According to research at the Van Andel Institute, it appears that one of the components of turmuric blaocks the herpes simplex virus and helps heal cold sores. Scientists are planning to study how the compound, called curcumin, blocks the virus in a bid to design more effective treatments.
“This isn’t a recipe for a remedy yet,” said Dean Steven J. Triezenberg, Ph.D., spokesperson for Van Andel Institute and head of the laboratory that published the findings. “Applying turmeric or curry to cold sores won’t have an effect. Once we determine what is happening to block the infections at the cellular level, we’ll be closer to developing a treatment.”
There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-1, which commonly results in facial cold sores or fever blisters, and HSV-2, commonly associated with genital herpes. The VAI findings focused on HSV-1, which affects more than half of Americans.
Original article: http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/timnews/cldsore0904.aspx
