Our video No. 1 covers the topic of using plant extracts from oregano and echinacea, explaining what these plants are, the natural antiviral benefits they may deliver, and why the research study results are inconclusive on their effectiveness as a natural antiviral. But here I want to discuss the specific process that I follow personally to actually take the herbals. Based on the research, the key to making these herbals more effective as a natural antiviral is as follows:

#1 Key to Effectiveness of Natural Antiviral: Start Taking the Herbals at the Very First Sign of Infection

The longer the viral infection has to manifest itself, the less effective any antiviral will be including any natural antiviral. But this is the advantage that this oregano/echinacea approach has over the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, which are medications your doctor can prescribe. These meds are effective only if taken within the first two days of getting sick.

By the time you know you have the flu, call your doctor, get an appointment, and get in to see her, often the “window” of effectiveness has passed—not to mention the fact that the drugs shorten the time you’re sick by only one or two days after they’re administered.

But with potential use of oil of oregano and echinacea as a natural antiviral, I can have these inexpensive herbals on hand and start their usage immediately upon the first signs of an infection—that scratchy throat, runny nose, sneezing… you know what those signs are for you. I don’t have to wait to see whether it’s just a cold or the actual flu or another infection. I just get going on the process with the end result that it attacks the infection at the very early stage before it has time to manifest into a more serious infection.

Consider This Protocol for the Maximum Oil of Oregano and Echinacea Benefits as a Possible Natural Antiviral

You have to decide for yourself whether this is right for you because no product is going to work as a natural antiviral for everyone, and no claim is being made that it will work for you. But for me personally, when I’m busy doing what I enjoy and suddenly feel an infection coming on and need quick natural antiviral relief, here is what I would do as quickly as possible—maybe even before I start feeling bad:

1. Begin taking oil of oregano and echinacea drops a total of four times per day.
2. I start with oil of oregano using the P73 version or a product with similar properties. I take 500 mg in this first dosage (20 drops of P73). I first put 10 drops in a small amount of water and swish it around in my mouth for 30 seconds and then swallow. I put another 10 drops in water and do the same swishing and then swallow.
3. After a few hours, I switch to echinacea drops using the Echinaforce product (A.Vogel Echinaforce) or another product that has similar properties. I do the same—two sets of 10 drops in a small amount of water with 30 seconds of mouth swishing before swallowing.
4. After a few hours I do another oil of oregano treatment as described above.
5. After a few hours I do another echinacea treatment as described above.
6. I continue to do the four-times-per-day oregano/echinacea treatment each day until all of the respiratory symptoms are gone. I then continue that same treatment for one to three days after the symptoms are gone to make sure the infection is gone for good.
7. Throughout the process, I eat some probiotic foods or take probiotic supplements to repopulate my gut flora with healthy bacteria, since the antibiotic effect of these plant extracts may have depleted both the good and the bad bacteria in the gut.

And that’s it! I have found this process to help me stave off infections. Remember that the dosages shown are adult dosages and in general these herbals are not recommended for children or pregnant women except under the supervision of your physician.

If you don’t start feeling better after two or three days using this process, go to your doctor to make sure you don’t have a serious infection that needs special treatment. And be aware these herbals are not approved by the FDA or FTC as prevention, treatment or cure for the flu or a cold. It may not work at all for you, but knowing an approach backed by the scientific literature may provide an approach that you find will work.

This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated.