Sue Visser
One diet cannot possibly suit everybody because we are not all the same. There are different gut biomes for different people. Some thrive on meat or wheat, while others can’t tolerate gluten or lactose. The gut is directly linked to the brain and affects your mood. Use Food as Medicine to make you healthy and happy!
Please note: These discussions are about our relationship with food and are not intended as medical advice. Should you prefer using natural alternatives to your prescribed medications, please consult your doctor, who can assist you and supervise a reviewed protocol. Certain foods, supplements, herbs and spices that are used therapeutically may compete with (or oppose) certain drugs—but do not have such harmful effects. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, but using food as medicine does not require any sugar and does not deplete any micronutrients.
Food Is No Longer Our Medicine
We all enjoy eating—who wouldn’t prefer a hearty meal to a row of tablets? Yet today most of us can no longer live comfortably without prescribed medications. Even by the age of two, children who have been repeatedly vaccinated and given antibiotics are now more prone to autism, attention deficit disorders, depression, and insomnia than ever before. Asthma and allergies—especially peanut allergies—are rife. Some of our young children start the day with schedule 7 amphetamines and a line-up of other medications. This is followed by a bowl of highly processed cereal, then off to school. What about us? We are either boosting or suppressing our immune systems and rely on drugs to control blood pressure, anxiety, depression, obesity, allergies, cardiovascular disorders—plus an endless list of other ailments.
Statistics show that nearly half of the world’s population is obese. Inflammation goes hand in hand with obesity. Naturally nourishing staple foods that kept us healthy have given way to a toxic overload of highly processed, sugars, starches, and fats. They are addictive and cause heartburn, gas, bloating, and constipation. The resultant shortfall of beneficial gut and orally based microbes sabotages our digestion and increases the dependency on medicines.
Neurotransmitters, endorphins, hormones, and other neurochemicals require a healthy gut biome. This is also essential for nutrient uptake, vitamin synthesis, energy supplies, inflammatory modulation, and immune response.
In order to encourage healthier eating habits, the Mediterranean diet is a popular choice. It has been promoted by doctors and naturopaths for decades and is rich in healthy fats, whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables. According to the evidence, such a nourishing diet reduces the risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity. Yet people suffer from malnutrition despite the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables that are produced by farmers. Somewhere between the field and the plate, thousands of tons of marketable and edible produce are dumped annually.
In South Africa we see people buying a loaf of white bread and a bottle of sugary, fizzy cool drink for lunch. It is standard fare on a low income. They take home a packet of sugar, teabags, and a 10 kg bag of super white, refined maize meal. Gone are the days of picking leafy greens in the wild, keeping chickens and goats or growing their own crops in the townships.
Caucasian Countries Still Have Traditional Healthy Eating Habits
A recent trip to the Caucasus demonstrated to me the effects of embracing food as medicine. My husband and I were inspired by how, in some places, their traditionally healthy diet and lifestyle manifested as an exuberant love of life, physical and mental wellbeing, and a low incidence of chronic and degenerative diseases. For instance, a team of gardeners who were energetically pruning trees and cleaning up the park in Tbilisi were all past retirement age! We loved the ambience of typically Caucasian outdoor family meals with local wine and simple home-grown, lovingly prepared food. The same dishes were served in most of the restaurants throughout Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.
These folk are active; they work hard, laugh and sing, and at supper time they relax, raise toasts, and dance energetically. We noticed that the only morbidly obese people around were the tourists. Caucasians still shimmy up mountain slopes and sing across the canyons—at any age. Food and mood go hand in hand. They seemed to glow with inner contentment and outward exuberance. A modern lifestyle has, however, taken its toll, judging by the subtly expanding waistlines (wheat belly) of city dwellers who have adopted lazier and more stressful lifestyles—as well as bad eating habits. Yet, Caucasians are still the champions of longevity with the most centenarians in the world.
