Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Most-Popular Herbal Cold Sore Remedies

By David Paul


Because herbal medicine is so incredibly fashionable, and its proponents feel that it is able to cure virtually any illness, it stands to reason that there's no shortage of herbal cold sore remedies being promoted by various websites. Sifting through all of them is just about impossible for the average person, but using a little bit of research, it's possible to identify a handful of recurring types of substances that seem to have some benefit.

Black Walnut Extract

Due to its significant levels of natural iodine, black walnut extract is an enormously popular herbal treatment for HSV-1 symptoms. Iodine has a demonstrated history of effective use as an antiseptic, but there exists a growing mound of data to support its effectiveness as an antiviral agent. The herb is usually either used in dehydrated form as a way to suppress outbreaks, or used topically to treat cold sores and fever blisters.

Aloe Vera Gel

One of the more versatile herbal treatments for any number of skin conditions, Aloe Vera is also regarded as an effective way of alleviating inflammation and pain from oral herpes fever blisters, and quickening their healing. It is recommended that you utilize real Aloe Vera Gel rather than lotions or creams that contain Aloe for the best results.

Sage and Rhubarb

The natural herbs sage and rhubarb appear in a number of over-the-counter creams, and the mixture of the two has actually been clinically proven to reduce soreness and assist in the healing of fever blisters and cold sores. As a matter of fact, recent research in Switzerland discovered that topical creams made up of both sage and rhubarb were equally as effective at healing HSV-1 outbreaks as medications that contain acyclovir.

Natural Licorice Root

Everybody is familiar with licorice-flavored candy, but genuine, all-natural licorice root can do alot more than satisfy your sweet tooth per a great many herbal medicine advocates. According to its advocates, consuming 50 grams per day of a licorice root dietary supplement suppresses the HSV-1 virus sufficiently to result in a significant drop off in the regularity of outbreaks.

Researchers have led credence to this idea too, by observing that the glycyrrhetinic acid in licorice root substantially decreases the presence of herpes virus in test tubes during research laboratory experiments.

Astragalus and Reishi

Chinese physicians have prescribed consuming the Reishi fungus together with the natural herb astragalus as a remedy for viral infections for generations. The concoction is normally taken in dried, or pill form, as an everyday herbal dietary supplement.

While there has not been any conclusive clinical data to back up Astragalus and Reishi's specific usefulness in treating cold sores, preliminary studies have shown that the pair of plants strengthen and support the body's immune system as a whole.

Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)

Unquestionably one of the most-widely recognized herbal cold sore remedies, Melissa officinalis, or lemon balm, possesses a long track record as a cold sore remedy in the western world. As opposed to the majority of herbal remedies, lemon balm ointment, especially, has been analyzed thoroughly by doctors and is proven to have antiviral qualities that make it effective in suppressing the herpes virus.

Peppermint

Although peppermint has long been known to be very effective at treating digestive problems, the plant's oil has now been discovered to additionally be of assistance with HSV-1. Peppermint can be either consumed as a tea, or applied topically in oil form.

A Final Word About Herbal Cold Sore Remedies

As is true with most problems associated with the herpes virus, herbal cold sore remedies have varying degrees of success in each person. Whereas some herpes sufferers will discover that using one of the aforementioned substances completely eliminates their cold sores, other people could see no effects whatsoever. Only through experimentation by yourself will you be able to decide if they work for you.