Childrens Colds and Flu
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In my herb class, Don, a single father, told of his success giving his six-year-old daughter, Libby, a tea of equal parts elder, peppermint and hyssop. (See Fever Tea in chapter 89; this formula not only reduces a fever, but also fights colds and flu and helps to relieve the congestion that often accompanies these sicknesses.) Don uses this flavorful formula, which he found in an herb book, to fend off sniffles. Whenever Libby wakes up with a slight rattle in her throat—a warning sign Don has learned to recognize—he gives her a cup of this tea. If there is any sign of fever, he adds yarrow. For three years in a row, she was not sick once, even though plenty of her classmates had runny noses and coughs. In fact, since she never has any sick days, Don occasionally takes her out of school just so they can do something fun together. This last year, Libby, who is now nine years old, finally did get a little cold, but that's okay—researchers believe that an occasional cold may be a good thing because it stimulates natural immunity. Jennifer, whom I mentioned earlier, also gave her two young children, Jessa and Bohdi, herbs before ever attending an herb class. Her husband, Andrew, once had a bad case of bronchitis that a friend treated by placing ginger compresses on his chest. Remarkably, the bronchitis cleared up in a few days. So when Andrew's children come down with colds or flus, he does not hesitate to use herbs. One of his favorite herbs is ginger. To treat his kids' congestion, Andrew stirs two tablespoons of ginger powder into a hot bath. This is a lot of ginger, but it does the trick almost every time. He and Jennifer say that their kids rarely have runny noses, colds or flus. You can overdo it, though, as Jennifer and Andrew once did when Jessa was sick. They prepared a ginger bath for Jessa, and a few seconds after getting into the tub Jessa said, "Hot, hot," and they realized that she was complaining not about the temperature, but about the tingly-hot sensation produced by too much ginger in her bath.
Even though antibiotics continue to be prescribed for colds and flu, it is well known that these drugs have no effect on viruses. They only help to prevent bacterial infections from developing. Evidence indicates that the overuse of antibiotics decreases their effectiveness when a true emergency arises, and may even lessen one's natural immunity in the long run. Use of antibiotics also encourages the development of strains of infectious microorganisms that are resistant to them—because the microorganisms adapt to the drugs and become stronger—and drug developers are forced to create stronger and stronger drugs.
So what can you do to protect your child from secondary infections developing once a cold or flu sets in? There are many natural antibiotic herbs that work much differently to destroy microorganisms than their drug counterparts. These herbs do not compromise the immune system, as pharmaceutical antibiotics can—they make the body healthier. One of the most popular of these natural antibiotics is garlic, which is mentioned often in this chapter, and for good reason. Garlic fights the microorganisms responsible for many types of infection. You can administer garlic in any form your child will take. First, try adding it to your kid's meals. If your child resists, try giving her garlic supplements (there are many types available) or use the Garlic Vinegar in chapter 92.
Another well-known herbal antibiotic is goldenseal, although I often replace it with barberry or Oregon grape root, which grows wild where I live and is not an endangered plant like golden-seal. Oregon grape root tastes slightly better than goldenseal, so most children prefer it. They also like the name. No matter how many times I correct them, children almost always think that this formula contains Oregon "grapefruit." I also use licorice, the antiviral value of which was reported in two journals in 1980, and echinacea, which was shown in a 1978 German study to fight against and protect from infection. These herbs deter or halt viral infections by making the virus inactive, slowing its reproduction and preventing it from breaking down cell walls.
Children's Antibiotic Formula
2 cups water
½ teaspoon each echinacea root, licorice root and barberry bark (or Oregon grape root)
Place water and herbs in a saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and steep for about 20 minutes. Strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give 1 cup of tea or half a dropperful (30 drops) of tincture daily. To improve the flavor, the tea can be mixed with an equal amount of juice. In fact, homemade apple and grape juice, unlike bottled juices, contain strong antiviral agents that fight colds and flu.