Getting to know their cuisine showed us how Caucasians, albeit unwittingly, use food as medicine. A variety of fermented milk products, especially beverages and white cheeses, are served throughout the day. They provide a continuous supply of beneficial bacteria to maintain a healthy gut, body, and mind. They also make their own pickles and thrive on an abundance of fresh salads and vegetables with a smattering of meat and home-baked flatbread. Their day usually begins with cooked buckwheat or maize cereal. Outdoors you see groups of workers still having jovial picnics. A far cry from queueing up outside pizza parlors and wolfing down burgers and French fries that are washed down with sugary soda pops. We were offered fresh fruit, preserves, and nuts after meals or as snacks with herb tea or coffee. Sweets, cake, or ice cream are seldom eaten and were never served to us.
If Food Is Not Your Medicine–What Is?
When reviewing a list of medications the average person takes, it is distressing to find that anxiety, insomnia, and irritability are often side effects of sedatives and anti-anxiety medications. Why would someone be given two different brands of benzodiazepines at the same time? According to one of the package inserts, overdosing leads to drug tolerance, causing “pathologically anxious humans.” Other patients on statin drugs are being treated for brain fog, memory loss, muscle aches and pains, liver damage and allergic reactions. These are all side effects of this controversial drug.
LDL cholesterol is called bad, and we are told to avoid fat, but most of it is actually made out of three glucose molecules that form a triglyceride. They remove glucose from the bloodstream and are a warning that insulin resistance is looming on the horizon. Diabetes often increases LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in a person’s body while lowering HDL (good) ones.
On the other hand, with adequate physical activity and a regular intake of fermented pickles and milk products rich in lactic acid, glutamate, glycine, and cysteine we can produce glutathione. This is one of the body’s most important and potent antioxidants. It reduces oxidative stress by combating free radicals in the body. Glutathione also helps to detoxify heavy metals and boost T-cell and natural killer activity within the immune system. It works in synergy with vitamin C and helps to recycle this antioxidant by removing the free radicals it scavenges.
Lactic acid fermentation products also act as precursors to neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and GABA (a calming neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid). Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals that make one euphoric, happy, and relaxed. So too, are endocannabinoids, the endogenous neurotransmitters we make that bind to our cannabinoid receptors. They are triggered by exercise and are associated with a “runner’s high.” These self-generated endocannabinoids help to regulate motor coordination, learning and memory, emotion and motivation, addictive-like behavior, inflammation, and pain modulation. So, no cannabis is required – only exercise!
After all, junk food is addictive and is not so easy to quit after a lifetime of indulgence.
Should We Be Treating a Shortfall of Neurochemicals with Drugs?
Food has a lot to do with medicine; yet specific ones are neither prescribed nor monitored as such. When there is a shortfall of calming neurotransmitters, we treat deficiency symptoms such as panic attacks, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, and being unable to relax or sleep with supplements, herbs, and prescribed medications. Many of the drugs we take have interactions, contraindications, and unpleasant or dangerous side effects. But in truth, all that is lacking is glutamate and lactic acid. Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker. It relaxes tense muscles and blood vessels alike. Without enough magnesium, one becomes insulin resistant and more prone to kidney stones.
Good magnesium sources are leafy greens, nuts, seeds, dry beans, and whole grains. They also contain a substantial amount of B vitamins. Topping up on a slow-release magnesium supplement plus a multivitamin is an alternative to beta blockers for high blood pressure. Both glutamate and calcium are excitatory chemicals that are used by the brain to facilitate dopamine activity, plus our ability to think and remember. They are partnered with magnesium in the neural synapses to prevent cortisol from blocking the receptors. When this happens, as it does when we are tense (magnesium deficient), memory cuts out and this is why both glutamate and calcium may accumulate in the brain. We have all kinds of drugs to address these issues. Unless we attend to the main cause of our diseases – our unhealthy gut biomes – we have no other alternative but to depend yet again, on more drugs.
An Unhealthy Gut Is to Blame and We Must Address the Problem
Over 90% of all diseases appear to be linked to the gut biome in some way. For example, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, autism and psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and a host of autoimmune conditions are gut related. All the food we eat ends up in the gut. They say that 90% of the immune system resides there in the form of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. The average adult contains 1 kg of gut bacteria—the same weight as the human brain. These minute entities are responsible for breaking down our food and producing the vitamins, micronutrients, hormones, and neurotransmitters that we need. When there are adequate quantities of beneficial microbes and no pathogenic intruders present, we should be able to feel “normal.” This means happy and energetic, able to maintain our weight, sleep well, and not suffer from aches and pains and a leaky gut.
