The mechanism behind this is in part the imbalance in cytokine production. Cytokines are important messengers in our body but if there is overflow in cytokines exacerbating inflammation, it can cause many of the nastiest symptoms like pain and fatigue.

The best strategy is not just to treat the infections but also address this imbalance of cytokines. Nearly all herbs have some effect on cytokines,one way or another but here a list of my favorites. I have chosen them not only based on their efficacy but also tolerability.

1. Curcuma longa extract

One of the best anti-inflammatories and very well researched. It has quite poor bioavailability if taken in a powder or capsule form, so I recommend taking it as an alcohol-based extract. Otherwise you will not get much health benefits from it. In tincture form it is also easy and quick to titrate the dosage to the needed level.

Curcumin, which is considered the most important compound in the plant turmeric, has a wide range of beneficial effects. One that we see very often at our clinic, is easing of allergy symptoms like hay fever and related asthma. It also lifts mood, which is always an additional bonus.

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Following dosage is for the Curcumin (Curcuma longa 1:2) extract from Nordicure:

Add 10 – 20 drops in 1,2 dl (4 oz.) of water and drink. May be taken several times per day as needed or as directed by your physician.

2. Teasel or Dipsacus plant

Native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa but has later spread to other continents as well. This herb has a long history in traditional medicine being used as pain relief and has been widely used for Lyme Disease. It has been reported to have also anti-inflammatory and over-all stimulating effects.

Following dosage is for Teasel extract from Dipsacus fullonum aka sylvestris:

Add 1 to 30 drops in 120 ml (4 oz.) of water and wait one minute before drinking. Start with 1 drop twice daily (30 min. before meals) increasing slowly to up to 30 drops twice daily.

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3. Resveratrol

A polyphenol and acts as a specific type of antioxidant. Also very widely researched and has multiple beneficial effects on us. It is commonly found in red wine and wine grapes, but to achieve the best results you would need to drink or eat these in amounts that would lead to complications. Combine it with other polyphenols like the ones in grape seed extract and green tea extract,because according to research these taken together will enhance each other’s anti-inflammatory effects. Also, in combining these, you can lower the dose of green tea extract to avoid possible harmful side-effects.

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Following dosage is for the Inflacare (by Puhdistamo Pharma) capsules:

1 capsule twice a day with or without food

4. Ginger Zingiber officinale

You can buy organic ginger root and make a drink but if you want more effect, you should use alcohol-based tincture. It has long history in Asian traditional medicine and in Ayurveda it has been called “The Great Medicament”.It is anti-inflammatory and it suppresses the synthesis of prostaglandins similar with NSAID painkillers. Because it also supresses the synthesis of leukotrienes, it may have even better effect and have less side-effects than NSAIDs. It also inhibits the expression of many genes that are coding inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme.

Following dosage is for the Zingiber officinale -extract (extraction ratio: 1:2):

15 drops with water 3 times per day between meals

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With the tinctures I recommend that you take them by mouth and then also rub a few drops to the most painful area. After about 30 – 40 min you can give infrared treatment for 10 – 15 min to that area. Infrared will help the compounds to get deeper into the tissues. This treatment can be repeated several times a day..
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RESEARCH

