Herbs for Musicians

How to Stay Healthy!

Welcome to my herbal newsletter, in which I share a tidbit of herbal wisdom in the form a Word of the Week to help you become acquainted with herbs without becoming overwhelmed.

This week’s word is immuno-stimulant. Immuno-stimulants are herbs that stimulate, or support, the body’s immune system.

As musicians (and anyone who freelances or works for themselves), we know how important it is to stay healthy. If we get sick, we can’t work and we lose income. Sometimes, it can take a while to recover. While this problem can affect all musicians, singers are affected the most since their instrument is literally part of their bodies!

The best way to deal with illness is to prevent getting sick in the first place!

The second way is to get better as fast as possible.

Immuno-stimulating herbs help with both of these approaches by stimulating the immune system.

We all have an innate immune system. This is the body’s defense system that we are all born with. Our skin protects us from infections. Mucosal membranes in the sinuses and tearing reflexes in the eyes help to “wash away” germs. Coughs help to expel pathogens and unwanted particles.

Many herbs can help strengthen these inherent defenses.

However, if a virus or undesired bacteria (some bacteria are good!) gets past the initial defense mechanisms of the body, white blood cells are activated to surround and destroy the invading microbe.

Without getting into detail, the white blood cells in our body can take on several different roles that all work together to eliminate an infection that has entered our body.

Immuno-stimulating herbs work directly on the immune system in basically two ways.

1. The constituents in the herb bind to the virus and keep it from entering “host cells” where it can replicate and grow.
2. They encourage the body to activate more and produce higher quality white blood cells.

Some herbs have specifically anti-viral properties and other herbs have specifically anti-bacterial properties. Other herbs support the immune system more generally.

Each person’s innate immune system is different. Some people suffer from being immune deficient, which means that they are more prone to getting sick. People with an insufficient immune system could benefit greatly from immune-stimulating herbs. (However, always speak with your doctor.)

Others have an over-active immune system, which can result in auto-immune disorder. People with an auto-immune disorder should speak with their doctor about using any immune-stimulating herb. Stimulating an already over-active immune system could cause more problems.

Everybody is different, so these are only suggestions. But this is what I do to prevent most illnesses:

1. Rest when you are tired. I can’t say this enough. While this is not an “herbal” approach, if we exhaust our body, it won’t have the strength to fight off germs. If you don’t sufficiently rest NOW, your body will force you to rest LATER, and you will not feel well while doing so!
2. I take 1TBS of Fire Cider every day as a general “immune tonic.” Fire Cider is a blend of horseradish, garlic, ginger, onion, and cayenne pepper steeped in apple cider vinegar. I also add lemon, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise to mine. This is a preparation I will teach you how to make in my summer course, “Basic Herbalism for Musicians.” If I feel a scratch in the back of my throat or some other “hmm, I might be fighting something” I will take an additional 1-2 doses in a day. This alone usually keeps me in tip-top shape.
3. If, despite of taking the above two steps, I am feeling more run-down or more specific symptoms of illness appear, I begin taking elderberry, either in a syrup or a tincture. My syrup and tincture also include echinacea. Normally, using this protocol, I am better within two days.*

*If you are using elderberry and echinacea and your symptoms get worse or you are not improving after three or four days, stop using the herbs. You may also need to see a doctor depending on your symptoms.

Immuno-stimulant herbs include: American and Asian Ginsengs, Astragalus, Chaga*, Echinacea, Elder, Eleuthero, Maitake*, Reishi*, Schisandra, Tulsi, Turkey Tail*, and more.

*These are mushrooms.

You may recognize some of these herb names from my previous article on adaptogens. Part of what adaptogens do is modulate the immune system, which is why many of those same herbs are on this list.

Another thing I do to promote health and a strong immune system is making my own chicken stock. After roasting a chicken, I boil the bones and skin in water with carrots, celery, and onion. I also add slices of reishi and astragalus for their immune-boosting properties. This way, every time I use chicken broth for a soup or to cook grains, I am getting the nutrients from the veggies, the protein from the chicken and the immune-boosting benefits of the herbs. Reishi and astragalus taste good, too, so they only enhance the broth’s flavor! (This is another recipe I will share in my summer course, “Basic Herbalism for Musicians.”)

The last time I had more than mild symptoms for longer than three days was in March 2020, when I (probably) came down with COVID-19.

This is NOT to say that I have never been sick since I have studied herbalism. However:

1. I have not been sick for more than two days at a time.
2. My symptoms have mostly been mild. There have only been two times since that bout with COVID in 2020 where I had a fever and had to spend a (single) day in bed.
3. I have not missed work (some of this is due to the particular days I got sick, but I was better before I had to get back to work.)
4. At this current moment (March 2025), I have not been sick at all for over a year.

Remember to do research and speak to a doctor about your particular situation before using herbs. The herbal education I provide does not substitute for advice from a healthcare professional.

Herbs will not make up for a poor lifestyle. We must first take care of ourselves through a healthy lifestyle with a proper amount of sleep, nutritious food, regular exercise and avoiding harmful substances as much as possible.

I will be opening registration for my summer course “Basic Herbalism for Musicians” on April 1. Early registrants will receive a set of recipes for herbal teas which I have created as a thank-you from me. While all herbal teas do have medicinal properties, all the teas I have created are designed for flavor as a first priority!

Reach out to me if you have any herbal questions! Let me know if this is helpful, or if there any improvements I can make. And if you know someone who might benefit from this article, please share it!

Your Herbal Ally,

Heather

P.S. if you would also like to be on my music-related monthly digest, subscribe here: https://heather-niemi-savage-music.kit.com/19ebe7c431​

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