Meals that are rich in plant protein and fiber are linked to a more diverse and balanced microbiome. Diets that are dominated by animal protein and fat lower the bacterial count as well as their diversity. Today we use a number of drugs to treat cognitive as well as psychiatric disorders but neglect the underlying cause—a deficiency of the gut flora we call probiotics. Their numbers are constantly diminished by the use of antibiotics, cell phones, radiation, and mycotoxins. The consequences are allergies, infections plus digestive discomfort (gas and bloating), autoimmune diseases, nutrient deficiencies, immune dysfunction, irritable bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, obesity, diabetes, liver diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, autism, ADD and ADHD, and a host of psychiatric disorders.
Frequent doses of antibiotics destroy our beneficial armies of microbes before they have time to restore their numbers. This is why they fail to maintain immunity and generate micronutrients. We constantly sabotage their efforts by overprescribing antibiotics and even use them for viral infections. Either way, diarrhea occurs because beneficial bacteria get wiped out. To compensate, doctors advise us to eat yoghurt or to take lactobacillus supplements. That is a good example of using food as medicine—one that needs to be encouraged for many reasons! Several studies have confirmed the antiviral activity of probiotics due to their immunomodulatory effect. Many kitchen herbs and spices also have anti-viral effects—even ginger fights the common cold. However, it also thins the blood as effectively as anticoagulant drugs, so it may compete with them. (Some of our food needs to be more conscientiously prescribed as medicine.) We are also advised to cut out junk food and eat more fiber. Short chain fatty acids depend on the microbial fermentation of dietary fiber. They are one of the keys that unlock the benefits of the gut microbiome.
With well-executed dietary and exercise interventions, a deranged gut biome should begin to respond within 24 hours. More stable improvements will start manifesting a few weeks later. Such early evidence serves as a good motivator and is the key to sustaining a new protocol and for breaking bad habits. For example, studies have linked exercise and the consumption of fermented foods with improved weight maintenance and decreased inflammation markers that affect diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
We Also Need to Address Leaky Gut/Brain Epithelium, and Parasites.
GABA (Gamma aminobutyric acid) is a naturally occurring amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter. When it attaches to a protein in your brain known as a GABA receptor, it produces a calming effect. This can help with feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear. It may also help to prevent seizures. However, not many people know that they will only be effective for people who have a damaged blood brain barrier—what we call a leaky brain, to allow it in. Likewise, sensitivity to glutamate or the “notorious” MSG means that your epithelium is not intact. A healthy blood brain barrier only allows the entry of precursors, such as glutamine. Once it is inside the brain, glutamine attaches to sodium and produces glutamate, which is used as a raw material for both dopamine and GABA.
A leaky gut, on the other hand, also allows parasites as well as allergens to roam freely in the bloodstream. Foreign particles, especially gliadin (from gluten), can trigger autoimmune diseases, celiac disease, asthma and chronic allergies. Gliadin resembles transglutaminase, an enzyme specifically abundant in thyroid tissue. Antibodies attack both gliadin and transglutaminase. If you also have a leaky gut, the thyroid gland is under attack whenever gliadin is in the bloodstream. Gluten can also be associated with adrenal dysfunction. It is advisable to stop eating all forms of gluten if you suspect that they are exacerbating these conditions. The cleaner the gut, the more effectively your food will perform as a medicine. That means one also needs to eliminate parasites and pathogenic microbes. These critters consume our nutrients and leave toxic residues behind, so out they go!
Parasites play a major role in almost every ailment, including the common cold. Many type 2 diabetics have an infestation of flukes in their pancreas. This is what blocks the normal release of insulin into the bloodstream. Do they need more insulin or a parasite remedy? Depression, mania, and brain seizures may also be due to parasites and not psychiatric or neural disorders, but how often does one hear about the true culprits? Tapeworms are especially a constant threat to our health. When their eggs penetrate the gut barrier and migrate to other parts of the body they wreak havoc. Clove powder kills tapeworm eggs and eating a pinch of it mixed with honey for a few days a month helps to control them. Diabetes, cancer, HIV, arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, stomach ulcers, and endometriosis are linked to specific parasites. A good herbal parasite cleanse under the supervision of a naturopath will usually eliminate them. Patients can recover rapidly—and completely once the offending parasites have been removed and kept under control. Only then can supportive dietary treatment with exercise begin to take effect.
