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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral (+ VIDEO)

Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral (+ VIDEO)

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • How to Make the Master Tonic+−
    • Prep Tip
    • Minimizing Time Spent
    • Nightshade Allergy?
    • Video Tutorial
  • Dosage
  • Master Tonic Recipe+−
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe Notes
  • Fire Cider vs Master Tonic

The Master Tonic is a fermented elixir for prevention, flu, or travel. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, and anti-fungal.

master tonic ingredient preparation on a table

The Master Tonic is a must-have remedy for flu season or when traveling overseas. It is potently anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It requires no refrigeration and lasts indefinitely with no special storage conditions.

This post details how to make the Master Tonic and why it is so effective as a homemade, totally natural anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic remedy.

Note that the Master Tonic is not to be confused with the Master Cleanse.

Who needs Tamiflu with all its dangerous side effects when you have the Master Tonic, with no side effects, in your back cupboard?

I have a friend who coordinates missionaries overseas to third world countries who told me that the missionaries she knows always take this remedy with them when traveling.

The Master Tonic keeps forever, so make it now before you need it!

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated. This formula is a modern-day plague remedy and can help prevent or cure the most chronic conditions and stubborn diseases. It stimulates maximum blood circulation while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood.

The Master Tonic remedy is not just for the sniffles, it has helped to turn around the deadliest infections resistant to antivirals, antifungals, and antibiotics. It can be used in combination with conventional treatments as necessary.

How to Make the Master Tonic

Make plenty as the Master Tonic does not need refrigeration and lasts indefinitely without any special storage conditions.

The healthiest Master Tonic is made with homemade apple cider vinegar brewed with raw honey.

If you don’t have time to do this, then be sure to buy only raw ACV packed in glass bottles. Never buy it packaged in plastic, as the acidity of the ACV will leach toxins into the vinegar.

Prep Tip

These ingredients can make your eyes water and burn while you are chopping and grating.

I put a large cutting board on my (cool!) stovetop and turn on the fan above the range on high. This allows me to chop everything without discomfort.

Minimizing Time Spent

I’ve recently noticed that bags of organic, peeled, whole garlic cloves are available at some health food stores. Using these instead of peeling the garlic yourself will easily halve the time required to make this traditional tonic. It will also prevent your hands from smelling like garlic for 2 days!

Nightshade Allergy?

If you have an allergy to nightshade vegetables, substitute grated turmeric root for the cayenne pepper or double up on the onion or garlic.

Video Tutorial

The video included with the recipe below details visually how to make the master tonic and why it is so beneficial.  It is sometimes easier to learn with pictures than words. This tutorial is especially helpful while you are in the kitchen making it for the first time. Just follow along!

Dosage

The dosage for the Master Tonic is 1 or 2 ounces, two or more times daily. Swish and swallow.

Don’t dilute with water if you can avoid it. Mix with food if you have to, but best to take it full strength on its own.

If it makes you gag because it is strong tasting, try stimulating this acupressure point to temporarily halt the gag reflex.

For ordinary infections, a dose taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions.

It can be used during pregnancies and is safe for children (use smaller doses or mix with some honey for children over age 1). Not recommended for children younger than age 1 unless under the advice of a physician.

It is the ultimate food-as-medicine. This traditional tonic is completely non-toxic.

The Master Tonic: Natural Flu Antiviral
4.49 from 52 votes
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Master Tonic Recipe

The Master Tonic is a must-have remedy for flu season or when traveling overseas. It is potently anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It requires no refrigeration and lasts indefinitely with no special storage conditions.

Course Drinks
Keyword home remedy, tonic
Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Calories 15 kcal
Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh chopped garlic preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh chopped onion preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh grated ginger root preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh grated horseradish root preferably organic
  • 1 cup fresh chopped cayenne peppers or any hot peppers seasonally available preferably organic
  • 1 quart raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 half gallon mason jar

Instructions

  1. Fill a half gallon glass mason jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs (1 cup each works well). Wear gloves when chopping the hot peppers.

    organic master tonic ingredients
  2. Fill jar to the top with raw ACV. Close the lid tightly and shake.

    fermenting master tonic ingredients
  3. Shake at least once a day for two weeks, and then filter the Master Tonic mixture through a clean piece of cloth, bottle and label.

  4. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables for the Master Tonic should be fresh and organically grown if possible. Use dried herbs only in an emergency.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Use only fresh and preferably organically grown herbs if possible as this will make the most potent and effective Master Tonic. Substitute dried bulk herbs only in an emergency if fresh is unavailable.

If one of the ingredients is not available (fresh horseradish is difficult during certain times of the year), then substitute another hot pepper such as habanero.

Nutrition Facts
Master Tonic Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 Tbl)
Calories 15
% Daily Value*
Potassium 11mg0%
Carbohydrates 3.5g1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
master tonic best natural antiviral ingredients

Fire Cider vs Master Tonic

Fire cider is a very similar immunity-boosting tonic to the Master Tonic. The primary difference is that most versions of fire cider contain honey to mitigate the strong taste.

Fire cider is available for purchase from a number of companies in recent years.

This brand is one of the best if you prefer not to make your own full strength Master Tonic at home. However, homemade is more potent and cost-effective per dose.

