Health …
Pelargonium sidoides
The lifecycle of a virus can be divided into several major stages:
IMMUNITY SUPPORT, ALL YEAR ROUND A balanced immune system is key to protect the body from illness, all year round. The first line of defence involves a healthy lifestyle.
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attachment, entry, uncoating, replication, maturation, and release. FLUGON®’s herbal ingredients interfere with this viral life cycle. The herbal antivirals in FLUGON® help lessen the severity of symptoms and help shorten the duration of cold or flu while reducing the speed of viral replication. The four key herbal ingredients contained in FLUGON® are:
everal components of a healthy
times of the year. Winter, for instance,
• Pelargonium
lifestyle have been shown to
is the time of year when cold or flu
• Quercetin
play a key role in supporting
viruses are more prevalent.
• Echinacea
the immune system. Evidence
Viruses pose a considerable
• Elderberry.
suggests that regular moderate
challenge to the body’s immune
activity is particularly beneficial for
system because they hide inside cells.
PELARGONIUM SIDOIDES
immune enhancement and reducing
This makes it difficult for antibodies
Many herbal medicines used in
the risk of infection.
to reach them. Viruses attach
ethnomedicine are beneficial in the
themselves to different host cells
treatment of infectious conditions such
hydrated and managing stress are
in the body and inject their genetic
as respiratory ailments, cold and flu.
all components of a healthy lifestyle.
material into it. The viral DNA or
Avoiding nutritional deficiencies
RNA incorporates itself into the host
are derived from the plant
seems the most pragmatic nutritional
cell’s genetic material where the virus
Pelargonium sidoides, also known as
strategy. This can be achieved with
replicates. During release, the newly
the African geranium. Interest in
a balanced diet, which includes
created viruses are released from the
P. sidoides and its extract, EPs 7630,
a variety of fruits and vegetables.
host cell, which causes the host cell to
has been heightened by reports of
Further benefit may be gained from
break apart. It is important to realise
therapeutic benefits in infectious
some supplements that support a
that a viral infection does not always
conditions of the respiratory tract,
healthy diet, helping to prepare the
lead to illness. The viral infection
such as TB and related diseases.
body’s immune system to fight off
occurs when the virus begins to
unwanted infections.
replicate and multiply. The illness or
immunomodulatory effects
disease only occurs when many body
that increase the release of pro-
following vitamins and minerals to
cells are damaged by the infection,
inflammatory cytokines, which
help support the immune system:
which is also when the symptoms
are responsible for supporting
• Vitamin D3
appear. That is why a strong immune
an immune response. It has also
• Zinc
system plays such a vital role – if the
been demonstrated to have an
• Selenium
immune system manages to fight off
indirect antibacterial effect through
• Vitamin C
the virus that entered the cells and
inhibition of bacterial adhesion to
replicated (before the host cells are
human epithelial cells. It interferes
damaged), the patient will not get sick
with the virus so it cannot attach to
strong immune systems all
(develop symptoms). The body will,
the surface of epithelial cells, thereby
year round, they may be more
however, respond in different ways to
lowering the potential replication of
compromised or at risk at certain
fight these foreign bodies.
the virus.
Getting enough sleep, staying
The FLUGON® range contains the
Even though our bodies need
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SILVER DIGEST // WINTER 2021
Locally, many such medicines
Pelargonium sidoides has strong
