Nature’s Sunshine Seasonal Defense is another great
supplement that keeps me healthy all year long. I have three young children, and let’s face it, kids are little
petri dishes. They bring home every
contagious bug out there. And I might
as well set up a looped recording of “WASH YOUR HANDS,” and play it day and
night for all the attention they pay me.
Seasonal Defense contains a proprietary blend of 5 immune boosting
herbs.
Andrographis is a flowering plant
native to Asia and India and is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine for humans
and pets. Andrographis is known in northeastern
India as 'Maha-tita', literally 'king of bitters', as well as various other names.
It is also known as 'Bhui-neem', since the plant, has a similar appearance and
has the same bitter taste as that of Neem (Azadirachta indica). The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative
Medicine, states, "A specific product (Andrographis combined with Eleutherococcus
senticosus) may shorten the duration and lessen the symptoms of common
cold.” 
Thyme Leaves are beneficial for more
than making tasty culinary dishes.
Thymol, the compound in thyme leaves responsible for its aromatic
pungent odor (it’s a phenol with similar properties as I discussed in my
praises of olive leaf extract) is acknowledged by mainstream medicine to have
antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. In fact, thymol is as effective as bleach solution at killing
bacteria and viruses on surfaces, and non-toxic to humans and the environment. Used since ancient times as a remedy for
respiratory disorders, it also offers anti-viral, antiseptic, anti-fungal,
antibacterial, antioxidant and disinfectant benefits. In a 2007 German study, scientists tested a syrup made of
extracts of Thyme herb and ivy on children and adolescents with acute
bronchitis. Their study concluded that a ten-day treatment of the syrup clearly
improved symptoms and, in some cases, cured the illness. Coughing decreased an
average of 81.3% by the tenth day of treatment.
Bitter Orange Fruit Extract contains synephrine,
which acts as a natural decongestant.
It may also be useful for upset stomach. D-limonene is the other beneficial component of bitter orange
fruit that has been shown to have anti-bacterial properties.
Eleuthero Root sometimes referred to as
Siberian Ginseng (not to be confused with Korean or American Ginseng), is an
adaptogenic herb that helps the body deal with stress. I don’t know about you, but just thinking
about catching another cold or the flu stresses me out! In this case though, Eleuthero is being used
in combination with Andrographis for cold virus relief. According to the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), when taken in combination with Andrographis, a 2004 study of 130
children (published in Phytotherapy Research) found that an herbal
formula containing Eleuthero and Andrographis helped reduce cold duration and
severity when treatment was started at the early stages of the cold.
Oregano Oregano how I love thee, let me count the ways! Mmmmmm I love homemade pizza sauce seasoned
with oregano. And there’s nothing
better than the smell of oregano spiced spaghetti sauce simmering away in the
kitchen. Oregano oil in supplement form
(also known as oil of Mediterranean oregano or Oreganum vulgare) is not
quite the same as the oregano I love in my spaghetti sauce (Oregano Marjoram). Mediterranean oregano is effective due to
its anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. It also contains thymol and is a rich source
of Vitamin K and antioxidants.
Portuguese researchers found that oreganum vulgare was effective
against 41 strains of the food pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Oregano oil is a powerful antimicrobial,
because it contains another one of those fabulous phenols called Carvacol. A team of British and Indian researchers reported that oil of oregano has strong antibacterial properties that can
even kill the hospital “Superbug” MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus). Biologists at the United
Arab Emirates University reported in the journal PLoS ONE that oregano
exhibits anticancer activity by encouraging cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (a
fancy word for cancer cells committing suicide). I could go on and on about the various health benefits of
oregano, but in this case, I love it because it helps my body fight the cold
and flu viruses flying around this time of year.
I take Nature’s Sunshine Seasonal Defense in a similar
manner to olive leaf extract. I take
one a day all winter long to maintain my immunity and bump it up to 2 or 3 a
day when I feel “under the weather” or if I’m outright SICK.
~ Mary Beth
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