Now we find that one of these has been found to treat one of the most aggressive forms of influenza, the mighty H1N1 virus - also dubbed Swine flu, is thought to have infected millions of people and an estimated 579,000 people died from it around the world in 2009.
The go-to treatment for H1N1 has been Tamiflu.
Herbal formula treats H1N1
A study of 410 young adults has found that a Chinese herbal combination called maxingshigan-yinqiaosan treats H1N1 virus infections more successfully than the conventional drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).The study, published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine and conducted at the Capital Medical University in Beijing, gave infected adults aged from 15 to 59 years old either the Chinese herbal combination or the conventional drug Tamiflu in eleven hospitals throughout China during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.
The researchers analyzed the outcome of the H1N1 illness and how quickly the patients' fevers resolved. They also gauged recovery by other symptom scores and tested viral shedding using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis.
The group taking the Chinese herbal medication had 37% faster fever reduction over untreated patients, while oseltamivir (Tamiflu) reduced fevers by 34% over the untreated group. Furthermore, combined treatment with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and the Chinese herbal formula reduced fevers by 47%, and 19% sooner than oseltamivir alone.
Within 72 hours of their H1N1 symptoms, patients began treatment under the care of a physician. The patients, with an average age of 19, were divided into four groups. One group received no treatment. Another group was given 75 milligrams of Tamiflu two times a day. The third group was given 200 milliliters of the maxingshigan-yinqiaosan formula, and the last group received both the Tamiflu and the maxingshigan-yinqiaosan formula doses together each day.
What is maxingshigan-yinqiaosan?
The Chinese herbal formula maxingshigan-yinqiaosan is a blend of 12 herbs, used traditionally in Chinese medicine to reduce fever, inflammation and influenza. The herbs within the formula are:- qing hao (artemnesia)
- yin hua (honeysuckle)
- gan cao (licorice root)
- ephedra, zhi mu (anemarrhena)
- shi gao (gypsum)
- huang qin (baikal skullcap)
- chao xingren (apricot seed)
- lian qiao (fruit of forsynthia)
- niu bangzi (burdock)
- bo he (mint)
- zhe bei mu (fritillaria)
H1N1 resistance to oseltamivir
Oseltamivir, produced by Roche under the trademark Tamiflu, is considered by the CDC, the World Health Organization and other agencies as the 'go-to' medication for treating H1N1.However, the H1N1 virus has become increasingly resistant to oseltamivir. The World Health Organization reported that 314 strains of the H1N1 virus had become resistant to oseltamivir as of December 2010. In addition, Tamiflu is not always available to doctors in some parts of the world. Side effects of oseltamivir have included: Nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, rash, and others.
Herbal medications work differently within the body, according to researchers and traditional doctors. Herbal medications stimulate the body's own immune system, often specific to fighting a current infection. Many herbal formulations, such as the one tested in this study, have been used safely among millions of patients over many centuries.Ancient Chinese medicine has carried forth numerous combinations of plant medicines that were reputed to provide healing benefits not available from the single herbs alone.
These formulations are quite complex, and often contain a mixture of extracts together with raw or cooked herbs - or soups, as they are often called.
What makes plant medicines different?
Plant medicines work differently within the body than most pharmaceuticals. Plant medicines typically work on multiple levels, because each will typically contain tens if not hundreds of medicinal compounds.In addition to being antimicrobial, many plant medicines will stimulate the body's own immune system by communicating with immune cells and/or stimulating certain types of cytokines - which are the immune cells' communication devices. Plant medicines also often communicate with and stimulate intestinal probiotics, which help to fight infections.
Many traditional herbal formulations, such as the one tested in this study, have been used safely among millions of patients over many centuries.
Consult with your health professional before taking herbs.
REFERENCES:
Wang C, Cao B, Liu QQ, Zou ZQ, Liang ZA, Gu L, Dong JP, Liang LR, Li XW, Hu K, He XS, Sun YH, An Y, Yang T, Cao ZX, Guo YM, Wen XM, Wang YG, Liu YL, Jiang LD. Oseltamivir compared with the Chinese traditional therapy maxingshigan-yinqiaosan in the treatment of H1N1 influenza: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Aug 16;155(4):217-25.
Dawood FS, Iuliano AD, Reed C, et al. (September 2012). "Estimated global mortality associated with the first 12 months of 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus circulation: a modelling study". Lancet Infect Dis 12 (9): 687–95. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(12)70121-4.
Living Immunity: Supercharging Our Body's Defenses with Probiotics and Other Natural Strategies. Logical Books, 2014.