If you want to beat the swine flu this year, you don’t need help from a flu shot – just a little help from the devil.

Devil’s dung, that is...

I know that sounds every bit as appetizing as a cow patty, but it’s not really dung, nor is it from the devil. It’s actually a Chinese herb called ferula asafetida, and tastes a bit like a leek. That colorful nickname comes from its smell when fresh (fortunately, it smells quite a bit better once cooked).

Researchers in Taiwan have been looking closely at the root of this medicinal plant, and they’ve found that it has natural antiviral properties – and can even kill the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Before you dismiss that as some kind of bizarro, out-there treatment, consider this: The same root was used to help defeat the 1918 flu strain responsible for the pandemic that killed up to 100 million and infected some 500 million globally.

This fragrant plant – also known as stinking gum – isn’t just effective against swine flu. It has around 230 natural healing compounds in it.

So where Big Pharma now spends billions to create drugs with side effects, nature is almost always ready to provide a much safer answer for free – even for something like swine flu.

Not that there’s much to worry about in the first place. This flu bug must have a pretty good publicist – because it’s getting the kind of breathless attention usually reserved for Hollywood celebrities. And like most of those celebrities, it hasn’t done a thing to deserve it.

A look at the numbers should tell you there’s no reason to panic – swine flu is no worse than the plain old non-pig version of the illness. Even if you don’t happen to have any devil’s dung handy, there are plenty of ways you can help avoid illnesses – and overcome them when you get them – by having a strong immune system, a healthy body and by using a little common sense when you’re out in public.

That means taking your vitamins every day, along with a C supplement, a quality D supplement and some fish oil, for starters.

And if you happen to get sick, don’t be afraid of proven, natural cures – no matter how funny the name is or even what it smells like.