Chapter 2 - Natural, Alternative, and Complementary Herpes Treatments

      The nutritional supplements and herbs descibed here may affect the herpes viruses and herpes virus infections in a variety of ways.

• Some may have anti-viral properties.


• Some may interfere with viral replication.


• Some may interfere with the virus' ability to infect healthy tissue.


• Some may limit inflammation.


• Some may promote the healing of lesions.


• Some may support or boost the immune system.

      Some of these supplements may offer more than one useful mechanism of action.

      Herpes virus outbreaks and other infections occur when the immune system is compromised or weakened. The immune system can be compromised by stress, nutritional deficiencies, suboptimum nutrition, and age.

      Stress is one of the most common and powerful immune system suppressors. Stress causes hormonal changes which directly inhibit the function of the immune system. Stress management is extremely important for infection prevention and treatment. Methods of dealing with stress are beyond the scope of this book.

      Nutritional deficiencies produce overt symptoms such as goiter from iodine deficiency, scurvy from vitamin C deficiency, etc. Suboptimum nutrition, on the other hand, means that the classical overt symptoms of deficiencies may not be present, but supplementation of key nutrients may produce greater health, more energy, or improved immune system function.

      Age can also be a factor in immune system efficiency but seems to be less of factor than stress or poor nutrition.

      In addition to improving immune function by optimum nutrition and stress management, there are several substances which specifically boost immune function. These include Thymic Protein A, Beta Glucan, Lactoferrin, and an over the counter drug called Cimetadine.

      The next section provides a brief summary of the nutritional factors and alternative treatments for herpes virus infections and possibly some related viral infections. It is recommended that you read the full chapter on each modality. The references on each modality are included at the end of the book and listed by chapter.

      This was a brief excerpt from the book listed below.

Where to get Nutritional Support Products for Herpes and Shingles

      A good quality on-line source of the supplements discussed in this book can be found HERE