Herbs act as antimicrobial, antiviral
Q: I listen to your podcast. Since I heard
Dr. Low Dog suggest thyme and sage for respiratory infections, my family, friends and livestock have not needed antibiotics, even for deep infections. Do these herbal treatments affect the gut microbiome?
A: When we checked the medical literature, we were surprised to find that thyme leaves frequently carry the probiotic bifidobacteria (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, July 26, 2019). There is also evidence that both thyme and sage have antimicrobial and antiviral activity.
Dr. Low Dog’s grandmother kept a sage gargle handy during cold and flu season. You can use 1 ounce of dried sage leaves, 1 ounce of dried thyme leaves and 16 ounces of apple cider vinegar. Grind the herbs and place them in a canning jar. Cover with vinegar, close the jar and shake thoroughly. Let it sit for two weeks. Strain and use as a mouthwash or gargle.
Q: Since battling irritable bowel syndrome for years, I’ve had to deal with both constipation and diarrhea. For diarrhea, I make tea from raspberry leaves. You can get the leaves at health food stores or online. Don’t mistake this for raspberry-flavored tea, which doesn’t work.
As for constipation, I use the pumpkin bran muffins from your Guide to Digestive Disorders. It takes a few days to get results. I call them “muffins to GO.”
Nurse’s pudding works well too. After mixing applesauce, AllBran and prune juice, I put it in ice-cube trays and freeze it. I pop out one or two when I need them. Of course, I call these “Poop-pops.”
Believe me, I’m not making light of the situation. When I have a normal bowel movement, I feel like I’ve won a gold medal. It’s a heck of a way to live, but I hope it helps someone else.
A: Thank you for sharing your strategies for coping with IBS. Anyone who uses the Power Pudding recipe (nurse’s pudding) should be sure to drink plenty of water at the same time to prevent intestinal blockage. The usual dose is 1-2 tablespoons a day.
Raspberry leaves have traditionally been used to treat diarrhea (Current Medicinal Chemistry, June 2004). We don’t think this remedy has been tested scientifically, but we are glad it works for you.
Q: I’ve taken fish oil successfully for years for lupus, osteoarthritis, dry eye and cardiovascular benefits. Three different specialists recommended it. Even if they changed their minds about it tomorrow, their updated opinion wouldn’t alter my opinion on the benefits of fish oil.
I’ve found that quality matters for fish oil, as it does in many things in life. The amount and ratio of EPA and DHA are also important.
A: A recent review of three large randomized controlled trials concluded that marine omega-3 fats (fish oil) can reduce the risk of cardiac complications and death from cardiovascular causes (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, online, Oct. 15, 2019). One of these trials (REDUCEIT) used a prescription pharmaceutical EPA product, Vascepa.
A different meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (Oct. 1, 2019) also concluded that fish oil supplements can reduce the risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease. In addition, there is evidence that omega-3 fats have potential in treating autoimmune diseases like yours (Frontiers in Immunology, Sept. 27, 2019).