Ok, I’m not sure if it was COVID-19 or some other virus. The symptoms matched COVID-19 but I never did the test so who knows. Nevertheless, the point is how important it is to take care of your immune system everyday. The stronger your immune system is, the better and quicker your body will fight infections. As a very active person I didn’t really have time to stay in bed for days so once I started feeling unwell, I used all natural home remedies that I knew to get better. It worked and I manage to avoid medications! I stayed 2-3 days in bed with mild fever, coughing, headache and weird eye pain. I lost taste a bit but it come back pretty quickly too. On day 4 I felt much better and on day 5 I was ready to get back to workout!
My natural remedies and supplements for flu / covid-19
So here are herbs and supplements I used to fight this flu or whatever it was:
- 30% propolis tincture 3-5 times a day – x 15 drops
- Oregano oil 3 times a day x 2-3 drops
- Ivy, Thyme & Liquorice drops (A. Vogel Bronchoforce) – 3-5 times a day x 20 drops
- Andrographis 10% (herb) x 3 times a day
- Toda HEART of GOLD Formula™ – 3 times a day 20 drops
- 25,000 IU of vitamin A (retinol)
- 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 with K2-MK7
- 500mg of Vitamin C every few hours
- 30mg of Zinc
- Astaxanthin x 1 a day
- Magnesium powder ¼ teaspoon few times a day
My favourite teas/drinks for cold & flu
- Hot water with ginger & lemon (fresh ginger cooked for 10 minutes with water + added freshly squeezed lemon juice at the end)
- Home made turmeric tea (1 teaspoon of turmeric with ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp cardamom, ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cinnamon and lemon juice squeezed from half lemon + 1-2 pieces of anise)
- Flax seeds drink – it’s great help with dry throat ( 1 tsp of flax seeds add cup of hot water, wait around 10min and drink it).
You can add honey to make it a little bit sweet, however Im following my no sugar policy so I didn’t add it 🙂
Why did I choose the above herbs and supplements?
Propolis – It’s one of the world’s oldest medicines with over 300 biologically active ingredients. Bees need propolis to protect themselves and to clean their hives and honeycombs, whilst humans use it for cold or flu due to great antiviral and antibacterial properties. Propolis helps to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and also functions as an antioxidant.
Oregano oil – contains carvacrol with strong antimicrobial properties and has been shown to be effective in fighting viral infection. It was found that oregano oil helps to treat fevers and respiratory symptoms associated with flu.
There is only one thing to note when using oregano oil – together with various pathogens, it may also destroy good bacteria in your gut. It’s good to consider taking probiotics or eat naturally fermented foods when taking oregano oil.
A. Vogel Bronchoforce – contains Ivy herb and thyme which are great to relieve cough. It also contains liquorice root which is antiviral. I tested lots of cough syrups and nothing really helps me as much as these drops. You can buy it in Holland and Barrett.
Andrographis 10% (herb) – it’s natural alternative to antibiotics for upper respiratory track infections. There is increasing interest in this herb due to its potential use to help in COVID-19. It was found that andrographis can inhibit SARS-Cov2 protease, a key enzyme for the viral replication. Its anti-inflammatory properties may help in the immune response too. This herb has been used in Chinese and ayurverdic traditional medicine for centuries.
Toda HEART of GOLD Formula™ -its advertised as cardiovascular support formula however the main ingredients are garlic and selenium. Garlic I guess I don’t have to say much – it’s known as natural antibiotic with potent antimicrobial properties, including viral infections. Selenium is powerful antioxidant with immune boosting properties.
Vitamin A, D and C
All three are key for immune system. During the infection these vitamins are used up rapidly that’s why I took such large doses to ensure my body has what it needs. Deficiency of the below micronutrients is also linked to more severe symptoms and longer recovery time..
- Vitamin D is commonly known for its role in bone health but it also helps to make proteins that kill viruses and bacteria.
- Vitamin C is vital for the function of leukocytes, type of white blood cells that help fight infections – and you need a lot more when you’re sick. It has short life, that’s why it’s better to take smaller 250-500mg doses every 2-3 hours instead of one large dose. I was alternating between liposomal vitamin C and ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids. In general, liposomal vitamin C is better absorb so you will need less of it comparing to ascorbic acid.
- Vitamin A – appropriate levels of vitamin A reduce the severity of respiratory infections. Vitamin A also enhances recovery of mucosal integrity after viral infection, improves antibody response and recovery of neutrophil function. Zinc is a key cofactor that is required for Vitamin A to be absorbed and used by our body.
Zinc – as just mentioned, zinc is required to maintain optimal levels of vitamin A. It also plays big role in taste and boosts immune system. Zinc is important for maintaining function of macrophages, these are types of white blood cells that help to get rid of viruses and bacteria.
Astaxanthin – is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet derived from algae. Free radicals are not always the bad guys. We need free radicals as they are part of mechanism of fighting infection. However if we don’t balance them with antioxidants they may damage not only pathogens but also our healthy cells. I took 12mg as that’s the only one I had, however 4mg dose is sufficient.
The sooner you act, the better
The upper respiratory tract mucosa is the first line of defense, as a physical barrier against viruses and other pathogens. If you your body fight it effectively before getting to your lower parts of the respiratory track, the more chances to go through the infections without severe symptoms.
EN 
PL