Corona Virus Defence and Elderberry Syrup: Naturally boost your Immune System

Corona Virus Defence and Elderberry Syrup: Naturally boost your Immune System

With all the hysteria going on about Corona Virus it is easy to become carried away and drawn into the Fear. Some important things to understand is that the actual Virus will have mutated multiple times before it ever becomes a pandemic. Our focus here is to educate you on practical and simple things you can do to support your immune system if you are to come into contact with it. The best immunity to any disease is Natural immunity. If a healthy person is to come into contact with this virus, they would most likely be able to defend it or experience mild symptoms and not a full blown flu.

What you can do:

Building a healthy immune system begins with simple hygiene and sanitation. Ensure hands are being washed throughly after coughing, sneezing and after toilet use. Hand sanitisers will not work, and will in fact weaken your natural defences on your skin exposing you to more germs and bugs. We use and recommend a Hand Purifier fortified with essential oils specific to viruses. It is the Young Living Thieves hand purifier. 

Secondly, people with compromised immune systems tend to be highly stressed, have reduced Vitamin D stores and often have a poor intake of fruits and vegetables. The single most effective thing you can do is eat an abundance of fruit and vegetables 2-3 times each day. If you struggle with this, Include some Greens powder twice each day. As a Maintenance dose you can have 1 heaped teaspoon in 500ml of water twice per day. If you are unwell you can increase the dose to 1TBS 2-3 times per day. Our Alkaline Greens powder will Alkalise your body, raise your pH and provide your body with all the essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids required to boost your immune system and stimulate a healing immune response. Illness requires energy, and our Alkaline Greens will deliver this energy in an easily absorbable form that will not support your body not stress it out.

Vitamin D: Lowered Vitamin D can directly lower immunity and weaken your  defences. It will also affect the absorption of other fat soluble nutrients that are an important part of a strong and healthy immune system such as Vitamins A and K. If you are unable to get natural sunlight to build your stores, then a supplement containing Vitamin D3 cholecalciferol is necessary. Doses of 5000IU and up to 10,000IU may be needed daily to bring your levels back up. It is advised this is assessed through a blood test and directed by a Naturoapathic practitioner for maximum results. Lowered Vitamin D will also contribute to increased feelings of stress, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

Zinc: This nutrient has a wide range of functions and is required for the absorption of other nutrients that affect gut and immune health. Lowered zinc can result in chronic and recurrent infections, digestive imbalances and poor wound healing. Not all zinc is created equal, so it is important to be prescribed the right amount in the right form for maximum absorption and efficacy.

Vitamin A: Beta carotene is best sourced from orange and red fruits and vegetables. Cooked carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes and red peppers are a great source. Eat a variety of these each day. Vitamin A will support mucus membranes and reduce the severity of cold and flu as well as mucus and phlegm production. Many supplements are poorly absorbed, but there are some practitioner sources available that contain quality ingredients to stimulate an immune response.

Stress and Sleep: Managing your external environment, triggers and rest is crucial to overall health. We heal when we sleep. It provides our body with an opportunity to restore and rejuvenate while conserving energy for healing. If this is area is constantly compromised in your life, It would be a great place to start and will make all your other efforts in building wellness more effective. If the media hype is creating fear and anxiety for you, switch it off and focus on health and healing. Understand the virus by doing thorough research and implement some of the strategies we have mentioned above.

Please also consider Vitamin C, Colloidal Silver and Salt Spray too. These are very powerful for the whole family and great to have on the ready if need be. Colloidal Silver is the most powerful antimicrobial that is tasteless and easy to consume or apply topically. Salt Spray will give you an energy boost, increase circulation and help a sore throat. Vitamin C will reduce the severity of a cough and stimulate the immune system.

What is Elderberry Syrup?

Elderberries naturally contain vitamins A, B, and C and stimulate the immune system. Researchers have found that the complex sugars in elderberries support the immune system in fighting cold and flu. Elderberries have been clinically shown to help fight all kinds of cold, flu and viruses.

Below is a breakdown of the vitamins and minerals found in 1 cup of elderberries:

  • 870 mg of vitamin A
  • 406 mg of potassium
  • 52.2 mg of vitamin C
  • 9 mg of folate
  • 55 mg of calcium
  • 2.32 mg of iron

The immune stimulating effects of elderberries can reduce the severity and length of symptoms produced by cold and flu. They are beneficial in supporting upper respiratory symptoms of these ailments and can help reduce inflammation, mucus, sinus blockage, congestion and sore throats. It is also effective in helping modulate fever associated with these symptoms. 

Elderberry extract binds to the tiny spikes on a virus protein that are used to pierce and invade healthy cells and destroys them so that the virus is ineffective.

Elderberry syrup is best taken at the first sign of cold and flu. It may also be taken for 7 days at a time during the cold and flu season to boost your immune system. It is not advised to take Elderberry longterm. Please consult your Naturopath if your symptoms persist beyond 5 days.

Dosage:

As this Elderberry syrup contains honey, it is not recommended for children under 1 year of age or with allergies. The following dosages are recommended for children 2 and above as well as adults.

Children: 2-10yrs:  1/2 -1tsp per day and up to 3 x day with symptoms
Adults: 10-12yrs and above - 1tsp - 1TBS and up to 3 x day with symptoms

Side effects:

The following list of side effects are specific to the consumption of the raw berries. Elderberry syrup is generally safe and is prepared from a dried berry that is heated and turned into a syrup with other herbs and organic honey.

If you experience any of the following side effects, please contact supplier or Naturopathic practitioner. 

- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Numbness
- Stupor

Elderberry has no known severe, serious, or moderate interactions with other drugs. Caution should always be taken when trying any new medication or combining herbs and pharmaceutical medications.

Caution:

Elderberry must be taken with caution or avoided by individuals that have an autoimmune condition and are on medications that modulate the immune system.

This is because Elderberry can stimulate the immune system, and therefore  interfere with medications taken to suppress the immune system. These medications include corticosteroids (prednisone) and medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. 

For consultation and products click on any of the hyperlinks or images below:

In great health,

Niki Angelopoulos 
Naturopath & Blood Microscopist
Alkaline Superfoods

 

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