Antiviral Properties of Clear Heat
By Andrew Gaeddert
One of the more promising areas of Chinese herbal research is on herbs that possess antiviral properties. The Health Concerns’ formula, Clear Heat, which was developed by Misha Cohen, OMD, L.Ac., at Quan Yin Clinic, is for the treatment of viral conditions. It is usually used in combination with Enhance or Astra Isatis for HIV infection, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), or herpes infection. Enhance and Astra Isatis also contain antiviral herbs, although the primary actions of these two formulas are tonifying. Clear Heat has also been used successfully with Isatis Gold in treating Lyme disease, and with Ecliptex for hepatitis. The herbs in Clear Heat were selected based on their antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. This article presents the antiviral properties of the herbs in this formula.