With the onslaught of swine flu throughout the global community, there is a new push towards acquiring and stockpiling drugs that can be used to treat potentially lethal strains of influenza.
According to medical science there is a pharmaceutical treatment option available called Tamiflu, that they say will treat swine flu.
But little do consumers know that there is a natural component within this mass-produced pharmaceutical. And what is this powerful ingredient? None other than the common herb star anise.
In fact, most people are unaware that over 40% of all pharmaceutical medications come from plant botanicals, including everything from common aspirin to powerful cancer-fighting medications such as tamoxifen [1].
The Origins of Star Anise
Star anise, or Illicium verum, is a native plant of Asia, commonly used in traditional societies to spice food, reduce intestinal gas, aid in digestion and act as a powerful diuretic medicinal herb.
It is also known to promote vitality and vigor in the human system, and is a common ingredient in the French liqueur Pernod. This fragrant, licorice-spiced plant is now playing a starring role in one of the most sought-after drugs on the planet: Tamiflu.
Tamiflu: Our Only Hope During A Pandemic?
The manufacturer of the drug Tamiflu is Roche, based in Switzerland. Through a highly secretive process, the company uses large amounts of common Asian star anise to obtain shikimic acid, one of the principle active ingredients in Tamiflu. In fact, without star anise, there is no Tamiflu, as these eight-pointed seed pods gleaned from the Chinese evergreen, are sed for massive production of the drug.
In 2005, in response to the SARS avian flu, there was a temporary shortage of star anise due to its extensive use in creating Tamiflu [2]. During the 2005 scare, the drug company began to make shikimic acid artificially via a process of using fermented and bioengineered E. coli bacteria.
Currently, the US government has about 12 million boxes of Tamiflu on hand. In the event of a global pandemic, this would only serve a small percentage of the American population; certainly not enough to cover nation-wide health needs in the event of an emergency. And as Tamiflu is, so far, the so-called planet’s only defense in the event of a swine or avian flu pandemic, and even though millions of courses are available, one single manufacturer holding a tightly-sealed patent simply cannot create enough of the drug quickly enough to serve global needs in the even of a true pandemic.
For this reason, some governments are demanding that the company release their sealed patent, enabling other companies to make their own version of the star-anise infused remedy. What is more, Tamiflu can’t prevent you from getting swine flu or even kill swine flu; it is a toxic product and can create a grocery list of symptoms. And, according to the manufacturer it only reduces the symptoms of flu for the first 36 hours.
I am highly against the use of this drug and believe that most of these flu pandemics are actually created by man to reduce the population and create fat pockets for big pharma. This has been verified by Dr. Len Horowitz and many others [3].
How Star Anise Oil Can Help
One of the best ways of preventing the flu is to keep your overall health at optimum levels, through a proper diet and regular exercise routine. Star anise, in its natural form, can help the body’s immune system fight off many strains of flu, as well as many other health challenges.
For a limited time, Global Healing Center is offering a limited supply of 1 ounce bottles of Star Anise Oil. This oil can be rubbed on the soles of the feet, breathed in an aroma-therapeutic form, or taken internally (three drops in warm water 2-3 times daily), to help the body increase resistance to strains of flu not normally encountered. A stimulant, star anise is also helpful in reducing chronic pain, cough, urinary infections, and respiratory infections.
For more information on purchasing Star Anise from the Global Healing Center, call 713-476-0016. I also recommend reading my blog post What I would do for the Flu, which has other effective methods of boosting your immune system in the case of an epidemic.
-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DABFM
References:
- Alves RR, Rosa IL. Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines? J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2005 Aug 30;1:5. Review.
- Peter S. Goodman. Star Rises in Fight Against Bird Flu. The Washington Post. 2005 November 18.
- Dr. Horowitz. In Lies We Trust: The CIA, Hollywood & Bioterrorism.
