PLANT LORE STUDY GROUP: SEPTEMBER 2025: RESPIRATORY BOTANICALS: HERBS FOR COLDS, FLU, & VIRUSES

What is a virus? A virus is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of life forms including humans, animals, plants, microorganisms, and bacteria. Viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and they are the most abundant type of biological entity. Viruses carry genetic material, reproduce, and evolve through natural selection; however, they lack cell structure that is needed to be considered a living thing. Viruses exist on the edge of life, and they don’t have a cell wall, are not able to reproduce on their own, and need a host cell in order to replicate. A viral infection is difficult to control because it is replicating from inside the body’s own cells.

Viruses have a lifecycle:

• The virus enters the host and binds with a cell in the respiratory tract.

• The surface proteins of the virus bind to receptors like a lock and key.

• The virus enters the cell & infects it.

How does a virus spread? There are many ways that a virus can spread. In animals, a virus is carried by blood-sucking insects. In humans, viruses are spread by coughing and sneezing, by the fecal–oral route, which is a result of poor sanitation, by person-to-person contact, or by entering the body through food and water. The scary thing about contracting a virus is that antibiotics do not work, and some viruses evade vaccine-induced immune responses and result in chronic infections.

What is the difference between a virus and bacteria? Bacteria are living organisms that come in a variety of shapes and have a cell wall. Virtually all animal life on earth is dependent on bacteria because they synthesize vitamin B12 into the food chain. There are billions of beneficial bacteria living in the gut; however, some bacteria can cause infectious diseases, which can be controlled with antibiotics or antimicrobial herbs.

What Are Antiviral Herbs? Antiviral herbs inhibit the development of viruses. Many of the best antiviral herbs boost the immune system, which allows the body to attack viral pathogens. Antiviral herbs also fight viral infections, work as flu natural remedies, support the cardiovascular and digestive systems, and act as an anti-inflammatory.

Certain phytochemicals and essential oils found in herbs have been shown to disrupt the viral lifecycle at different stages. The virus must have a host to replicate. It can live on surfaces from approximately 3 hours to 3 days depending on the type of surface, but it will eventually die if it doesn't find a host. Viruses live longer on hard surfaces such as metal and plastic than they do on fabrics and soft surfaces. The virus may also be spread by airborne droplets which have landed and live in the environment waiting to be picked up and transferred to a live host.

Antiviral herbs like astragalus, echinacea, elderberry, garlic, ginger, lemon balm, licorice, Reishi mushrooms, rosehips, pineapple sage, thyme, turkey tail mushrooms, and turmeric have a high concentration of potent plant compounds and are ideal for battling viral infections.

Bacteria: are very small single-cell organisms that form groups known as colonies. They do not have a nucleus, and their genetic material is loose within each cell. Bacteria are classified by the type of outer coating the cell has. The coating is identified by a gram-stain test using a purple dye called crystal violet that only binds to peptidoglycan, a substance that contains sugars and amino acids. It forms a mesh-like protective layer between the cell wall and the bacteria’s plasma membrane.

·        Gram-Positive Bacteria: takes on the purple color and has a high peptidoglycan content in its cell wall. Gram-positive bacteria are also more susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillin, as well as the action of detergents, drying, and physical disruption. It can still acquire antibiotic resistance, as with the superbug MRSA, and causes strep, staph, and botulism.

·        Gram-Negative Bacteria: does not take on the purple color, has antigens on their cell wall which enables the human body to recognize them, and has a slime covering which enables it to “hide” from the immune system. Gram-negative bacteria have a substance called lipopolysaccharide in the outer cell wall that causes inflammation, and this can be severe enough to trigger sepsis. This cell wall also stops antibiotics from penetrating the bacteria, making Gram-negative infections more difficult to treat than Gram-positive infections. Examples of gram-negative infections include cholera, gonorrhea, E. coli, hospital acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, meningitis, and wound infections.

Antibiotic: a substance that destroys bacteria or suppresses their growth and inhibit their ability to reproduce. Herbs that have antibiotic action include cinnamon, cloves, cumin, echinacea, garlic, ginger, goldenseal, myrrh, oregano, thyme, and turmeric.

Antimicrobial: a substance that contains compounds which can fight a broader range of microorganisms, prevent the spread of bacteria, mold, fungi, parasites, and some viruses, and provides a broader scope of protection than the defense present in antibacterials. Herbs that have antimicrobial action include astragalus, bee balm, elderberry, Japanese honeysuckle, garden sage, usnea, and sweet wormwood.

Respiration: the air we breathe in travels through the upper respiratory tract and the majority of the lower respiratory tract before it reaches the lungs. The lungs are designed solely for the exchange of gasses, carbon dioxide out and oxygen in; however, the air we breathe isn’t just oxygen. It is full of dust, pollen, and other particles, all of which have to be captured and removed before air reaches this layer of sensitive tissue.

Respiration is divided into the upper and lower respiratory tract. The lungs are large and spongy organs covered in alveoli and capillaries which allow air entering the alveoli to exchange its gases with the blood passing through the capillaries. Oxygen enters the blood stream here, and carbon dioxide exits to be exhaled out into the external atmosphere. The primary muscle of respiration is the diaphragm, which expands and contracts with each breath. Mucosal tissue lines the airways from the nose all the way to the bronchial tree. This mucus attracts all of the particulates that enter our bodies with the air we breathe and slowly, through a gentle propulsion upwards by small hair-like cilia, moves this mucus up and out. The coughing reflex further promotes this process.

The impact that herbs have on respiratory health is mostly centered on maintaining respiratory function by supporting healthy mucus in the mouth, throat, and digestive tract, and by aiding or suppressing the expulsion of that mucus. The herbalist’s approach focuses on herbs that are antispasmodic, aromatic, astringent, demulcent, and mucolytic.

·        Antispasmodic Herbs: such as black haw, chamomile, wild cherry, cramp bark, mullein, passionflower, and peppermint relax the smooth muscles involved in coughing and calm the cough reflex.

·        Aromatic Herbs: such as basil leaf, fennel seed, and thyme leaf support normal muscle tone in the airways.

·        Astringent Herbs: such as elderflower, rosehips, and yarrow are drying and tone and tighten lax tissues.

·        Demulcent Herbs: such as licorice root, marshmallow root, and slippery elm bark soothe and moisten the body tissues.

·        Expectorant Herbs: also known as mucolytics, expectorant herbs such as coltsfoot, elecampane root, eucalyptus leaf, licorice root, mullein, and thyme leaf help the body maintain clear airways. Expectoration is the accelerated removal of secretions from the bronchi and trachea. Expectorants work by stimulating secretions of mucus, adding to the volume, encouraging elimination, and supporting secretion of thinner mucus. For viral respiratory infections, turn to herbs that have strong immune or antiviral actions in addition to herbs for lungs and basic respiratory support.