Boosting the Immune System Against COVID-19

Yeditepe Üniversitesi Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Chair Prof. Dr. Erdem Yeşilada drew attention to the importance of protecting the oral region and strengthening the immune system in measures to be taken against COVID 19. Prof. Dr. Erdem Yeşilada stated that "If people pay attention, this pandemic will diminish," noting that "We have previously gone through similar infections such as MERS and SARS. This time, in order to prevent deaths and avoid new cases, everyone needs to take protective measures."

Prof. Dr. Erdem Yeşilada emphasized that the oral-nasal-throat region in particular must be protected against COVID 19. Underlining once again the importance of strengthening the immune system, Prof. Dr. Yeşilada listed his recommendations as follows:

Disinfect your nose

Inhaling volatile oils with strong antimicrobial effects (such as tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil) or using them in room humidifiers may be beneficial, but this should not be overdone. Allergies can develop as a reaction to the odor. By doing this occasionally, we can disinfect our nasal passages in this way.

Use sugar-free lozenges containing pomegranate rind for your throat

Our mouth is important in protection against COVID 19; we take germs into our mouth through what we eat and drink. What needs to be done here is to think of our throat like the Dardanelles Strait and not allow microbes to pass down from there. We need to protect our throat with sugar-free lozenges. Microorganisms transform sugar with an enzyme to create biofilm. Viruses and bacteria can stick to this biofilm and multiply. For this reason, sugar-free herbal lozenges must be preferred.

Gum arabic and plant extracts in these lozenges trap viruses in the mouth

Lozenges must be made with gum arabic so that the beneficial extracts remain in the mouth. The beneficial extracts we can use here are pomegranate extract, ginger extract, turmeric extract, laudanum extract and elder extract. These extracts can prevent virus development and spread (neuraminidase inhibitors) but it is important that they are sugar-free and made with gum arabic so they can stay in the mouth for a long time. The important point here is that after taking a lozenge, nothing should be eaten or drunk for one hour. If you eat something, plant extracts go to the stomach and undergo structural change, losing their effect on the virus.

Strengthen your immunity with herbal extracts

Everyone is making recommendations to support the immune system but not all of them are correct. We do not rely on experimental studies in plants. Because after entering the body, it undergoes change in the stomach and intestines. For example, when I say pomegranate, turmeric, ginger, if people make tea from them and drink it, it is not effective. Because in the gastrointestinal system they transform into different molecules. All these substances must be used rationally. There are few people who understand the plant kingdom. People should follow the right advice without panicking.

Gargle with concentrated herbal tea!

In addition to drinking herbal tea, prepare herbal teas in a concentrated consistency and gargle. Because when you drink tea, it goes to your stomach and its effect diminishes or is lost. To be effective against viruses, you can prepare sage, green tea in a concentrated, sugar-free form and gargle with it. You can apply the simplest measures to protect your throat in this way.