If I were stuck on a desert island with my choice of one herb to fight cold sores, I would have to choose evening primrose oil. Among its many healing properties, evening primrose oil contains essential fatty acids similar to essential amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body. Evening primrose supports the immune system and helps reduce inflammation.
Evening primrose may help fight the progression of the herpes virus by boosting the immune system. It has been helpful for a variety of other diseases as well, including allergies, asthma, hormone imbalance, multiple sclerosis, obesity, skin and hair problems, eczema, and hyperactivity in children.
Cold sores, otherwise known as fever blisters, are the result of the herpes virus, known as herpes simplex. Cold sores usually show up on or around the lips, and can even show up on the nose or face. The ailment is painful and unsightly—and is highly contagious. The virus lives in the body and manifests itself only when we are under stress and have a lowered immune system. Fighting the herpes virus needs to be approached from the inside, although external application will help the area heal after the virus has been fought.
Prevention is the best remedy for this ailment. Many factors can trigger cold sores, including an imbalance of amino acids or a lack of l-lysine (an essential amino acid provided in foods), too much stress, and overexposure to sun. To protect yourself, always wear a sunscreen on your face and lips when outdoors, and keep it on continuously. Some trigger foods that can cause an outbreak include almonds, peanuts, citrus fruits, and chocolate. Also keep your immune system up by getting rest. If cold sores are reoccurring, find out why your immune system is so low, and deal with that problem.
Fighting a cold using combinations will show quicker results. Echinacea mixed with golden seal makes an excellent formula, and rose hips contain vitamin C, known for its power to boost the immune system. A good synergistic combination to fight off cold symptoms includes rose hips, chamomile (calms), yarrow, golden seal, myrrh, peppermint, sage, slippery elm (also eases sore throat), lemon grass, capsicum (stimulates), yerba santa, mullein, and astragalus.
Of course, good old garlic is always a good remedy anytime your immune needs a boost. Throat lozenges with zinc, licorice root, vitamin C, and slippery elm also are helpful for coughs and sore throats.
Begin using any or all of these remedies after exposure to anyone contagious. Drink plenty of water to help your body flush out the cold, stay warm, and try a sweat bath.
Echinacea (Echinacea augustifolia, or Echinacea purpurea) is a flower that has been discovered to be a mild healer and an excellent support herb for cold and flu symptoms.
Different types of echinacea are available, and some are not useful in fighting a cold. Try to obtain echinacea purpurea, which is more effective than Echinacea angustifolia. Echinacea helps boost your body’s white blood cells, which are important in fighting infection. Echinacea works somewhat mildly in the body, so you might have to take it often. You can take two capsules every two to four hours when fighting off a cold. Echinacea also has an affinity for the respiratory system and helps to dry up a runny nose. This herb is safe for both adults and children.
A good way to support eliminating dissolved cholesterol from the body is by taking a fiber supplement daily with your guggul. Psyllium hulls, apple pectin, and oat bran are all excellent fiber supplements alone or in combinations to help absorb fat and remove it from the body via the intestinal tract. Then speed up the process with a couple capsules of cascara sagrada at bed time each night. This will increase the bowel’s peristaltic action and help to push out all that grabbed fat by morning. Furthermore, capsicum sprinkled on foods in place of salt will boost circulation and encourage arterial cleansing. Some osteopathic doctors will offer chelation therapy or can provide a good reference for you. Chelation therapy is a practice administered intravenously to strip built-up fat from arterial walls. Keeping the bowel clear to make room for the harmful fat to leave the body will speed recovery; the use of fiber supplements will help this along.
Guggul (Commiphora mukul) is a plant resin extract found in India that contains properties similar to niacin and fish oils—it supports and cleans the circulatory system. Some have described guggul lipid as the most powerful cholesterol-lowering herb known. It is best to try to find a standardized product to ensure that the beneficial part of the plant (guggulsterones) are present in each pill. Once the guggul cleanses the fat from your arteries, you will need to help your body eliminate the fat. Let’s see what other herbs you can use to support this process.
Basically, having a high cholesterol level means that you have a lot of fat in the blood. When the fat begins to adhere to the walls of your arteries, this can lead to hardening of the arteries, or coronary artery disease—and that can give you a heart attack. The good news is that plenty of great herbs can help emulsify that blood fat and protect you from heart diseases.
Eating too much saturated fat, such as deep fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses, and other dairy products, can sometimes cause high cholesterol. The liver is responsible for synthesizing all this fat and can use some support and cleansing. Stress also has been found to be a factor in raising blood cholesterol levels, too.
