Indian Natural Herb Tulsi Boosts Resistance & Recovery from Swine Flu

For those who are worried about the Swine Flu or H1N1 virus' rapid spread, the Ayurvedic practitioners are here with a simple answer to prevention and cure - Tulsi.

Ayurveda, the traditional 'science of life', has a remedy for diseases when every other stream of medicine fails. Now, at a time when swine flu is spreading like wildfire across the world, Ayurveda has the remedy in the form of the miraculous herb, the basil leaves commonly known as Tulsi.

"Tulsi improves the body's overall defence mechanism including its ability to fight viral diseases. It was successfully used in combating Japanese Encephalitis and the same theory applies to swine flu," Dr U K Tiwari, a herbal medicine practitioner says[Lucknow News].

The herb will not only act as a preventive medicine but also help the affected person heal faster by speeding up the recovery process, Dr Tiwari added.

Speaking on Tulsi's capability to control the flu, Dr Bhupesh Patel, a lecturer at Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar said, "Tulsi can control swine flu and it should be taken in fresh form. Juice or paste of at least 20-25 medium sized leaves should be consumed twice a day on an empty stomach."

Informing that Tulsi increases the resistance of the body and, thereby, reduces the chances of contracting swine flu, Patil said that the dosage that a person must ingest will depend on the severity of the flu.

"Three varieties of Tulsi leaves - Krishna (Ocimum sanctum), Vana (Ocimum gratissimum) and Katuki (Picrorriza kurroa) improve cell mediated immunity. These are anti-viral agents and improve body's resistance against various diseases including swine flu," Dr Patel added.

The symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with novel H1N1 flu virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. The high risk groups for novel H1N1 flu are not known at this time, but it's possible that they may be the same as for seasonal influenza. However, Please consult a practitioner in case of any such symptoms. Doctors have strictly advised against self medication.