Self-heal is a very versatile and safe herb that definitely deserves your attention. It’s one of the staples of traditional Chinese medicine and for a good reason. However, it doesn’t predominantly grow in Asia, chances are you could encounter this herb in Europe and North America as well. The flower spikes are mainly used to treat a variety of conditions in folk medicine.
Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa is one of the wonders of Ayuverdic medicine. It is often associated with its rasayan (longevity promoting) properties. However, this herb is not just a staple of Indian medicine. Chances are you could find it in the Americas, Africa and some other countries of Asia. This plant displays shows a lot of promise as its properties are not yet fully researched. Root of this plant is the most commonly used part of the plant, however leaves, stems and seeds are also medicinal, but most likely not readily purchasable. Leaves of punarnava have been shown to possess potent antidiabetic effects, decreasing blood sugar and activity of hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes, potentially regenerating ß-cells of pancreas and providing overall support. They are also known to be fairly good antioxidants (increasing levels of SOD, GSH, CAT and GPx).
Hepatitis is a term that encompasses not only viral hepatitis (hepatitis A-E; abbreviated HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV), but also inflammatory conditions of liver that may have a variety of causes. I will not go into detail as to how many diseases this term could comprise, so it’s important to note that this list is focused solely on viral hepatitis and while some of these herbs may also be beneficial for other liver conditions, it’s best to check out my list about liver fibrosis as antiviral herbs are best supplemented with hepatoprotectives and antifibrotics.
As the coronavirus panic continues to spread, I figured now would be a good time to write an article about potential herbal treatment. I have summarized most of the herbs that may be effective against COVID-19 (otherwise known as SARS-CoV-2 or 2019-nCoV) based on molecular docking and previous experience from SARS and MERS outbreaks. Do keep in mind that each herb and its respective constituents work differently and while some of these are direct inhibitors of replication, others might be helpful in managing the symptoms. Many of the studies that provide information about these are based on older data. The last section of this article comprises my personal recommendations that I do believe may be helpful in managing the symptoms, most of them even having antiviral effects. Although COVID-19 is a new virus, it bears similarities to the previous SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, thus herbs effective against these strains may also be effective against the latest coronavirus. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be 89% similar to the genome of the original virus. These similarities are mainly in the proteins that are responsible for the virus’ life cycle.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is an incurable virus that lies dormant in the brain stem after the initial infection. There are two types of HSV, namely HSV-1 and HSV-2. Oral herpes is known to be caused by HSV-1, while genital herpes can be caused by both HSV-1 and HSV-2.
The herbs in this list won’t fully eradicate the virus from the brain stem (for that you would need one herb to facilitate access to brain stem and one extremely virucidal herb which is an impossible feat), but they might help you clear the virus from skin or mucosal membranes after its outbreak. Some of these may even stop the virus from getting to your brain stem, so they are perfect for when you think you might have been infected by someone.
Some of these herbs are only active against HSV-1 or HSV-2, so it’s important to know which type you have. In my opinion, the best kinds of herbs are those that are active against both types as it demonstrates their antiviral potency.
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