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Cold Sores Helped by Sauerkraut

Q. For about 15 years, I’ve gotten an ugly cold sore on my upper lip at the end of the summer. It is always painful, and it takes at least a month to heal.

The remedies I tried didn’t help much. Last week, I woke up to find a familiar bubble on my upper lip that signaled the start of a cold sore. I’d read on your site about sauerkraut juice so I rubbed some onto the spot several times a day. Within a few days, the sore had begun to heal. In less than a week, my cold sore has gone from threatening bubble to the final healing stage. I am floored at how well and quickly this worked.

A. Other readers have reported that sauerkraut juice speeds healing of canker sores. We’ve never heard of it helping cold sores before. Thank you for sharing your story.

There are medications to speed healing of cold sores, which are caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1).
Acyclovir, famciclovir and valacyclovir are prescription pills, while acyclovir and penciclovir are available as creams for topical application.

Many people find that the dietary supplement l-lysine is quite helpful for non-prescription prevention and treatment of cold sores. You can learn more about that at PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Besides taking supplemental l-lysine, many cold sore sufferers find that reducing arginine intake is helpful. Arginine is essential for HSV-1 replication. It is found in nuts, peanuts, wheat germ, chocolate and eggs.

One other dietary factor that seems useful is reducing the amount of refined carbohydrate. Pushing blood sugar and insulin levels up rapidly seems to put the immune system at a disadvantage. Eating a low glycemic-load diet may help keep the balance close enough that natural remedies such as l-lysine or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) can work on a cold sore.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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