More Information

Elderberry Syrup to Boost Immunity
Onion Poultice for Congestion
Power Shot: Best Green Juice for Congestion
Best Natural Antibiotics and How to Use Them
The Best Cough Expectorant You’ve Never Tried

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Category: DIY, Immune support, Natural Remedies
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Get a free chapter of my book Traditional Remedies for Modern Families + my newsletter and learn how to put Nature’s best remedies to work for you today!

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Reader Interactions

Comments (327)

  1. Suzy

    May 9, 2020 at 11:14 am

    1-2 ounces, 2-6 times per day?!
    Might you mean 1-2 tsp? 2 oz=1/4 cup!

    Reply
  2. Heather

    Apr 17, 2020 at 4:37 pm

    Hi! How would you recommend using the master tonic to decrease parasites and candida? I’m thinking about using it to decrease any bad bugs while taking probiotics and feeding the good guys.
    Thanks,
    Heather

    Reply
  3. Sam

    Apr 9, 2020 at 10:30 am

    Tx for posting this Sarah! When was this post first posted?

    Will try to make this in the Netherlands, and also your ACV with honey. Any raw honey will do I guess?

    Bless you!

    Reply
  4. Deborah Santini

    Apr 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    I made the master tonic 2 weeks ago, but I still have some left from December, 2017. Do you think it’s still good? It has been stored in the fridge in a dark infinity jar. (Just in case we need it before the new batch is done). Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 8, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      Hi Deborah, it should almost certainly still be fine. I’ve never had a batch go off before using it up. Use your best judgment when you open up the jar. If it has mold, then toss. Otherwise if it smells and looks fine (it will smell strong of course) then if it was me, I would use it 🙂

  5. Chandra

    Apr 5, 2020 at 9:00 am

    Hi Sarah,

    Thanks for the recipe! I made a couple of batches of tonic but forgot about one jar in the back of my pantry. It has been sitting for about a year. Is the tonic still okay to use? Or should I toss it?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 5, 2020 at 9:48 am

      Should still be fine!

    • Chandta

      Apr 5, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Perfect! Thanks again!

  6. Andria Dees

    Mar 23, 2020 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    I am a 47-year-old healthy female with no health issues. I tried the first dose of my homemade Master Tonic full strength this morning on an empty stomach. It was so powerful that it actually frightened me a bit. I got a warm sensation immediately that seemed to be almost vascular. It soon subsided and I felt fabulous afterward. But the feeling was so profound I felt I needed to do more research before moving forward using it or recommending it to my aging parents.

    Is this normal? I remember “increased blood flow” as being one of the benefits.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 23, 2020 at 11:48 am

      Yes, this is normal. Take it easy and perhaps use with food until you adjust. It is indeed powerful! For the elderly, they should be even more careful! Use your best judgment with caution and prudence as your guide. For my elderly relatives, I would use half the dose with food and gauge how to proceed from there.

  7. Deborah Santini

    Mar 12, 2020 at 8:22 am

    5 stars
    I have seen another recipe exactly like this except Vodka is used in place of the ACV. Just wondering what your thoughts are on the use of Vodka (at least 80 proof) are? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 12, 2020 at 9:04 am

      I don’t use vodka because it is alcohol (obviously!) and this is not something I want to give my kids several doses of throughout the day … every day as a preventative or if they are sick. ACV is a safer and healthier option all around. Not sure why anyone would use vodka unless it was an emergency and ACV wasn’t available. Another problem … most vodka comes from grains highly sprayed with glyphosate. You can get potato vodka and organic vodka, but these are both so much more expensive than raw organic ACV.

  8. Melissa

    Mar 11, 2020 at 2:08 am

    Sarah
    Would this work for the kind of viral pneumonia associated with COVID-19?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 11, 2020 at 7:20 am

      I have no idea as this is an entirely new virus to the human race. It’s the most potent natural anti-viral and there is already a shortage of anti-viral drugs due to the pandemic, so it would be foolish not to have some on hand.

  9. Dee

    Feb 25, 2020 at 10:48 pm

    I was speaking to someone today that said they make something similar but with tumeric and spices. Would it add even more benefits to add tumeric to this recipe or would it harm the tonic? Also, I was told to take some activated charcoal after to dispose of all the “destroyed” viral/bacterial stuff. Thoughts? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Feb 26, 2020 at 11:08 am

      I would suggest making it as is … if you want to add some freshly ground turmeric at the time you drink it, that’s fine.

  10. Cherri

    Feb 8, 2020 at 11:16 am

    4 stars
    Dear Sarah,
    I use to love you website but unfortunately, no longer. It’s just full of annoying ads and feels so
    crowded. This use to be such a good site and I felt like I was getting really good information.
    Now it has an ‘extreme’ feeling to it and it is a lot more about making money.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Feb 8, 2020 at 11:22 am

      Hi Cherri, Big Tech censorship has hit small sites that don’t march to the beat of harmful conventional dietary advice very hard … sorry you are disappointed, but I do have a way to see all articles and recipes on the blog completely ad free based on feedback such as yours. You can learn more about Healthy Home Plus here. Warmly, Sarah

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