Traditional Plant Medicine Could Cure H1N1 Flu Virus, Chinese Scientists Find

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Traditional Plant Medicine Could Cure H1N1 Flu Virus, Chinese Scientists Findby:

S. L. Baker

 

The government's pro-vaccine push and the mainstream media's near hysteria over

the increased number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases can leave some people feeling

almost helpless. After all, there are reports that anti-virus drugs like Tamiflu

don't always work (and are known to have horrendous side effects), and no one

can truly say the barely-tested flu vaccine has in any way been proven safe or

effective. But what is overlooked by mainstream news and most of the medical

community is that a host of natural therapies exist that can help the body fight

off infections. And now Chinese scientists have documented that an ancient plant

remedy for flu appears to offer a knock-out punch to the dreaded H1N1 virus.

 

Researchers from Kaohsiung Medical University and the China Medical University

have analyzed the roots of a plant called Ferula assa-foetida (F. assa-foetida,

for short) because it was used a century ago as a traditional medicine to fight

the great 1918 Spanish influenza outbreak -- that pandemic killed between 20 to

100 million people. There were reports the traditional plant medicine was

effective but no one had documented the plant's antiviral compounds, until now.

 

More powerful than prescription antiviral drugs

In a study published in the September 25th issue of the American Chemical

Society's (ACS) Journal of Natural Product, scientists Fang-Rong Chang and

Yang-Chang Wu reveal that in lab experiments Ferula assa-foetida exhibits a

remarkable ability to kill the H1N1 swine flu virus.

 

In their study, Chang and Wu identified a group of chemical compounds in

extracts of the plant that turned out to be far more potent against influenza A

(H1N1) than a prescription antiviral drug available for the flu. " A standardized

plant extract of F. assa-foetida, a species that has been used to treat

influenza for many years, may also be worthy of being further investigated as a

new phytomedicine, " the authors write.

 

The scientists also noted that the roots of F. assa-foetida have been used for

centuries in folk medicine as a natural anti-cancer treatment, antibiotic,

diuretic, antispasmodic treatment and more. The plant, which grows mainly in

Iran, Afghanistan and mainland China, reportedly tastes much like onions when it

is cooked. When raw, the sap of the Ferula assa-foetida has such a bad smell

that sometimes it is called the " Dung of the Devil " plant.

 

Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masry

 

64, Muhammad Korayem Street,

 

Gomrok, Alexandria, Egypt

 

Tel: 0020-03-4800555

 

Fax: 0020-03-3082667

 

Web: massrii

 

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