On a hike through the Amazon rainforest a few years ago, a curandero gave me a special healing plant.
I was introduced to anamu — the flu-fighting herb — by a traditional shaman healer in the Amazon.
Curanderos are the Amazon’s traditional shaman healers. And their knowledge of medicinal herbs dates back thousands of years.
The herb anamu turned out to be one of the most effective flu therapies I’ve ever recommended to my patients.
And it’s important to know how to protect yourself as we approach flu season.
Around this time every year, I get phone calls from patients who want to know whether or not they should get the flu shot. I’ll tell you the same thing I tell them…
I’m 62 years old and I’ve never had a flu shot in my life.
Unlike many alternative health doctors, I’m not against vaccines as a rule. Vaccines have knocked out many of the world’s most horrible diseases — like bubonic plague, small pox and polio.
But flu shots are different.
First of all, I don’t believe the flu vaccine is effective — given the risk you must take. And I’ve seen many patients over the years who were vaccinated against the flu, and they still got sick.
A recent report found that last year’s vaccine was only 36% effective overall.1 And when it came to older patients, the success rate was much worse. Last year’s vaccine only protected one in 10 older patients from the flu. That’s a 10% success rate for some of the most vulnerable population.2
That means that 90% of elderly people who were given the vaccine thought they were protected. But they got the bug anyway. One of the problems is that flu vaccines are prepared a year in advance. So the manufacturers can only guess which strain of flu will be the biggest threat each season. And if their guess is wrong, the vaccine is useless.
Flu shots also inject toxins into your body that can result in health issues down the road, like:
- Thimerosal: Found in multi-dose flu vaccines. This contains 49.6% mercury by weight. Mercury is linked to decreased brain function, organ failure and muscle weakness.
- Triton X-100: Another mercury-based substance. It can behave just as an estrogen mimicker in your body.
- Polysorbate 80: This compound carries the risk of serious side effects, including blood clots, stroke, heart attack, heart failure and death in some cases.
- Formaldehyde: Classified as a human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In a survey of nearly 1,800 studies, flu shots were linked with numerous dangerous reactions —affecting skin, joints, intestines, kidneys and shoulder muscles.
The best way to avoid the flu — and the potential dangers of the vaccine — is to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. And that’s where the Amazonian herb comes in…
Once I got home from my trip in the Amazon, I started researching everything I could find about anamu.
I found that this Amazon herb protects against bacteria and viruses by stimulating your immune system. In one study, anamu increased your body’s natural killer cells by 100%.3 These are the cells that kill disease throughout your body.
Anamu also increases natural chemicals such as interleukin and interferon to protect you against future infection and disease.4
But one of the herb’s most powerful components is a rare chemical compound called dibenzyl trisulphide, which has never been found in any other plant.
Studies show that dibenzyl trisulphide is a potent stimulator of your body’s “T helper cells.” Their job is to give other immune cells a turbo boost when needed.5
I believe in anamu so strongly that I take it every flu season and whenever I travel. I recommend taking 500 mg to 1,000 mg per day in divided doses. Note: Don’t take anamu if you are pregnant or on a blood thinner.
Two More Immune Boosters to Add to Your Flu-Season Arsenal
Here are two more all-natural immune boosters that I discovered on my travels.
- Enjoy a natural antibiotic tea — Buchu. I was introduced to this herb by a traditional African healer named Nakirijja. Buchu —
which smells like peppermint with an edge —
contains antioxidants and bioflavonoids like quercetin and vitamins A, B, C and E.It has long been used as an anti-inflammatory to treat the flu. It also has anti-infective, antifungal and antibacterial properties, enabling it to act as a natural antibiotic without side effects.
It’s available as a powder, but I prefer to use dried leaves to make a healing tea. Put two teaspoons of dried buchu leaves into just over a cup of boiling water. Let the dried leaves soak for about 10 minutes. Then strain out the leaves and enjoy your tea.
- Get the Amazonian immune booster — Cat’s claw. This is another herb native to the Amazon rainforest. Traditional healers have been using it for centuries as a general health tonic.
Turns out they were on to something. Researchers have identified 53 separate compounds in cat’s claw that provide a broad range of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune booster. Studies suggest that cat’s claw stimulates T-cells to boost the immune system.
Look for a supplement made from the inner bark and take 500 mg per day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6706a2.htm?s_cid=mm6706a2_w&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&stream=top-stories] Updated February 15, 2018. Accessed October 24, 2018.
2. Donnelly L. “Flu jab protected just one in 10 pensioners last year, amid concerns new vaccines will run out.” The Telegraph. October 20, 2018.
3. Jovicevic L. “In vitro antiproliferative activity of Petiveria alliacea L., on several tumor cell lines.” Pharmacol Res. 1993;27(1):105-106.
4. Queiroz ML, et al. “Cytokine profile and natural killer cell activity in Listeria monocytogenes infected mice treated orally with Petiveria alliacea extract.” Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2000;22(3):501-518.
5. Williams LA, et al. “A critical review of the therapeutic potential of dibenzyl trisulphide isolated from Petiveria alliacea L (guinea hen weed, anamu).” West Indian Med J. 2007;56(1):17-21.