Originally published October 18 2005
Star anise could help fight bird flu
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A main ingredient in Tamiflu, anise fruit, is difficult to cultivate, and the world's existing stores are almost exclusively dedicated to Tamiflu production, but these complications haven't dulled researchers' interests in the food as an immune system booster.
With the spectre of the avian influenza virus H5N1 hovering over Britain, the Government's attention is finally turning from prevention to treatment.
More commonly used in Chinese cooking and for flavouring liqueurs such as anisette and Pernod, the star-shaped fruits are a vital ingredient of Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that can reduce the severity of flu symptoms.
Equally crucially, Tamiflu, which is produced by the Swedish pharmaceutical company Roche, can also work as a temporary vaccine for the relatives of those infected.
Native to China and Vietnam, the star anise tree produces five-pointed fruits, or seed pods, which have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries.
Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary and alternative medicine at the University of Exeter, says the plant is widely used in alternative medicine.
"It is used for a huge range of problems, from dyspepsia to coughs.
Last year, scientists at King's College, London, found that star anise also has possible cancer-fighting properties.
Peter Houghton, who headed the research team, told a pharmaceutical conference that several plants used in traditional Thai and Chinese cancer treatments showed "promising activity" against lung cancer cells.
There are two problems, however: the plant is notoriously difficult to cultivate, and it matures at an agonisingly slow rate - only beginning to flower after six years.
Ninety per cent of the world's supply of star anise is already used by Roche in manufacturing Tamiflu, and scientists have estimated that it would take 10 years to gather the number of fruits needed to produce enough to treat a fifth of the world's population.
"I wouldn't advocate people who are afraid of the bird flu to take star anise in any shape or form, but it can certainly be effective for treating other ailments when properly prescribed."
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