Curcumin

1. Davis, J.M., Murphy, E.A., Carmichael, M.D., Zielinski, M.R., Groschwitz, C.M., Brown, A.S., Gengemi, J.D., Ghaffar, A., Mayer, E.P. Curcumin effects on inflammation and performance recovery following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Jun;292(6):R2168-73. Epub 2007 Mar 1.
2. Fu, Y., Gao, R., Cao, Y., Guo, M., Wei, Z., Zhou, E., Li, Y., Yao, M., Yang, Z., Zhang, N. Curcumin attenuates inflammatory responses by suppressing TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis in mice. Int Immunopharmacol. 2014 May;20(1):54-8. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2014.01.024. Epub 2014 Feb 6.
3. Usharani, P., Mateen, A.A., Naidu, M.U., Raju, Y.S., Chandra, N. Effect of NCB-02, atorvastatin and placebo on endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, 8-week study. Drugs R. D. 2008;9(4):243-50. He, Z.Y., Shi, C.B., Wen, H., Li, F.L., Wang, B.L., Wang, J. Upregulation of p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer by administration of curcumin. Cancer Invest. 2011 Mar;29(3):208-13. doi: 10.3109/07357907.2010.550592
4. He, Z.Y., Shi, C.B., Wen, H., Li, F.L., Wang, B.L., Wang, J. Upregulation of p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer by administration of curcumin. Cancer Invest. 2011 Mar;29(3):208-13. doi: 10.3109/07357907.2010.550592.
5. Hanai, H., Sugimoto, K. Curcumin has bright prospects for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(18):2087-94.
6. Koosirirat, C., Linpisarn, S., Changsom, D., Chawansuntati, K., Wipasa J. Investigation of the anti-inflammatory effect of Curcuma longa in Helicobacter pylori-infected patients. Int Immunopharmacol. 2010 Jul;10(7):815-8. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2010.04.021. Epub 2010 May 9.
7. Khajehdehi, P., Zanjaninejad, B., Aflaki, E., Nazarinia, M., Azad, F., Malekmakan, L., Dehghanzadeh, G.R. Oral supplementation of turmeric decreases proteinuria, hematuria, and systolic blood pressure in patients suffering from relapsing or refractory lupus nephritis: a randomized and placebo-controlled study. J Ren Nutr. 2012 Jan;22(1):50-7. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2011.03.002. Epub 2011 Jul 13.
8. Wu, S., Xiao, D. Effect of curcumin on nasal symptoms and airflow in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Volume 117, Issue 6, 1 December 2016.
9. Kurup, V.P., Barrios C.S. Immunomodulatory effects of curcumin in allergy. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 01 Sep 2008, 52(9):1031-1039

Teasel

10. Kustinskaja, M., Vaher, M. Extraction and Analysis of Bioactive Compounds from Dipsacus Fullonum and Galium Verum for Lyme Borreliosis Treatment. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 11(4)-2018.
11. Liebold, T., Straubinger, R.K., Rauwald, H.W. Growth inhibiting activity of lipophilic extracts from Dipsacus sylvestris Huds. roots against Borrelia burgdorferi s. s. in vitro. Pharmazie. 2011 Aug;66(8):628-30.
12. Oszmiański, J., Wojdyło, A., Juszczyk, P., Nowicka, P. Roots and Leaf Extracts of Dipsacus fullonum L. and Their Biological Activities. Plants (Basel). 2020 Jan 8;9(1).
13. Shin, N.R., Lee, A.Y., Park, G., Ko, J.W., Kim, J.C., Shin, I.S., Kim, J.S. Therapeutic Effect of Dipsacus asperoides C. Y. Cheng et T. M. Ai in Ovalbumin-Induced Murine Model of Asthma. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 15;20(8).
14. Park, J.Y., Park, S.D., Koh, Y.J., Kim, D.I., Lee, J.H. Aqueous extract of Dipsacus asperoides suppresses lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory responses by inhibiting the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 macrophages. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019 Mar 1;231:253-261. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.11.010. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Resveratrol

