Botanical Medicines To Support Your Immune System | Dr. Pat Nardini, Naturopathic Doctor

It’s always a good idea to ensure your immune system is healthy and functioning as it should.

There are many easy and effective ways you can support your immune health to avoid future illness and infection.

Botanical medicine, which is the use of plant extracts for their medicinal properties, has a wide range of benefits depending on the plant.

Considering how many common pharmaceutical drugs were derived from plants, it’s no surprise that botanical medicine can have a powerful impact on your health.

But what herbs should you seek out, and how do they help support your immune system?

Let’s look at the basics of botanical medicine, and my top 6 recommended herbal treatments for immune health.

What Is Botanical Medicine?

Botanical medicine refers to the medicinal properties of natural plant material.

You may have used the term herbal medicine before – it’s the same thing, but because it’s more than just a plant’s herbs that have medicinal properties, we prefer the term botanical medicine.

This may include the leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, or roots, which varies as each plant part has different healing properties.

Some herbal medicine is for internal use through the form of teas, pills or capsules, powder, or tincture (a highly concentrated extract).

Others are effective through external use via lotions, creams, oils, gels, or as an additive to your bath water.

Botanical medicine is exactly what the name suggests — medicine, which means it’s important to do your research on any herb you decide to add to your routine.

Although herbal medicine is often very safe and well-tolerated, some may interact with medications or any existing conditions.

Consulting with your naturopathic doctor or qualified health practitioner is always recommended before taking a new supplement or medicine.

This is especially the case if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, about to undergo surgery, have a blood disorder, have low blood pressure, or other pre-existing health condition.

Botanicals For Immune System Health

The benefits of botanical medicine vary depending on which plant you’re using.

Herbal remedies can help with sleep, anxiety & depression, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, and more — you name it, there’s a plant for it.

Let’s look at some of the best botanical medicines for immune system health.

1. Echinacea

You may have heard of echinacea — it’s a popular herb, often used to help ward away the flu or a cold.

Also known as the American coneflower, echinacea is a perennial plant native to North America¹.

Echinacea flowers are light pink with a spiky orange seed head, hence the “coneflower” name.

There are nine different species belonging to the echinacea family, but only three are taken medicinally: Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea purpurea.

All three of these species contain phenols, which are active compounds with antioxidant properties.

This means phenols help protect the plant from UV radiation damage and infection.

Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea also contain alkamides, which are compounds known to affect the immune system and help relieve inflammation.

Additionally, these three types of echinacea have all demonstrated an increase of immune cell populations, an increased antibody response, and a higher level of T cells when taken as a supplement².

T cells are an important type of lymphocyte that perform a wide variety of immune-related functions, including regulating your immune response and helping fight against foreign or toxic cells.

You can find echinacea in many forms including dried herb/tea, tincture, and capsule or pill supplements.

As is the case for all herbal medicine, it’s important to source a credible herb shop that sells quality products so you know exactly how much you’re consuming.

2. Goldenseal

This next botanical medicine belongs to the buttercup family and has been used as general medicine by various North American indigenous groups including the Cherokee and Iroquois for hundreds of years.

Goldenseal, which also goes by the names of orange root and ground raspberry, features large green leaves that grow a single red berry each summer.

This herb is often used in conjunction with echinacea to increase each other’s potency.

Echinacea and goldenseal are a dynamic duo, and together they perform different immune-boosting duties — goldenseal controls inflammation and improves blood flow, while echinacea helps rid your body of bacteria and other unwanted foreign guests.

Goldenseal also has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties that help ward off infection, hence why it is often used for colds and upper respiratory tract infections.

Some theorize the medicinal properties of goldenseal are due to one chemical contained within, called berberine.

Berberine is a powerful compound that may reduce blood sugar, regulate your metabolism, lower cholesterol, and reduce inflammation³^{, 4}^{, 5}.

Goldenseal is also used to reduce irritation of mucus membranes, which form a protective barrier against viruses and bacteria.

You can find this botanical medicine as a tea, tincture, supplement, or topical salve, and it is generally not advised to take for extended periods of time.

Again, it’s always best to check in with a reliable and licensed naturopathic doctor or other health professional before taking a new supplement or herbal medicine.

3. Andrographis

Next up is an herbal medicine you may not be familiar with, though it may be an important tool to keep on hand to boost your immune health.

