Donnie Yance is an internationally known master herbalist and nutritionist. He is the author of the book, "Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer" and "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism"
A Zen master was teaching his students one day and
one student asked, “Is there anything that I can do to make myself
enlightened?” The Zen master replied and said; “As little as you can do to make
the sun rise in the morning.” The students then asked, “Then what use are the
spiritual exercises you prescribe?” And the Zen master said this; “To make sure
you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise.”
Zinc
is well known for the significant role it plays in immune response and immune
health. It enhances both innate and adaptive immunity, is vital for immune cell
function, and is crucial for the formation and modulation of inflammatory
processes. In persons with zinc deficiency, zinc supplementation improves not
only type I and II interferon production/response, but also immune cell
survival, maturation and function.1-4
False
information can spread like wildfire, particularly during times of fear and
uncertainty. Right now, there is misinformation circulating about elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and COVID-19.
Elderberry extract is being falsely accused of triggering a cytokine storm or cytokine release syndrome (CRS), an intense inflammatory response that can be deadly. During the SARS epidemic, CRS caused severe lung damage and was a driving factor in many fatalities.
A fever can actually benefit a sick person, and both traditional
healthcare practitioners and now even modern researchers have attributed
tendencies to over-treat to “fever phobia”–a fear that fever is harmful, which likely
originated after the introduction of anti-fever drugs like Tylenol.
Fever is a protective adaptive response that should be allowed to run its course under most circumstances. This approach has been supported by several recent randomized controlled trials.1
“I go into my library and all
history unrolls before me.” Alexander Smith
In Western tradition, boneset is perhaps the single most important
herb for combating the flu. There have been six major influenza pandemics (worldwide
outbreaks) since 1889. The 1918 influenza pandemic (“Spanish flu”) was the
deadliest pandemic in history. Approximately 5% of the world’s population was
infected, and the number of deaths has been estimated at 50 million (CDC).
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) might
be the single best herbal remedy for influenza. During the severe “Spanish Flu” pandemic, boneset was one of the safest
and most successful remedies employed and contributed much to the successful
management of the disease under the Eclectic treatment.
Commentary on the Widely Disseminated Article entitled “Dietary
Supplement Use During Chemotherapy and Survival Outcomes of Patients with
Breast Cancer Enrolled in a Cooperative Group Clinical Trial (SWOG SO221)”
Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, December 2019
The DELCaP study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology evaluating
the use of dietary supplements during chemotherapy, has alarmed many patients
and raised troubling questions for health practitioners.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate associations between ‘antioxidant’ supplement
use and breast cancer outcomes in light of the widespread use of supplements
during cancer therapies and the ongoing debate over concerns that antioxidants
could reduce the cytotoxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated
by chemotherapy agents. The authors claim that the use of dietary supplements
before and during chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of
recurrence and, to a lesser extent, death.1