Vermont Acupuncture

Category: Immune System

  • Immune Booster – Cinnamon Twig Tea

    Cinnamon Twig Formula is a very widely used classic formula, and a formula that I talk about a lot. It is gentle and flavorful, and is useful for the very initial stages of a cold or flu – wind cold invasion – with mild symptoms such as sneezing, aversion to cold and wind, mild sweating, feeling slightly feverish, lack of thirst or headache. I find it to be helpful for 75-80% of my patients to treat the earliest stages an exterior condition.

    I have Cinnamon Twig Formula – Immune Booster – in ready-to-go-to-your-medicine-cabinet jars available at my office. These concentrated granules are easy to use – just add hot water and stir and you have a lovely warm cinnamon twig tea.

    Cinnamon Twig formula is not just for colds with sneezing, it can be used as a base formula for many conditions, including emotional vulnerability, palpitations, abdominal pain, joint pain, cold hands and feet, hot flashes, when the pattern fits.

    The cinnamon twig type often has an aversion to wind on the neck, is sensitive emotionally and may flush and perspire easily. Words can be winds too, so when our surface qi is not harmonized and able to defend us, words can invade as wind cold and the symptoms could be emotional or involve palpitations. Of course there are many formulas to treat emotional symptoms and palpitations, so pattern differentiation is required.

    Most of the herbs in the formula help the digestion (fresh ginger, dates, licorice, and also cinnamon twig and white peony root), while a couple harmonize the surface (cinnamon twig and white peony root). It’s made up of mostly food type herbs, and is pretty yummy for a Chinese medicine formula. If you find it is easy to catch a cold after being exposed to cold, try this, it is pretty yummy with honey or mixed into your oatmeal. We get our Qi from our digestion – when we have plenty of Qi, we have enough to send to our surface. Therefore nourishing the middle (digestion) helps harmonize the surface.

    Functions: Treats exterior wind cold, harmonizes the nutritive and defensive Qi & nourishes the middle.

    To release the exterior: prepare the herbs with hot water and drink, followed by a warm bowl of porridge or soup. Wrap yourself up with some blankets until you have a slight sweat. At that time, change into warm dry clothes and discontinue the herbs.

    Once the cold/flu goes deeper and there are symptoms such as sore throat, thirst, high fever, cough, different formulas are appropriate. Discontinue the use of cinnamon twig when symptoms progress beyond the sniffles and early symptoms avoid.

    I have Cinnamon Twig Formula in ready-to-go-to-your-medicine-cabinet jars available at my office. The concentrated granules are easy to use – just add hot water and stir and you have a lovely warming tea.

  • Immunity Roll-on

    Immunity Roll-on

    The Immunity Roll-on is a combination of essential oils that specifically target respiratory health. This combination of lemon, clove, cinnamon, thyme and tea tree essential oils has been combined with jojoba oil to make this a ready-to-use topical that will support the immune system to defend against incoming pathogens as well as to help you to breathe easy and clear your sinuses.

    I like to use it when I travel on a plane or if I am around people who might sick. I think of it as an added immune buffer. My son often gets congested when he gets sick and he likes to roll it on his chest and neck, and he finds it effective to just sniff it to help his nasal and sinus congestion.

    Essential oils do not need to come into direct contact with microbes to kill them. Many essential oils release volatile compounds into the air which can inhibit or kill them. When diffused into the air, some essential oils can act on airborne microbes, reducing their viability, and some are capable of breaking down biofilms, even from a distance.

  • Manuka Honey Nasal Sprays

    Often in my posts I talk about the role the sinuses and throat play as the first line of defense when fighting respiratory infections. These nasal sprays are additional products that can be used to support that role.

    Manuka honey has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Because of this, manuka honey nasal sprays are a gentle, natural way to fight colds, flu, COVID, and bacterial infections such as strep. It reduces inflammation in the sinus passages, soothes irritated mucous membranes, hydrates nasal passages, and forms a protective barrier to shield nasal lining from allergens, irritants, and further infection.

    These three products are now available in the office. Stock up so you are prepared the next time you feel like you are coming down with something!

    Here are some links to other manuka products:

    Manuka honey

    Manuka honey throat spray and syrup

  • Manuka Honey Throat Spray and Syrup

    Manuka Honey & Propolis throat spray and ManukaGuard Manuka Honey Cough & Throat Syrup

    Sore throats can be a sign that your immune system is fighting a cold or other viral infection. Gargling with an antimicrobial mouthwash is one way to combat infection. These two products can also support that immune response and soothe a sore throat or cough.

    Wedderspoon Manuka Honey & Propolis Throat Spray provides fast, effective relief for sore throats and minor irritations. Combining the potent antimicrobial properties of manuka honey and the natural immune-boosting benefits of propolis, this spray helps combat bacteria and viruses while soothing inflammation. It coats the throat, easing discomfort and dryness, and supports the body’s natural healing process. Perfect for on-the-go throat care and immune support, especially during cold and flu season.

    ManukaGuard Manuka Cough & Throat Syrup combines the soothing, antimicrobial power of manuka honey with apple cider vinegar and several medicinal herbs to provide effective relief from coughs and throat irritation. It helps to calm persistent coughing, ease soreness, and protect the throat from further irritation. With its rich, soothing texture, it promotes healing while supporting respiratory health. Ideal for those seeking a natural remedy for seasonal illnesses.

    Both of these products are now available in the office. Here are links to the other manuka honey products I currently carry:

    Manuka Honey

    Manuka Honey Nasal Spray

  • Manuka Honey

    The medicinal use of honey has been a thing for over a millennia. Manuka honey from New Zealand and western Australia are especially potent and have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and have been used to heal wounds and infections (including MRSA). In fact, in 2007 the FDA approved the use of Manuka honey in several ointments, gels and dressings used to treat wounds, burns, traumatic injuries, surgical wounds, diabetic ulcerations and antibiotic-resistant infections and more.

    Manuka honey’s medicinal talents go beyond topical wound healing. Research is showing promising results with a wide range of health issues including urinary and digestion issues, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, skin ailments, cancer and side effects of chemo…

    Exciting research from UCLA showed that Manuka honey alone can slow growth and even shrink tumors in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. It has phytoestrogenic properties and can bind the estrogen receptors, which helps explains how it is able to help specifically in ER+ breast cancer.

    Manuka honey gives the immune system a boost in several ways and one is by supporting macrophages. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that defend us by eating up foreign invaders like microbes and cancer cells, when they are functioning properly. Manuka honey helps them to balance their production of substances involved in inflammation (inflammatory cytokines), can stimulate them to increase their microbe- and debris-eating (phagocytic) activity, and helps make the environment inhospitable to bacteria.

    I stock two types of manuka honey and several manuka products in the office. If you have any further questions about how to use manuka honey, let me know next time you come in!

    Here’s the actual UCLA research about Manuka honey:

    https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/14/2369

    Here are some links to other Manuka products:

    Manuka throat spray and syrup

    Manuka nasal spray