Andrographis is a small bright green plant native to South Asian countries, and it has been long used in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

The leaves and stem of this herb are primarily used as an immune-booster, as they contain antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Extracts of this plant have been studied for their potential health benefits, and it was found that andrographis shows significant antimicrobial activity due to specific proteins and andrographolides⁶.

Andrographolides are anti-inflammatory compounds that act as immuno-modulators, stimulating your immune response to help fight infection.

This herbal remedy is available in capsule and tincture formand is available at most health food shops.

If you’re using blood pressure medication or blood thinners, make sure you check in with your doctor before taking andrographis.

4. Turmeric

An herb you may already have in your kitchen, turmeric is a flowering plant with bright yellow-orange roots often used for cooking.

The colour of this perennial herb is due to its high concentration of curcumin, a compound known for its anti-inflammatory effects.

Curcumin also stimulates immuno-modulation and T cell growth, as well as other important immune cells that protect your body against toxins, infections, and oxidative damage⁷.

It’s helpful to take black pepper alongside turmeric, because piperine — a compound in black pepper — greatly enhances your body’s absorption of curcumin.

Many turmeric supplements and teas include black pepper or piperine for this reason, and they’re found at most health food stores and pharmacies.

Of course, the most convenient source of turmeric is your local grocery store.

Try mixing turmeric, ginger, lemon, and a pinch of black pepper with hot water for a delicious health tonic.

5. Astragalus

Yet another medicinal herb popular in Traditional Chinese Medicine, astragalus is a flowering plant with thin pink blossoms.

There are over 2000 species of astragalus yet only two are used for medicinal purposes: Astragalus mongholicus, and Astragalus membranaceus.

Also known as huángqí, astragalus is famous for the immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties contained within its roots.

This herb is often used for allergies, the common cold, fatigue, and heart disease.

The active plant compounds in astragalus work to strengthen your immune system by increasing your body’s white blood cell count⁸.

Additionally, a study found astragalus supplementation helped protect mice from polymicrobial sepsis — a condition which is partly due to inflammation and is “the leading cause of death in intensive care units”⁹.

Astragalus is generally well tolerated in the short term, and can be found in capsule, tincture, and powder forms. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, astragalus is best used as an immune tonic to protect against future infection, rather than being used to fight a cold you already have.

You can mix astragalus powder into hot water with a small amount of honey for a delicious sweet medicinal tea.

6. Reishi Mushrooms

Finally, our last immune-boosting“herb” is actually a mushroom and it’s rising in popularity due to its health benefits.

The reishi mushroom comes from humid areas across Asia and has long been an important part of Eastern medicine.

Reishi mushrooms are high in polysaccharides, which have anti-tumour activity and are known to have immuno-modulating effects.

A study looked at the effect of polysaccharide treatment on patients with advance-stage cancer, and the individuals who received polysaccharides every day saw a significant increase in immune responses¹⁰.

Further research into reishi mushrooms has also shown a strong benefit to your immune system, with one study showing how reishi increased antibodies and decreased inflammation in mice¹¹.

Reishi may also help fight infection by increasing your white blood cell, or lymphocyte, count.

Although this mushroom is typically consumed in a powder form, which you can stir into hot water or blend into a smoothie, you can also find reishi supplements in capsule or pill form.

Book An Appointment With Nardini Naturopathic

Botanical medicine is an excellent tool because it is accessible, generally well tolerated, and overall effective in helping you support your immune system.

Immune health is important not only to prevent illness and infection, but also to help you recover quickly if you do happen to get sick.

Every system of your body is connected, and your entire body relies on the health of your immune system in order to function properly.

For more information on how you may incorporate botanical medicine into your life, contact me, Dr. Pat Nardini at Nardini Naturopathic.

I have a special interest in immune health, and I would love to work with you on a treatment plan that fits you and your lifestyle.

It’s important to be proactive when it comes to the wellbeing of your body to ensure you stay healthy now and in the future.

Book an appointment with me at Nardini Naturopathic today.

If you have questions about naturopathic medicine, or you’d like to take your first step into the world of naturopathy, contact us at Nardini Naturopathic, and let’s book an appointment.

Yours in health,

Dr. Pat Nardini, Naturopathic Doctor

320 Danforth Ave suite 206,
Toronto, ON, M4K 1N8
-https://g.page/NardiniNaturopathicDanforth

Dr. Pat Nardini, ND is a licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine in Toronto, Ontario. He offers science based natural health solutions with a special focus on thyroid conditions.