Cold sores are a common skin and mucous membrane condition caused by the herpes simplex virus 1. This virus is easily passed between people on contact. In fact, many people may be infected without realising. After the initial viral invasion, whether it shows on the skin or not, the virus remains in the body. It is hidden from the immune system. Yet, the virus can still cause recurring infections. I wrote about ways to minimise this. See my article Stop cold sores coming back. However, researchers believe that the herbal medicine peppermint may destroy the herpes virus on the skin. So peppermint may have the potential to limit the spread of a cold sore infection. [Read more…] about Peppermint and recurrent cold sore infections
Medicine
Food as medicine to prevent chronic disease
Given the regularity of food related news headlines, and especially those that seem to contradict ‘last week’s news’, it’s perhaps not surprising that many people are unsure about what they should believe. What should we eat to improve our health or even prevent chronic disease? Low fat or low carb? What about grains or gluten? Are eggs okay, or not? It can be very confusing.
According to research the healthiest way to eat is the Mediterranean type diet. One aspect of this type of diet is the abundance of fruits and vegetables it supplies. These contain a wide variety of nutrients and fibre.
It appears the fibre could be more important than was once thought. Not just an inert substance easing the passage of stools. But, food for the microscopic organisms living in our gut, that have a huge potential to influence our health. [Read more…] about Food as medicine to prevent chronic disease