Thanks to the guidelines on parasites by Dr Hulda Regehr Clarke, I suspected a tapeworm cyst in the brain a seven-year-old child who had been on a number drugs with horrendous side effects to control his “epilepsy.” I suggested a brain scan. A tapeworm cyst was detected and after it was removed he no longer suffered from seizures. In another case a young girl was given Cina, a homeopathic remedy to treat what I assumed to be the same problem. She took the Cina and had no more seizures. Giardia is a parasite that attacks the gut endothelial lining and causes it to become permeable. Unless giardia is eliminated, leaky gut issues will continue to allow pathogens, antigens, toxins and the like to enter the bloodstream and wreak havoc throughout your body. Metronidazole is a quick, easy treatment.
We need to know the exact cause of a condition before resorting to drugs and surgery. A doctor once cut open a patient’s abdomen to find out why he had a constant digestive complaint, only to find a tangle of whipworms inside his gut. This is quite common, as flukes in various organs can be seen by the naked eye. Flukes, which are present within a woman’s uterus, can be a common cause of endometriosis. This is another mystery to the medical profession as they do not routinely scan for them. Parasites affect one’s mood, immune system, joints, skin, bloodstream, gut epithelium and digestion, respiratory and cardiovascular system and just about everything else. How many medicines are merely treating the effects of parasites and leaving them to run amok inside you?
A word of caution: When natural herbs and spices start working therapeutically, certain drugs that have the same effect may need to be reviewed. For example, taking 2-4 grams of cinnamon daily will enhance the effects of insulin, so your medication will need an adjustment. When pancreatic flukes are eliminated, your insulin function may revert to normal. Bee propolis kills many types of parasites, especially Helicobacter pylori, associated with stomach ulcers.
When stomach acid is not intense enough, we suffer from too much but weaker acid that is above the optimal pH of 2. As a result, the upper stomach valve stays open, and we experience acid reflux up the esophagus. A pinch of salt before and after a meal helps to increase chloride levels, to correct the pH and then the valve will then close. Try eating a pickle next time you have heartburn, it temporarily acidifies stomach acid.
Preparations containing propolis are being developed for prophylactic and therapeutic use in allergic diseases such as asthma and allergenic rhinitis and even anaphylaxis. Propolis and its components are strongly involved in preserving the intestinal barrier function as it plays an important role in the architecture and physiology of the tight junctions between the cells. Propolis increases the microbial diversity, strengthening good intestinal microbiota, and reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria and their enzymatic activity. However, one has to check for allergies to bee products, especially each brand of propolis!
Why Are Babies Born with Allergies and a Compromised Immune System?
From birth, a newborn infant depends on the mother to provide the key microbes it needs to establish and maintain a healthy and fully functional gut biome. The birth canal itself donates these vital elements in conjunction with breastfeeding—providing the mother has an adequate supply of these essential strains of bacteria. When deficient in clostridia, for instance, allergies will be a problem. Vancomycin is an antibiotic that depletes butyrate-producing intestinal bacteria such as clostridia. The best food sources of clostridia include milk, butter and all fermented milk products. People with lactose intolerance are better off with fermented milk products.
Bifidobacteria dampen the effects of abnormal inflammatory responses that are closely associated with many chronic diseases and autoimmune diseases. Fresh fruits and vegetables that contain soluble fermentable fiber are all good sources of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that addresses food allergies, inflammation, and leaky gut issues. Butyrate is also produced by intestinal commensal bacteria from non-digestible dietary fiber in the colon. It can regulate appetite signals that the stomach sends to the brain, thus helping to control food intake and metabolism. Researchers are using butyrate capsules for treating colitis and leaky gut and relieving inflammation. Consuming foods containing butyrate and restoring the gut biome can help to relieve inflammation and reduce the severity of asthma and anaphylaxis induced by food allergies. It can also relieve inflammation. Acetate and propionate are other types of short chain fatty acids that stabilize the immune system. They too, suppress inflammatory responses and help to balance the whole system.
