The coronavirus disease, popularly known as COVID-19, has been around for about one and a half years. But its devastating effects are all too evident.
As of the time of writing (May 6, 2021), the virus has claimed 3.24 million lives worldwide from a total caseload of 155 million. Not to mention the hundreds of millions rendered jobless due to stringent containment measures imposed by various countries around the world.
After more than a year of misery, medical researchers have finally come up with COVID-19 vaccines, which is an achievement worthy of recommendation. We can now match joyfully to our local clinics to receive COVID-19 jabs as we heap praises on researchers for their relentless efforts in helping to tame the spread of this novelty virus.
However, it’s essential to be alive because a lot more lives would have been saved if we only give due consideration to alternative herbs. It sounds cliché, but numerous herbal extracts can help fight COVID-19, including cannabis-based products from reputable vendors like buy kratom canada. This article reviews five such herbs.
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Symptoms of COVID-19
Before we uncover the top five herbs to help you fight COVID-19, it’s essential to begin easy by understanding the core symptoms of the disease. That’s because these herbs are not necessarily the magic pill for COVID-19. Instead, they relieve some of the worrying signs of the virus, making the condition more tolerable.
The following are the common symptoms of COVID-19, in their order of prevalence;
- Fever
- Dry cough, which leads to sore throat
- Fatigue
- Pain (in the form of headache, chest pains, and/or muscle aches)
- Diarrhea
- Conjunctivitis – inflammation of the conjunctiva
- Anosmia and ageusia – Loss of sense of smell and taste, respectively
- Anxiety
- Skin rash
- Discoloration of the fingers or toes
- Labored breathing
- Reduced motor control
- Loss of speech
As we’ve already pointed out, many of the alternative herbs recommended for fighting COVID-19 treat one or more of the above symptoms.
1. Cannabis and COVID-19 Pain
Cannabis is one of the oldest medicinal herbs known to humanity. Extracts from this plant were used as early as 2500 years ago to relieve several medical issues, including headaches, bacterial infections, and erectile dysfunction.
Numerous studies conducted over the years have identified pain relief as the primary health benefit of cannabis. The plant produces over 115 compounds, most of which could help to mediate COVID-19 pain. The most popular of these compounds include cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Both CBD and THC play a significant role in relieving headaches, muscle aches, and chest pains associated with COVID-19. The main difference between these compounds is that THC comes with additional psychoactive properties, whereas CBD is non-psychoactive. Purchasing products formulated with pure CBD along with Kush edibles allows you to relieve COVID-19 pain without experiencing any mind-altering effects in the process.
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2. Lavender and COVID-19 Anxiety
It’s undeniably true that stress is inseparable from our daily experiences. However, anxiety is a serious mental issue that could affect your overall quality of life if you do not seek urgent medical interventions.
With COVID-19 claiming millions of lives and leaving others jobless, you’re bound to wonder whether you or a close family or relative will be the next victim.
Now, supplementing with lavender-based products might go a long way in keeping COVID-19 anxiety at bay. Studies have shown that lavender contains numerous terpenes that could offer relief from stress and anxiety. Two of these compounds include linalool and linalyl acetate.
3. Peppermint and COVID-19 Cough
Peppermint’s popularity goes beyond its inviting aroma. The herb is also famous for its powerful healing properties.
Cough relief is one of the primary health benefits of peppermint. The menthol in peppermint is known to soothe sore throat. It also acts as a decongestant that clears your airway by breaking down mucus.
The best way to benefit from peppermint’s cough-relieving properties is to inhale peppermint vapor during a steam bath. However, you can also consider drinking peppermint tea.
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4. Garlic and COVID-19 Fever
Raw garlic contains numerous medically beneficial compounds, such as allicin and alliin. These compounds have immense antibacterial and antiviral properties, which may come in handy in lowering body temperature during fever.
The chemicals are known to destroy the flu virus before the virus can develop into a full-blown disease.
But that’s not all – garlic may also enhance the flushing out of toxins from the body. That’s due to its ability to promote sweating. The more your body gets rid of toxins, the higher your chances of recovering from COVID-19.
5. Licorice and COVID-19 Prevention
Many of the above-reviewed herbs mostly relieve various symptoms of COVID-19. But what if there was a way to avoid contracting the virus in the first place?
Herbs like licorice boast powerful antioxidants that may boost your immunity by preventing cell damage caused by oxidative stress.
Examples of antioxidants in licorice include flavonoids, isoflavones, beta carotene, and chalcones, to mention but a few. These antioxidant compounds work synergistically to reduce the risks of contracting COVID-19.
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Evidently, there are numerous herbal extracts that you can use to mitigate the symptoms of COVID-19. Better yet, many of these herbs have antioxidant properties and may help to keep COVID-19 at bay. As a parting shot, remember to go slow on these herbs, especially if you’re a new user. Like any medication, overdosing any of these herbal extracts may leave you nursing a host of side effects.
Reference Links:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9199893/
https://pharmeasy.in/blog/9-immunity-boosting-herbs-to-beat-covid-19/
https://poshan.outlookindia.com/story/poshan-news-covid-19-herbs-that-strengthen-your-immune-system/
