Did you know that there are herbal alternatives to pretty much any pharmaceutical?
Recently I began using Star Anise in place of Tamiflu, here’s the research from The National Library of Medicine:
Medicinal herbs are one of the imperative sources of drugs all over the world. Star anise (Illicium verum), an evergreen, medium-sized tree with star-shaped fruit, is an important herb with wide distriinbution throughout southwestern parts of the Asian continent. Besides its use as spice in culinary, star anise is one of the vital ingredients of the Chinese medicinal herbs and is widely known for its antiviral effects. It is also the source of the precursor molecule, shikimic acid, which is used in the manufacture of oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), an antiviral medication for influenza A and influenza B. Besides, several other molecules with numerous biological benefits including the antiviral effects have been reported from the same plant. Except the antiviral potential, star anise possesses a number of other potentials such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, insecticidal, secretolytic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, sedative properties, expectorant and spasmolytic, and estrogenic effects. This review aimed to integrate the information on the customary attributes of the plant star anise with a specific prominence on its antiviral properties and the phytochemical constituents along with its clinical aptness.
Keywords: Illicium verum; Tamiflu; antiviral; oseltamivir; shikimic acid; star anise.
I’ve tried it and it is working, I left the Pickeyweedz Metaphysical Store on Sunday night pretty well in the grips of something nasty, cough, congestion, body aches, gastrointestinal distress but no fever! Odd right? Well the symptoms are viral without the fever which indicates that I’m in the early stages, so I took home some Breathe Well tea and a bag of Star Anise (pay no attention to the jar label, I switched from Anise Seed to Star Anise a while back but haven’t changed the label yet, so this is Illicium verum and not Pimpenella Anisum). I can clearly feel it working in just 12 hours!
So how did I do it? I purchased what is known in the trade as tea filters, they are basically cotton, tie string, tea bags which can be purchased on Amazon 400 filters to a pack. I filled one of those tea bags half full of the Breathe Well Tea and the rest of the way with crushed Star Anise, boiled a pot of water in the kettle, placed the bag in a French Press and steeped it for 7 minutes, added stevia to taste and drank it. Simple! I had a very large teacup about 16 ounces, I drank the entire cup before bed and the symptoms other than gastrointestinal have lessened by at least half if not more! Now to go make some more tea!
I have to say I’m suitably impressed with the efficacy of the Star Anise and the Breathe Well Tea really opened my chest and alleviated the congestion so I could rest, and when I find something that works, I share it! I do blend a lot of my own teas and blend for folks when they ask me, so this may well become a blend all its own!
So, what are some other alternatives you ask?
For pain in place of analgesics – Devil's Claw Root
For complications from Asthma - Mullein Leaf
For Cramps in in place of Midol – Cramp Bark
For restful sleep in place of OTC or Prescription Sleep aids - Catnip
(Disclaimer: we are not physicians and cannot prescribe so all information contained herein is purely informational. Please speak to your physician before beginning any new supplementation regimen as interactions can be fatal)
So, as you can see, there are many herbs that you can substitute for synthetic drugs, after all, every synthetic drug on the market was created from biological compounds found in nature.
Here’s to your health and wellness!
Tay