Top Natural Cold Sore Remedies

If you suffer from cold sores then this unpleasant condition needs little introduction, but finding cold sore remedies that work well can be difficult. Although there are several medicinal treatments available both over the counter and by prescription, the medical community has been disappointed at their limited efficacy; and with the danger of unpleasant side effects many people seek to treat their cold sores naturally instead. Below I discuss some of the best ways to get rid of cold sores naturally:

Rhubarb and sage cream

At least one clinical study undertaken at the University of Zurich, with 149 participants has shown that a cream made from a mixture of rhubarb and sage is more effective than sage alone and as effective as aciclovir based treatments. Although the latter drug seemed to work better in the early stages of a cold sore attack by reducing the amount of swelling, the overall recovery time was similar for rhubarb and sage mixture and lesions were reported to be less painful than for aciclovir.

Reishi mushroom

Traditional Chinese medicine has long used the reishi mushroom to strengthen the immune system and there is some evidence that taken once or twice a day it inhibits the growth of HSV-1. Available as a powder or as a supplement, it is often used in Chinese medicine with a herb called astragalus.

Lysine

Lysine is one of the essential amino acids, used for growth and healing of body tissue. Essential amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body but essential for its function and must therefore be ingested in our food. Researchers in the 1950s found evidence that while foods containing lysine suppresses the cold sore virus (HSV-1), another essential amino acid called arginine actually encouraged it and by taking a supplement of one form of lysine - L-lysine - the balance of arginine to lysine is restored and cold sore attacks become less likely.

Cold sore sufferers are therefore advised to avoid foods containing high levels of arginine, such as gelatin, nuts and chocolate and encouraged to eat foods with high levels of lysine; milk, yogurt, meat, lentils, eggs, cheese and fish are all rich sources of lysine. Lysine is also available in the form of supplements that can reduce the duration of cold sores.

As you can see from the evidence above, there are several natural cold sore remedies that provide relief from cold sores that is at least as effective as medicinal products, and by using these treatments either topically, by making dietary changes or taking supplements the frequency and severity of cold sore outbreaks can be much reduced.

cold sore remedies
Did you find this article on cold sores useful? If so you might like to find out more about cold sore remedies at the Cold Sore Treatment Guide.