There are many things we can do to help support our body's natural immune function.
Certainly getting enough rest, fluids, and quality, fresh food is essential.
Acupuncture is also a good option, since one of the proven effects of this
therapy is increased immunity, even when this isn't the focus of treatment.
Regular acupuncture helps strengthen our immune system or "Wei qi", by bringing our bodies back into energetic balance. A body in
balance has the ability to fight foreign contaminants such as bacteria and
viruses, or, in Chinese Medicine terms, "expel uninvited guests" such as wind cold,
wind heat, wind damp, etc.
Aside
from acupuncture many Chinese herbs, including medicinal mushrooms, have been proven to
increase immune function in several ways. In western terms, these herbs have chemical constituents that are antibacterial and antiviral in nature, helping our bodies to stave off infection when we
come in contact with these pathogens. There are also herbs which increase the
number of Killer T and Natural Killer white blood cells which attack microbes
preventing us from getting sick, and helping us to recover from illness.
One
of the key immune enhancing herbs in Chinese Medicine is Huang Qi, or
Astragalus. The root of this plant tonifies the qi and blood of the entire body,
especially the Spleen, and increases the "Wei qi"
, or Protective Qi. There
are several classic herbal formulas that contain Huang Qiwhich can be used to strengthen one's immune system as well as reduce allergies. One well-known formula that does this and features Huang qi is Yu Ping Fang San or Jade Windscreen.
There
are also a number of "preventative" formulas, which when taken at the earliest stages of illness, can help the body
recover quickly and decrease the severity of an illness. Two of these common formulas are: Yin Qiao& Gan Mao Ling. These time-tested formulas are
important to have on hand to provide a quick means of protection. They are often taken preemptively, before any cold and flu symptoms arise. That way, if you find yourself around sick people at school or the office, or traveling
on a plane, you
can give your body an additional line of defense to keep from getting sick.
