Hate to tell you this but Tamiflu is a semi-synthetic drug made from a natural product called shikimic acid. Semi-synthetic means that the starting material is obtained from a natural source. Then, it is modified in a number of discreet steps. This number can be as small as one or as large as 20. The take home lesson it that it makes absolutely no difference where the starting material comes from, or whether the material is derived from a natural or synthetic source. Once an organic chemists performs the first step (the first reaction on the starting material) you have something that is completely different from the original stuff. It may or may not have similar properties—that depends on which reaction is run. The only thing that matters is the chemical structure of the drug itself. In the case of Tamiflu, the structure is enormously different from shikimic acid. Not even close. Ph.D. in chemistry with 25 years doing drug research. And yes, I do know what I’m talking about.
On a completely unrelated note, do you think that this latest Federal Court of Appeals ruling that completely debunks the MMR - autism link will finally put this ridiculous issue to bed. Or, are we in for another decade or more of unfounded vaccine paranoia?
But it still can’t hurt to try teas with star anise. Chinese herbal medicine has some old-wives-tale stuff, but there is also a whole lot of genuine healing properties in the herbs, too.
There are now actual universities of oriental medicines that do modern scientific laboratory research to separate the real stuff from the old-wives-tales, and there is a lot of good research coming out.