The question keeps coming up about how to use the two kinds of infection formulas I keep on hand, and when to reach for which. I hope to answer that today, and to give you a few tools for understanding how to support the body naturally when it’s fighting an infection.
What an Infection Is
An infection is the invasion and multiplication of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, that don’t normally belong in the body. It may stay in one place, or it may spread through the blood or lymph to become bodywide. The friendly bacteria that normally live in the mouth and intestines are not an infection.
An infection is a serious condition, and if it’s left unchecked it can be fatal. Any infection needs to be handled seriously and supported as quickly as possible. My approach is always to support the body’s own defenses so it can do the work itself.
The Garlic Formula
This formula is all about the garlic. Garlic is one of nature’s most time-honored germ fighters. In 1944, the chemist Chester Cavallito identified allicin, the strong-smelling compound in garlic, and showed that it has real antibacterial power. Garlic contains dozens of sulfur compounds working together, and that complexity is part of what I love about whole herbs.
A good garlic formula is warming and circulating, and it’s strongest for the throat, sinuses and chest. Here is a combination I trust, with the proportions:
- Garlic, 4 parts. The heart of the formula. I use fresh garlic, which is a big part of its strength.
- Dandelion Root, 4 parts. Gently cleanses the liver and blood, helping carry off the waste the body is clearing.
- Ginger Root, 2 parts. Fresh ginger warms and opens the tiny capillaries, carrying the formula through the body and settling the stomach.
- Horseradish, 1 part. Fresh horseradish cuts through mucus and opens the sinuses and chest. Dr. Christopher relied on it for sinus trouble.
- Goldenseal Root, 1 part. Supports the mucous membranes of the throat, sinuses and chest.
- Cayenne, 1 part. Drives the formula quickly to wherever it’s needed and warms the body when a chill is coming on.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb.
When I begin to get that achy-all-over feeling or a scratchy feeling in the back of my throat, I stir 1 teaspoon of the garlic formula into a cup of hot water with honey. I keep my cup full and sip on it all day long. Normally I’m on top of my symptoms in about 24 hours.
The garlic formula has served me well with nearly every kind of infection, but I’ve always been disappointed with how poorly it does with tooth and gum infections. That is where the second formula comes in.
The Plantain Formula
This formula is all about Plantain, built with Black Walnut, Goldenseal Root, Bugle Weed, Marshmallow Root and Lobelia. Plantain is an alterative herb: it gradually cleanses the blood and the eliminative organs, which makes it beneficial for the liver, kidneys and skin. It works through the blood and the lymph, and that’s how it gets the herbs to wherever an infection has settled.
Plantain is one of the best herbs for cleansing the blood, especially with bites and stings, where it helps bring down the swelling. It’s also good for kidney and bladder complaints and for ongoing skin conditions, and it can be used as a poultice to draw out toxins.
I’ve written a full post on this formula, with the proportions, how to make it, and how much to take: Getting the Herbs to Where the Infection Lives.
Which One When?
Reach for the garlic formula at the first sign of a cold or flu, when the throat, sinuses and chest need warming support. Reach for the Plantain formula for stubborn or localized trouble: the skin, the teeth and gums, and anytime the blood needs deep cleansing. For more serious infections, the two are alternated.
The same herbs as the Plantain formula, fully extracted in olive oil and made into a salve, are wonderful for skin infections, even the more serious ones. That salve is also an excellent help for wasp and bee stings and other painful insect bites.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
