It wasn’t until very recently that researchers have been able to truly discover how plant matter affects the function and expression of our human genes. It was thought that our own cells made the only RNA/microRNA that our bodies used. However, this fairly new study along with others shows how our bodies actually utilize plant microRNA to improve cell functions and our health! Simply put, the ingestion of plants and their microRNA will influence our genetic expression and thus improve our body’s function, healing, and disease resistance.
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Honeysuckle, an effective wild remedy for the flu!
A study published in the Journal Nature has identified how microRNA from the honeysuckle plant is able to assist the body in stopping flu infections and may even reduce mortality risk! This could be huge given the fact that there is no effective drug on the market that can reduce mortality from the flu. Not even the flu vaccine nor the widely touted Tamiflu have been shown to save lives from flu deaths.
In this study plant microRNAs (MIR2911) from Honeysuckle (HS, Lonicera japonica), a well-known Chinese herb, was shown to directly inhibit various influenza A virus subtypes both in vitro and in vivo. Ingestion of honeysuckle tea allowed the digestive tract to absorb the microRNA of HS that then travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, where it can directly target and suppress the flu virus from reproducing.
HS has been used to effectively treat influenza infection for thousands of years and other studies have already shown that HS decoction/tea can suppress the replication of influenza virus.
This winter I would highly recommend that we all have a honeysuckle tea kit and elderberry kit ready on hand for that most likely case of the flu.