Foods That Contain Probiotics Versus Supplements
When we hear about the buckets of undigested pills and capsules that are discovered while servicing chemical toilets, real food as a more digestible medicine becomes evident. Some probiotic supplements and medications even have special coatings to protect the contents from stomach acid. It is easy enough to mix the contents of a probiotic capsule or a liquid mixture of strains into a cup of yoghurt, buttermilk or cottage cheese. Allowing the mixture to culture at room temperature will result in abundant doses of probiotics that keep on multiplying. The regular probiotic seeding of foods like yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut with multiple probiotic strains is one way to keep the microbiome replenished with all the raw material needed to maintain a heathy happy gut.
Lactococcus lactis is a lactic acid-producing Gram-positive species of bacteria used extensively in the production of buttermilk, cheese, pickled vegetables, and other fermented products. This bacterial strain has been shown to be particularly effective against pathogens of the respiratory tract as well as HIV, human papilloma virus, and malarial parasites. Lactococcus lactis also fights a wide variety of Gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria and Staphylococcus.
Lactic acid bacteria also play a role in the synthesis of B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin K, and lysozyme, as well as in metabolizing bile acids. For more heavyweight antimicrobial effects we can enjoy eating Manuka honey, another amazingly medicinal yet delicious food. Honey is a complex combination of enzymes, organic acids, esters, antibiotic agents, trace minerals, and vitamins. It is still used in some hospitals to heal incurable skin lesions and treat biofilms. Biofilms are formed by strands of fibrin and masses of calcium and debris to protect the pathogens that inhabit them. Dental plaque is also a biofilm, containing acid-forming bacteria that erode out teeth.
Say Cheese, for the Sake of Your Teeth.
Dentists now agree that cheese is very good for oral hygiene. According to studies, some of our common probiotics inhibit bacteria that produce sulphurous gas that causes bad breath. Inflammation is one of the most common symptoms of any kind of gum disease, especially gingivitis. Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria that forms on teeth. When a person eats sugary or starchy food, the bacteria in the plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel. Over time, these acids leach out minerals, causing tooth decay.
Probiotics can control most kinds of inflammation from gum disease and also reduce plaque. According to research into cancer prevention, probiotics may also help with oral cancer. Lactobacillus bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. helveticus, L. lactis, L. salivarius, L. plantarum, Streptococcus thermophilus, Enterococcus faecium, E. faecalis, Bifidobacterium and Saccharomyces boulardii are popular strains that are all beneficial for teeth, gums, and the oral microbiome. Bacteria from the mouth can seep into the bloodstream by way of diseased gums, or places where teeth are damaged or missing. This can trigger an immune response in the body and then C-reactive protein is released from the liver, causing inflammation and also blood clots which can travel to the heart.
Cavities and gum disease are bacterial infections that also cause pain, inflammation, and bad odors. All of this can be avoided with simple changes to the foods you eat. Xylitol is available in many forms such as sugar-free gum, candies, chocolate and granules that look and act like table sugar. Xylitol does not acidify the mouth, attract bacteria or feed plaque as do regular starches and sugar. Xylitol tricks the plaque into thinking it is food, yet it starves it to death, neutralises acidity, and encourages saliva – the best mouthwash we have. Propolis is also a valuable tooth protector and helps to reduce pain and inflammation. Sucking a sugar-free propolis cough sweet, for instance is a very delicious way to treat tooth and gum infections.
The Way Forward
We have explored but a fraction of the benefits of using food as medicine. I hope this introduction helps to demonstrate the science behind certain foods that have profound medicinal properties. We are constantly reminded to “eat healthy” yet in most cases nothing really changes. However, when taking certain medications—especially anticoagulants, we need to be aware of how ginger, pineapple, and Omega 3 oils could enhance their effects. Cheese and fermented foods should be sold with a package insert! Our gut biome is connected to the mouth, where the journey begins. Food can either wreck your teeth or prevent decay and infections. Further down the intestinal tract, the same morsels can modulate the immune system—or set off a cytokine storm and calcify your arteries. Food is indeed a two-edged sword, so let it be your medicine.
