13 NATURAL NTIVIRALS - Properties, Studies and Effective Recipe

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Given the current situation of coronavirus (COVID-19) everyone is looking for ways to protect themselves or to facilitate recovery if they are suffering, even looking for natural remedies that can prevent or combat the virus. However, the truth is that until now, as it is a new virus, there is no known remedy or medical treatment that is really effective to prevent and treat wuhan coronavirus. In fact, there has been some hoax about it that has become so viral among the world population that the WHO (World Health Organization)^[1] has had to deny it, as is the case with garlic, which was said to be able to prevent this infection by eating it raw. The truth is that, although garlic has certain antiviral properties and others that are very good for health, there have been no scientific studies regarding this new virus, there has been no time and, therefore, there is nothing proven about whether it helps in any way. mode or nothing.

Despite this situation, we must bear in mind that we are in the midst of colds and flu and that taking antiviral foods and antiviral plants as a reinforcement for our immune system against these is always a good option to feel better and, in addition, take advantage of many more benefits that these foods and plants provide. If you are interested in knowing 13 natural antiviralsContinue reading this interesting Green Ecologist article and discover them, along with one of the best natural antiviral recipes out there.

The best natural antivirals

As a summary, we indicate that the best natural antivirals They are the following and that in the next few lines we will talk about each one. In addition, we will also talk about other antiviral plants.

• Honey
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Turmeric
• Aloe vera or aloe

Honey to raise the defenses

It is one of the natural foods with the most properties and applications in medicine, both in Eastern and Western medicine. Honey It is well known for having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and also antiviral properties.

This natural product can both help prevent conditions, improving defense levels, and treat them. In addition, it is very good for alleviating some of the symptoms that can be more annoying, such as coughing and fatigue. In fact, honey has been shown to be effective in assisting in treatments against flu virus and herpessuch as type 1 and type 2 herpes simplex^[2].

Ginger, a powerful natural antiviral

Another of the best natural antivirals that in recent years has gained great prominence, precisely due to all its properties, is the ginger or Zingiber officinale Roscoe^[3]. The active principles of this root are shogaols, gingerols and gingerenones, camphor, essential oil with zingiberin, cineole, geranial and linalool. Between the ginger properties we find the following:

• Antiviral
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antiseptic
• Circulatory stimulant
• Vasodilator
• Digestive stimulant
• Laxative
• Colagogo
• Antiemetic
• Carminative
• Cough suppressant
• Febrifuge
• Expectorant
• Lipid-lowering
• Hypoglycemic

Therefore, apart from helping to strengthen defenses against viral or bacterial attacks, it is also very useful to relieve symptoms such as inflammation, fatigue, fever and cough. If you are interested in having it fresh on a regular basis, here we explain how to grow ginger at home.

Garlic as an antiviral

The garlic or Allium sativum L. It is also one of the antiviral foods^[4] best known and consumed in most of the world. It is a very common plant from which we eat the bulb, also called a head of garlic and made up of several cloves. In each of these pieces, this plant has active principles such as alliin, allicin, essential oil with garlicin, vitamins A, group B and C and various mineral salts. Thanks to its composition, this plant acts as a good natural antiviral, although it is not infallible against all viruses as we have indicated at the beginning of the article. Thus, the garlic properties are diverse:

• Antiviral
• Antibacterial
• Antifungal
• Vasodilator
• Hypotensive
• Platelet antiplatelet
• Lipid-lowering
• Hypoglycemic
• Vermifuge

So that you can grow them at home and thus enjoy them fresh, we recommend this guide on When and how to plant garlic.

Lemon

The lemon or Citrus × lemon it is the best known citrus fruit and it is also an antiviral food^[5] that will help to raise the defenses before possible viral infections. In addition, it has many more qualities that help us improve our health. Among the active principles that are in the composition of lemon we can find vitamin C, citric acid, malic acid, pectin, mucilage, flavonoids, essential oil with limonene, citral, citronellal and alpha and beta pinene, as well as coumarins, such as limentin and bergamotin. By this composition, these are the main properties of lemon:

• Antiviral
• Powerful vitamin
• Antioxidant
• Antiseptic
• Antibacterial
• Antifungal
• Remineralizing
• Diuretic
• Purifying
• Antianemic
• Local hemostatic
• Febrifuge
• Digestive
• Antiemetic
• Antidiarrheal
• Carminative
• Anthelmintic
• Antirheumatic
• Analgesic
• Demulcent
• Healing

We can see that it is a powerful food to help us prevent a variety of problems and treat the symptoms of various diseases. For example, facing colds, flus, and other viruses, lemon can help us lower the fever, relieve pain, improve the digestive system, raise the defenses and to favor the elimination of the infection.

Do you want to have organic and fresh lemons at home? Go ahead and have a lemon tree with this practical guide on How to plant a lemon tree in a pot and its care.

Turmeric, another powerful natural antiviral

We continue with this antiviral foods list and we stop to know the turmeric or Curcuma longa L.. The truth is that it is a very well-known spice food, but few people know that among the various properties of turmeric is that it is a powerful natural antiviral^[6]. In fact, turmeric is one of the most used medicinal plants in Peru and other Central and South American countries, but it is mostly used in Asia, in places like India, Korea and China.

