Zincis a mineral that’s important to the body in many ways including contributing to the maintenance of the normal function of the immune system. It also contributes to the protection of cells in the body from oxidative stress. Then came the infamous Traditional Herbal Medicines Product Directive which is technically complex and expensive. It offers no solution to the supposed raison d’etre of the directive: public safety. We already enjoy this protection under food legislation. At best, the most positive result of this legislation is that it may give the biomedical community more ‘faith’ in the consistency of herbal medicine. And, in our pursuit of supporting sustainable healthcare, Pukka was the major sponsor and lead coordinator of the College of Medicine Plant Medicine conference in June 2017, with support from the BHMA and 120 delegates (including many medics) viewing the exciting prospects for the use of herbs to meet new national health demands. But are herbs safe? Consult your healthcare professional before taking Sambucol if you are under medical supervision, on medication, pregnant or are breastfeeding. Three of the Sambucol products contain artificial sweeteners. Sambucol Immuno Forte Sugar Free Liquid contains Sorbitol. Sambucol Immuno Forte Effervescent Tablets contain Sucralose & Sorbitol. Sambucol Immuno Forte Pastilles contain Maltitol in addition to the natural sweetener, Stevia. It is remarkable to think that most herb species are harvested from the wild – between 75%–95%. By weight, it’s around 25% of global annual herbal harvests. Have you ever thought where your last cup of elderflower, licorice or limeflowers came from? These herbs are rarely cultivated, as they are so readily available for ‘free’ in the local environment. Wild herb collectors, among the poorest of the poor, are marginalised geographically, socially and economically. They often do not own land and are dependent financially on annual wild herb harvests. However, such unregulated harvesting, coupled with the modern pressure on ecosystems, is putting the sustainability of herbal medicines at risk.

Pukka Andrographis is a potent anti-bacterial and anti-microbial for the digestive, liver and respiratory systems. whilst also moderating inflammatory response_ It acts both as an immunostimulant and an immunomodulator. This gives Andrographis the ability to reduce the severity and duration of infections such as colds. flu and sore throats Yes, the need for new antibiotics is huge, but it makes more financial sense for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs that will be widely used for decades such as heart or diabetes drugs,” he says. What’s the evidence?It’s a complex issue. On the one hand, overuse of antibiotics is allowing bacteria to evolve to repel them – with antimicrobial resistance creating what many regard as a global emergency. Experts predict that this could cost 10 million lives globally by 2050, at a point where common infections could kill and surgery would become impossible.

We recently joined with Unilever to help us expand and grow. Their commitment to finding a sustainable way for business to bring positive impact throughout their network is sorely needed in leading the way for big business to take the responsibility for their actions and impacts. With 300 to 500 businesses controlling 70% of global trade – feeding and clothing the 7 billion of us – influencing the behaviour of these giants offers us the greatest opportunity for the positive change we urgently need to promote more regenerative business practices. As most of the world gets behind the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it’s a once in history chance to coordinate social change through responsible government and business. Proven use in treating influenza, upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat and parasitic infections in the gastro-intestinal tract. Can be used safely short-term for acute infection and long-term to strengthen immunity and support the liver The majority of Sambucol products are suitable for vegans with the exception of Sambucol Immuno Forte Pastilles (which contains honey), Sambucol Baby Powder and Sambucol Extra Defence Liquid (which contains Vitamin D3, derived from sheep’s wool lanolin).When we started Pukka Herbs, we knew – well we hoped – that we were going to create something special; Tim and I were both utterly passionate about bringing plants and people together and we set off with the inspiring tailwind of Ayurveda behind us. We really wanted to be a part of the positive change that was at the heart of the organic health community and so we dived in, head first. And, wow, what a welcome we have received! The review was limited to some extent in that the quality of some of the trials was poor, but the findings are sufficiently promising to justify the current trial in general practice,” says Dr Xiao-Yang Hu, co-author of the 2017 paper and a post-doctoral research fellow at Southampton University. Sambucol is a food supplement that is consumed orally. Please refer to the individual product directions of use before use. Sambucol is available in a range of formats including liquids, capsules, gummies, pastilles, chewy tablets and effervescent tablet formats. An ongoing trial among NHS family doctors, due to report later this year, is testing andrographis to see if both patients and doctors regard it as an acceptable alternative to antibiotics. If the findings are positive, the next step will be “a well-designed trial in the UK to evaluate the effectiveness, efficacy and safety to confirm these findings”, explains Michael Moore, professor of primary care and population science at the University of Southampton where the research is being carried out. Uncontrolled wild harvesting is threatening the medicinal plants on which the herbal medicines industry depends’.

Doctors have been asked to avoid prescribing antibiotics for self-limiting illness such as respiratory infections and ensure that they are only prescribed for serious infections such as pneumonia and kidney infection. A 2017 report by Kew Gardens, State of the World’s Plants (Willis, 2017), showed that, of the 400,000 or so flowering plants, 28,187 have some documented medicinal use. Very worryingly, one in five plants face some threat to their future survival, some of them vital contributors to the pharmacopoeia. Licorice, echinacea, goldenseal, devil’s claw, guggul-myrrh, sandalwood and slippery elm are all threatened in their natural habitats.So what’s behind this interest in traditional remedies that have been dismissed by mainstream medicine until now? Acute infections such as: colds. flu. fever. sore throats. Parasitic and bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Truth is the essence of who we are, the root from which we emanate; respect is how we relate to each other, the vine that weaves throughout everything; purity is about knowing the heart of the matter, it’s the flowering of our heart; and effort is the fruit that we reap from our inspiring and purposeful activities. Connecting people and plants Through the incredible power of herbs we will inspire people to lead a more conscious life. We will strive every day to protect people, plants and planet.’

The threat of antimicrobial resistance is “a silent tsunami”, Haileyesus Getahun, the director of the UN’s Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, said in April. “We don’t see the effects of it yet, but what is coming will be a catastrophe,” he added. Arguing that the problem could be averted through public education, he added: “We are calling for people to come together.”It is a case of needs must – as antibiotic resistance “poses a threat as big as climate change”, according to Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer of the NHS. How can we reduce use of antibiotics? Ms Kriese says the trial might be even more effective if GPs were given a basic training in traditional herbal remedies. Whether that happens remains to be seen. There is a crisis over which the public have no control, however: the fact that the pharmaceutical industry has produced no new classes of antibiotics, to replace medicines that no longer work, since the 1980s. Pukka Herbs’ andrographis supplement (Photo: Pukka) Sambucol liquids contain preservatives to help stabilise the products and to prevent microbial growth and undesirable taste/ flavour. It is partly our fault. Pressure from patients, anxious to leave the surgery with a prescription to beat what can feel like a never-ending sniffle or sore throat, is a big part of the problem, even though there’s little or no evidence that antibiotics have any impact on the length or severity of respiratory infections. The busier a GP’s practice is, research shows, the more likely they are to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately. Big pharma problems