15. Niedzwiecki, A., Roomi, M.W., Kalinonvsky, T., Rath, M. Anticancer Efficacy of Polyphenols and Their Combinations. Nutrients. 2016 Sep; 8(9): 552.
16. Timmers, S., Konings, E., Bilet, L., Houtkooper, R.H., van de Weijer, T., Goossens, G.H., Hoeks, J., van der Krieken, S., Ryu, D., Kersten, S., Moonen-Kornips, E., Hesselink, M.K.C., Kunz, I., Schrauwen-Hinderling, V.B., Blaak, E., Auwerx, J., Schrauwen, P. Calorie restriction-like effects of 30 days of resveratrol supplementation on energy metabolism and metabolic profile in obese humans. Cell Metab. 14, 612–622 (2011).
17. Sarkar, F. H., Li, Y., Wang, Z., Kong, D. Cellular signaling perturbation by natural products. Cell. Signal. 21, 1541–1547 (2009).
18. Zhu, W., Qin, W., Zhang, K., Rottinghaus, G.E., Cheng, Y.C., Kliethermes, B., Sauter, E.R. Trans-resveratrol alters mammary promoter hypermethylation in women at increased risk for breast cancer. Nutr. Cancer 64, 393–400 (2012).
19. Radhakrishnan, S., Reddivari, L., Sclafani R., Das, U.N., Vanamala, J. Resveratrol potentiates grape seed extract induced human colon cancer cell apoptosis. Front Biosci (Elite Ed). 2011 Jun 1;3:1509-23.
20. Zhang, H., Liu, S., Li, L., Liu, S., Liu, S., Mi, J., Tian, G. The impact of grape seed extract treatment on blood pressure changes: A meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Aug;95(33):e4247.
21. Hemmati, A.A., Foroozan, M., Housmand, G., Moosavi, Z.B., Bahadoram, M., Maram, N.S. The Topical Effect of Grape Seed Extract 2% Cream on Surgery Wound Healing. Glob J Health Sci. 2015 May; 7(3): 52–58.
22. Khoshbaten, M., Aliasgarzadeh, A., Masnadi, K., Farhang, S., Tarzamani, M.K., Babaei, H., Kiani, J., Zaare, M., Najafipoor, F. Grape Seed Extract to Improve Liver Function in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Change. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jul; 16(3): 194–197.
23. Pezeshki, A., Safi, S., Feizi, A., Askari, G. Karami, F. The Effect of Green Tea Extract Supplementation on Liver Enzymes in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Int J Prev Med. 2016; 7: 28.
24. Lochocka, K., Bajerska, J., Glapa, A., Fidler-Witon, E., Nowak, J.K., Szczapa, T., Grebowiec, P., Lisowska, A., Walkowiak, J. Green tea extract decreases starch digestion and absorption from a test meal in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. Sci Rep. 2015 Jul 30;5:12015.

Ginger

25. Chrubasik, S., Pittler, M. H., and Roufogalis, B. D. Zingiberis rhizoma: a comprehensive review on the ginger effect and efficacy profiles. Phytomedicine 2005;12(9):684-701.  
26. Onogi, T., Minami, M., Kuraishi, Y., and Satoh, M. Capsaicin-like effect of (6)-shogaol on substance P-containing primary afferents of rats: a possible mechanism of its analgesic action. Neuropharmacology 1992;31(11):1165-1169.  
27. Wang, C. C., Chen, L. G., Lee, L. T., and Yang, L. L. Effects of 6-gingerol, an antioxidant from ginger, on inducing apoptosis in human leukemic HL-60 cells. In Vivo 2003;17(6):641-645.  
28. Ma, J., Jin, X., Yang, L., and Liu, Z. L. Diarylheptanoids from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. Phytochemistry 2004;65(8):1137-1143.
29. Grzanna, R., Lindmark, L., and Frondoza, C. G. Ginger. An herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions. J Med Food 2005;8(2):125-132. 16117603.
30. Li, F., Nitteranon, V., Tang, X., Liang, J., Zhang, G., Parkin, K.L., Hu, Q. In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of 1-dehydro-[6]-gingerdione, 6-shogaol, 6-dehydroshogaol and hexahydrocurcumin. Food Chem. 2012 Nov 15;135(2):332-7. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.04.145. Epub 2012 May 11.
31. Ezzat, S.M., Ezzat, M.I., Okba, M.M., Menze, E.T., Abdel-Naim, A.B. The hidden mechanism beyond ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) potent in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. J Etnopharmacol. 2018 Mar 25;214:113-123. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.12.019. Epub 2017 Dec 16.
32. Jiang, Y., Turgeon, D.K., Wright, B.D., Sidahmed, E., Ruffin, M.T., Brenner, D.E., Sen, A., Zick, S.M. Effect of ginger root on cyclooxygenase-1 and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase expression in colonic mucosa of humans at normal and increased risk for colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2013 Sep;22(5):455-60. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0b013e32835c829b.

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