This root has active principles such as essential oil with turmerone and zingiberene, curcumoids, curcumin, resins and bitter principles. Due to this composition, this plant offers us really good properties and benefits to take care of our health. Between the turmeric properties for our health we find:

• Antiviral
• Antibacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Painkiller
• Antioxidant
• Immune system booster
• Hepatoprotective
• Choleretic
• Lipid-lowering
• Antispasmodic

Therefore, in front of viral infections, turmeric can help us prevent some thanks to the fact that it helps to raise our defenses and is antiviral, but it can also help us to improve some symptoms such as inflammation and pain. In addition, due to its properties it is also widely used to prevent and treat a variety of conditions and diseases, for example, to relieve osteoarthritis.

aloe vera

The aloe vera, aloe vera or Aloe vera L. Webb & Berth It is one of the most well-known plants in the world and a large number of properties and benefits are attributed to it, which is why it is used for a large number of aspects in health and cosmetics. It is true that it is a succulent plant full of properties good for our health, but not many people know its capacity antiviral against some types of viruses^[7].

The aloe plant, apart from containing a lot of water, has active principles such as aloins, alloerresins, lignin, saponins, tannins, mineral salts, various vitamins, among which are folic acid or vitamin B9, amino acids, mucilage and choline. Thus, this is one of the antiviral plants that we can take advantage of to improve our immune system, but also for many more things. Between the properties of aloe vera or aloe we find:

• Antiviral
• Disinfectant
• Antifungal
• Antibacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Invigorating
• Emollient
• Moisturizing
• Mild laxative
• Purgative
• Antiallergic

If you like this plant, we recommend you have one at home to always have a little on hand. To learn how to take good care of it, you can consult this guide on Aloe Vera Care. Also, for you to take advantage of it well, here is another guide to learn How to make homemade aloe vera gel.

Antiviral medicinal plants

Apart from the natural products already mentioned, they can also be used antiviral medicinal plants, like these, which are widely used in herbal medicine.

• Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
• Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• Chinese Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
• Echinacea (Echinacea)
• Heliotropium filifolium
• Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

In addition, there is a fungus of which the antiviral effect that have some of its components. It is about the Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum).

How to make ginger with lemon and honey - an effective natural antiviral

After having known the most effective natural antivirals And that, in addition, they have many more beneficial properties that we can take advantage of, at Ecologist Verde we recommend drink an infusion of ginger with honey and lemon on a regular basis and, especially, if you suffer from viruses (such as the common colds or some flu) to recover faster. Take notes to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water.
• 2 slices of ginger root.
• Lemon to taste.
• Honey to taste

Preparation

1. Cut the piece of ginger and wash it with water, especially if it has traces of soil because you have grown it at home, and cut it into small pieces.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan or pot.
3. When the water starts to boil, add the ginger and lower the heat to medium power.
4. Let it boil for 20 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, remove the pot from the stove and leave it covered to rest.
6. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Remove the root pieces by straining the liquid.
8. Pour the ginger tea or infusion into the cup in which you are going to drink it.
9. To improve its flavor, as it is quite strong, and to take advantage of more natural antiviral ingredients, you can add a little fresh lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

If you want to read more articles similar to 13 natural antivirals, we recommend that you enter our category of natural remedies.

References

1. WHO: Advice for the public about rumors about the new coronavirus (2022-nCoV): https://www.who.int/es/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth- busters
2. Kanuka honey versus acyclovir for the topical treatment of herpes simplex labialis: a randomized controlled trial: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/5/e026201
3. San Chang, J., Wang, K. C., Yeh, C. F., Shieh, D. E., & Chiang, L. C. (2013). Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 145(1), 146-151 .: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874112007404
4. Tsai, Y., Cole, L. L., Davis, L. E., Lockwood, S. J., Simmons, V., & Wild, G. C. (1985). Antiviral properties of garlic: in vitro effects on influenza B, herpes simplex and coxsackie viruses. Medical Plant, 51(05), 460-461 .: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-2007-969553.pdf
5. XU, J. S., JIAO, M. F., WANG, S. L., LI, X. X., & ZHONG, Q. P. (2007). Study on bacteriostatic and antiviral effects of lemon extract. Chinese Journal of Disinfection, 1.: http://en.cnki.com.cn/article_en/cjfdtotal-zgxd200701006.htm
6. Zorofchian Moghadamtousi, S., Abdul Kadir, H., Hassandarvish, P., Tajik, H., Abubakar, S., & Zandi, K. (2014). A review on antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity of curcumin. BioMed research international, 2014.: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/186864/
7. Zandi, K., Zadeh, M. A., Sartavi, K., & Rastian, Z. (2007). Antiviral activity of Aloe vera against herpes simplex virus type 2: An in vitro study. African Journal of Biotechnology, 6(15) .: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/57782

Bibliography

• Cebrián, J., (2012), Dictionary of medicinal plants, Barcelona, Spain, Integral RBA Libros.
• Torres, R., Modak, B., Urzúa, A., Delle Monache, F., DAMONTE, E., & PUJOL, C. A. (2002). Antiviral properties of natural and semi-synthetic compounds of Heliotropium filifolium resin. Bulletin of the Chilean Chemical Society, 47(3), 259-263.
• Eo, S. K., Kim, Y. S., Lee, C. K., & Han, S. S. (1999). Antiviral activities of various water and methanol soluble substances isolated from Ganoderma lucidum. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 68(1-3), 129-136.
• Zhang, W., Tao, J., Yang, X., Yang, Z., Zhang, L., Liu, H.,… & Wu, J. (2014). Antiviral effects of two Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids against enterovirus 71 infection. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 449(3), 307-312.