References and Resources
Section 1 Mediterranean diet for heart health – Mayo Clinic
The Impacts of Junk Food on Health · Frontiers for Young Minds (frontiersin.org)
Section 2 https://www.rbth.com/russian-kitchen/328843-caucasian-secrets-longevity-food
The Secret to Longevity of the Abkhazia People (rejuvantvip.com)
Section 3 Can Statins Cause Brain Fog? (webmd.com)
How carbs affect your cholesterol – Diet Doctor
The Gut-Brain Connection: How it Works and The Role of Nutrition (healthline.com)
Diabetes And Cholesterol: What Is The Relationship? – TheDiabetesCouncil.com
Gaba Serotonin Diet | Healthfully
Section 4 Magnesium-Rich Food Information (clevelandclinic.org)
Magnesium and Vitamin B6 for Kidney Stone Prevention (rejuvenation-science.com)
Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status: Cell
Section 5 Improve Gut Health: Recognize the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut (healthline.com)
Lactococcus Lactis Benefits: Top 3 Reasons This Probiotic Works – Performance Lab®
https://gently.curaden.com/five-facts-about-our-microbiome/
Section 6 Gluten and Thyroid Health (juniperpublishers.com)
Can Gluten Cause Adrenal Burnout? – Gluten Free Society
Search Results for “parasites and pathogens” (naturefresh.co.za)
Parasite Cleanse by Dr. Hulda Clark – Simply and Naturally
Homeopathic Remedies For Worms | Homeopathy Plus
Parasite Cleansing For Humans & Pets – Watch Pictures, Photos & Videos – TheLifeTree.com
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/manuka-honey-uses-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
Giardia infection (giardiasis) – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic
https://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Gluten-Free-Sugar-Free-Propolis-Recommended/dp/B00KONDNCK
(99+) Home remedies that contain OTC drugs for colds and flu | Sue Visser – Academia.edu (Resource: food-based remedies)
Section 7 Lactococcus lactis: Health benefits – Balance ONE
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/butyrate-benefits/
https://www.science.org/content/article/gut-microbe-stops-food-allergies
https://gently.curaden.com/five-facts-about-our-microbiome/
(99+) Neurotransmitters that are made out of gut bacteria | Sue Visser – Academia.edu
(99+) Top condiments used in Prophetic (Islamic) Medicine | Sue Visser – Academia.edu
Section 8 9 Ways to Improve Your Gut Bacteria, Based on Science (healthline.com)
Antiviral Defense from the Gut | Harvard Medical School
Section 9 Fermented Foods (naturefresh.co.za)
Recipes-for-probiotic-food-.pdf (naturefresh.co.za) (My free 16 page recipe book PDF)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620302097
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150409143045.htm
(99+) Top condiments used in Prophetic (Islamic) Medicine | Sue Visser – Academia.edu
(99+) Easy Natural and Cheap ways to control Tooth Decay | Sue Visser – Academia.edu (More food-based ideas)
Published July 29, 2023
About the Author
Sue Visser is the health researcher and product developer for Nature Fresh Health Products. She has developed over 45 products, beginning with her unique Calcium Complex formulation in 1997. With over 25 years of experience in complementary and especially traditional medicine, Sue shares her articles freely with doctors (SA Medical Academic) and other publications. For many years, Sue has given free presentations, radio shows, workshops and has appeared in the two TV series on local herbs (Nature’s Health – 2007 and 2009). She is the author of two books and dozens of research papers and published articles. Sue investigates current health trends, products and modalities on a constant basis and interacts with fellow South Africans at all levels to learn more about their health issues. Artemisia annua and other anti-malarial species, especially Olea Europa/Afra have now come to the fore as treatments for Covid-19. The new Nature Fresh prototypes are having very successful results with viral infections by using herbs that treat malaria. Contact: sue@naturefresh.co.za ; info@naturefresh.co.za