Every year, the flu causes pain and suffering around the world, infecting 3 million to 5 million people and causing up to 500,000 deaths annually. But researchers at Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences have found a common herb that helps prevent and treat the illness.
In research coordinated between Georgia and South Korea, scientists discovered that ginseng is useful for fending off influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a pathogen that attacks the lungs and breathing passages.
The lab research shows that red ginseng extract helps human lung epithelial cells infected with the influenza virus survive infection. Also, red ginseng extract can reduce the expression of genes that lead to harmful inflammation.
The scientists demonstrated that ginseng can produce immune strengthening effects, increasing the production of antiviral proteins in the body while tamping down destructive inflammatory cells in the bronchial walls.