Viral Infections: Part 4—Addressing Acute Respiratory Infections

In recent newsletters, I discussed how to maintain a strong immune system to help protect against infections. I also talked about herbals that can help make your body inhospitable to chronic bugs such as EBV and antibiotic sensitive problems.

But a common problem I hear is “I catch every infection that comes around and it takes forever to go away.” Sound familiar? This is one of the reasons I discussed the importance of addressing adrenal fatigue, if present, to ensure your immune system can keep infections at bay.

Today I want to talk about three more herbs that can add support to your respiratory wellness, particularly during seasonal challenges when respiratory infections are running rampant.

My Recipe for Resisting Respiratory Infections

Here's what I take when I’m laid up with an acute respiratory bug:

1. ViraPro™. This mix of elderberry and other key nutrients for immunde system support can be very helpful. I also take 1 twice a day whenever I'm traveling to help avoid catching infections.
2. PleuraMax™. This unique mushroom extract shows incredible promise (1 capsule once or twice daily).
3. Quercetin high absorption with vitamin C. These are two of the most important immune-supporting nutrients in the world (1 twice a day).

Tired of feeling like you're at the mercy of every bug that comes around? These are three great tools to have in your medicine cabinet toolbox. I take one, or even all, of these to help protect me when acute respiratory bugs are going around.

Let's look at some of the science behind these three supplements.

ViraPro™

ViraPro contains elderberry, which is one of the most effective herbals against day-to-day respiratory bugs. For very good reason. Numerous studies have shown it to have remarkable potency. Here's what just one review said:

“[E]lderberries ... have been known for thousands of years to have nutritional and healing properties...The phytotherapeutic principles found in elderberry fruits give them antiviral, antibacterial and antidiabetic properties, antitumor potential, antioxidant, antidepressant and immune boosting properties…”

Quercetin With Vitamin C

Quercetin provides a broad range of viral inhibiting properties that can interfere with multiple steps of pathogen virulence, including virus entry, virus replication, and protein assembly. The therapeutic benefits of quercetin is further enhanced by augmenting it with the co-administration of vitamin C. As one study concluded:

"There is a tremendous amount of literature supporting the antiviral properties of quercetin, in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Quercetin inhibits several respiratory viruses in cultured cells. It inhibits the cytopathic effects provoked by many serotypes of rhinovirus, echovirus (type 7, 11, 12, and 19), coxsackievirus (A21 and B1), and poliovirus (type 1 Sabin) at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 0.03 to 0.5 μg/ml in Hela or WI-38 cells. Quercetin also significantly reduces plaque formation by RNA and DNA viruses [Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Polio type 1, parainfluenza type 3, and Herpes Simplex Virus-1(HSV-1)] displaying anti-infective and anti-replicative properties. It inhibits the replication of cytomegalovirus (CMV) inoculated HeLa cells at a half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 3.2 ± 0.8 μM and with a selectivity index (SI) of 22. Dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) replication in Vero cells is inhibited by quercetin at an IC50 of 35.7 μg/mL, causing a DENV-2 RNA reduction of 67%. This is attributed to quercetin's ability to either block virus entry or inhibit viral replication enzymes such as viral polymerases.”

The problem is that only 3 to 5% of most quercetin products are fully absorbed. This limitation is overcome in an outstanding formulation called Quercetin With Vitamin C, which includes a unique delivery system called Gammasorb® that markedly improves absorption.

PleuraMax™

Pleuran (beta glucans from mushrooms) has been the topic of exciting new research showing its beneficial effect on the immune system. It can even be used in children (if over 4 years old). PleuraMax Upper Respiratory Health is what I recommend as a good source for this.

Numerous studies have found it helpful, including one study that described its benefits with the following assessment:

“β-Glucans—well-known biologically active polysaccharides—are among the most widely studied natural immunomodulators, with a range of potential indications and clinical applications across different age groups. They have been investigated as therapeutic agents for the prevention of RTIs. In addition to their beneficial interactions with the immune system, their favourable safety profile is another notable advantage. Pleuran (a β-glucan isolated from the oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus) has shown both preventive and acute treatment effects on RTIs in several clinical trials and observational studies in both children and adults, and in both healthy individuals as well as in high-risk populations. A recent study of children with RRTIs demonstrated beneficial effects of short-term administration of a pleuran-based chewable supplement containing vitamin D and zinc, notably increasing salivary secretory IgA levels and supporting mucosal immunity.”

The studies agree. These are three great tools to keep in your medicine cabinet toolbox:-)