contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The volatile oil contained in garlic helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, garlic flushes out the system of all toxins and thus helps bring down fever. Garlic oil combined with onion juice, diluted with water and drunk several times a day, has also been found in several studies to be extremely effective in the treatment of common cold.
Some garlic oil products help in curing symptoms of coughs and colds. Garlic has gained this new official credibility mainly through its action in the lungs and sinuses. In the former, it guards against secondary infections, which can arise from the mucosal secretions of a head cold, some of which will end up in lung cavity. While a person’s resistance is low from colds or flu, he is likely to get secondary bacterial infection of lung tissue, which means that bronchitis is a potential problem whenever a person gets a really nasty cold. Taking garlic at this time will be very effective as it can often prevent such a possibility.
Garlic is also an effective remedy for herpes virus. Once a person contracted herpes virus, he harbors it for life and it manifests itself when he is in a run down condition Garlic appears to have an inhibiting effect on cold sores Even if person has suffered from cold sores for years, this little remedy is well worth a try. Herpes viruses usually infect either oral or genital areas. The usefulness of garlic in combating these serious diseases arises from its antiviral and immunity boosting properties
Garlic should be used internally as soon as first sign of outbreak of the disease appears. When sores have opened up, the garlic may be applied externally. The most powerful method is to apply garlic juice directly to the sores. Care should however be taken not to irritate the tissues. In the alternative, crushed garlic may be applied in the form of poultice.
Garlic sitz bath may be taken for twenty minutes in case of genital herpes, A garlic clove should be blended or finely chopped and half a liter of boiling water poured over it. It may be allowed to stand for several hours. It should then be poured in the tub filled with enough hot water to cover the hips when the patient sits in it for sitz bath.
Garlic also works against verrucae, which are caused by a virus infection. A thin slice of fresh garlic should be tapped over verrucae with a sticking plaster. It should be changed with a fresh slice each day, and within a week to ten days the verrucae will come away. Certain wart will also respond to this kind of treatment.
A great disadvantage of conventional antibiotics is that they are not effective against viral infections. That is why they do not work against the common cold or flu as well as other serious viral infections. Garlic or its constituents directly kills influenza, herpes and other viruses.
Ginger
Ginger possesses antiviral activity. It destroys influenza viruses. A teaspoon of fresh ginger juice mixed with a cup of fenugreek decoction and honey to taste is an excellent diaphoretic mixture to reduce fever in influenza.
Ginger is also an excellent food remedy for colds and coughs. Ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of honey added to it, it should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily. The use of dry ginger is also considered beneficial in the treatment of mumps. It should be ground to a paste and applied over the swollen parts. As the paste dries, the swelling will reduce and the pain will also subside.
Grapefruit
The juice of this fruit is an antiviral food. Its use has been found especially valuable in influenza. This juice helps reduce acidity in the system and its bitter properties, arising from a substance called ‘maringin’, tones up the system and the digestive tract. Grapefruit has also a considerable content of iron, which partly accounts for its distinctly tonic qualities.