Maybe I found the "cure to the common cold"?

judsoncarroll4

So, Monday afternoon I came down with a really, really bad head cold. It may have even been the flu. This was inflamed sinuses, burning up the nose, congestion, sneezing, swollen, red face, fever, ringing ears, exhaustions, falling asleep, dizzy, muscle aches, sweating, stiff neck.... the whole cornucopia of cold/flu symptoms. I was already taking turmeric, vit C and zinc, and had some great chicken soup with plenty of garlic, thyme and sage. But, each time I had a spoonful of Swedish Bitters, my fever went down and my sinus cleared.... I think that means it inhibited viral replication. I felt okay this morning... well by 4pm. So, if Swedish Bitters works, it is actually more effective than any cold med or prescription known to man!

Linda Bittle

I wouldn't be surprised if you are on to something here!

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/879968#Comment_879968

That is a claim for it that the old books make... I guess I didn't take it seriously... it works!

JodieDownUnder

Wow that is impressive. Homemade? If so, do you have a recipe?

naomi.kohlmeier

Whee does one find Swedish Bitters?

Tave

Thanks. A friend of mine just came down with COVID. I'm going to take her some of my bitters and see if it helps. Can't hurt.

judsoncarroll4

@jodienancarrow and @naomi.kohlmeier I do have the recipe, but I haven't been able to source all of the herbs to make my own yet. I ordered these: https://www.wellbeingherbs.com/product/schwedenkrauter-schwedenbitter-original/

judsoncarroll4

I'm sorry to hear that @Tave - I hope your friend gets well soon!

Tave

Thanks, me too.

Torey

@judsoncarroll4 I'm glad you are feeling better. Several of the ingredients are used for analgesic, expectorant, pectoral, diaphoretic or antispasmodic effects. Particularly Acorus and Veronica. It will be interesting to hear other's results.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880017#Comment_880017

Thanks. It is basically, a huge "shotgun formula"!

water2world

@judsoncarroll4 Awesome!! Thanks for the link----I enjoyed reading everything on the site, the blog, etc. How did you happen to have the bitters to try? Are you going to make the small bitters or the original? Post your results, please.

water2world

@Tave Sorry to hear about your friend, hope the bitters help!

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880022#Comment_880022

Thanks! I ordered them from the that company and made them up specially for a class that will soon be offered here on TGN! I hope to be able to offer both the small and great bitters for sale next year.

LaurieLovesLearning

@torey Do you know if we can find any here...or the ingredients to make our own? I'd be very interested

Torey

@LaurieLovesLearning I have seen Swedish Bitters at our local health food store but not sure of the brand. I will look next time I am in town.

A lot of the ingredients would be available through Harmonic Arts (or most health food/herb stores that sell bulk herbs) but there are a couple that I am completely unfamiliar with and have never seen them sold in any stores. Carlina acaulis. Andromachi theriaca. It doesn't specify which Lycopodium species is being used. A combination maybe. It says ground pines or cedars. The ground cedars have been reclassified and are no longer Lycopodium species but Diphasiastrum, making it that much more confusing. If I were going to wild harvest for this, I would use Running Club Moss, Lycopodium clavatum. You could make your own Kandis.

judsoncarroll4

@LaurieLovesLearning and @torey here is Maria Treben's recipe for the small Swedish Bitters. Also, Torey, I think you are right about Ground Pine - that was a bittering agent used in European beers before hops, and would fit.... and Mrs. Treben was very big on Club Moss, and i think its properties would make it a good substitute. That is one I need to figure out how to grow - I've never seen it in the woods around here, but tons of other mosses grow here. BTW, "Theriac Venezian" is a mix of Valerian Root, Cinnamon and Cardamom.

frogvalley

Swedish Bitters are good for so many things. We gave a bottle to our new Ukrainian friends in the 1980's for chicken pox. People in our church had scared them so bad, they thought they were going to die. They drank it and put it on their sores. Better in no time.

nksunshine27

on top of this i wonder if it would help to use mullein ?

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880095#Comment_880095

I'm sure it would. Mullein is an herb I use a lot for lung issues.

Torey

@judsoncarroll4 I'll bet you have Club Moss in your area but you just haven't come across it yet. Loves a semi-temperate rain forest. However, the places that I have found it growing, are in old growth forest areas. Both in coastal regions as well as the Interior Semi-temperate Rainforest that occurs in inland pockets along the mountain ranges in my province.

I checked the Swedish Bitters in my local health food store and it has a very similar recipe but not exactly the same. It was a "Flora" brand but called Maria's Swedish Bitters.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880119#Comment_880119

Yeah, NC State University says we do. I'll have to look harder. I also verified that you were right about ground pine. Check out this link: http://www.wellbeingherbs.com/blogs/swedish-bitters/details-on-swedish-bitter-from-stefan-zwerenz/

Megan Venturella

Personally I believe that getting sick is related to your body’s need to detox. I wonder if the bitters helped with that.

I could be wrong of course! There are multiple factors affecting every outcome, but it seems to me that just like plants cycle, our bodies cycle, and this is how we do fall cleanup.

Tave

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880186#Comment_880186

Definitely. Bitters stimulate digestion and help the liver detox.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880186#Comment_880186

There is much wisdom to that, and that is a reason why diaphoretic herbs that help a fever resolve and induce sweating are often so effective - hot yarrow tea, ginger baths, even the old home remedies like mustard plasters or covering the chest with goose fat and brown paper and sleeping under blankets with the windows open.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

This conversation is so fascinating to me. I thought bitters were mostly used in digestive complaints.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

@judsoncarroll4 and @torey I checked my local health food store and the brand of Swedish bitters they carry is a brand called Nature Works. I looked at the ingredients and some of the ones you all have mentioned are in this one but not sure if all of them are or not. They didn't list an Latin names just the common name.

@judsoncarroll4 Which brand are you currently using?

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880281#Comment_880281

I'm using this one https://www.wellbeingherbs.com/product/schwedenkrauter-schwedenbitter-original/

ltwickey

This sounds great and look forward to trying. My usual go-to for viral respiratory illness if Five Thieves, works for me quickly. 4-5 drops before bed and 75% better by morning, another 4-5 drops and almost 100% by dinner!

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/880285#Comment_880285

I've used that off and on... best combo I ever came up with was a kind of kimchi in that vein... fermented cabbage, ginger, garlic, hot peppers, turmeric and onions, with a bit of soy and fish sauce. Not only a good cold remedy, but awesome on a hotdog!

rbusby01

So glad you're better! I'll definitely try it:)