Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I have been congested in my nasal passages and now have a sore throat and laryngitis. What do you recommend since I’ve tried everything I could think of?” —Les R., Melbourne, FL A. Dear Les, First, Les, you need to check with your health care professional to make sure it is a simple sore throat and not a more serious underlying condition. If it is a simple sore throat and irritation, I have a perfect solution for you. I would recommend using a combination of eucalyptus oil and oil of myrtle in a soft gel capsule. Plant oils are very concentrated. In fact they can be 75 to 100 times more concentrated than botanical extracts. It is important that the oils be bio-typed. That means they have been rigorously examined to make sure they are the right species of plant, have excellent purity, and are tested safe for human internal use. Swallowing the capsule of bio-typed oils will be very effective, but I like to go one step further and let one or two of the softgel capsules melt in my mouth and swish the oil around in my mouth and let it trickle down my throat. This works wonders for sore throat, laryngitis, sinusitis, and even bronchitis. There have been several clinical studies in Europe on the use of plant oils for a variety of upper respiratory conditions with significant effects compared to drugs or placebos. In fact, in Germany, where natural medicines are routinely prescribed by physicians, the number 1 and number 2 products of all natural products sold are for the two most common conditions, sinusitis and bronchitis. These are treated by natural medicines. For many of our common problems such as cold, flu, sinusitis and bronchitis, and many other health problems, a natural plant extract or plant oil should be considered first for a short course before we resort to drugs. If the condition suddenly worsens or does not clear up in a short period of time with a natural plant medicine treatment, I would then opt for a consultation with my healthcare professional. Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally