Natural Supplements To Fight Off Viruses (herpes)

Supplements that enhance your body’s ability to fight off viruses include:

1. Zinc. This supplement has been shown to inhibit the virus’s replication and enhance immune cell functioning. Zinc is very much associated with protein foods. Thus, you may assume that most foods high in zinc are protein-rich as well. The best sources of zinc include beef, lamb, pork, crabmeat, turkey, chicken, lobster, clams and salmon. If you are a vegetarian, you will most probably intake less zinc that those who have meat-based diets. Good zinc food sources aside from meats are dairy products such as milk and cheese, yeast, peanuts, beans, and wholegrain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat bread, potato and yogurt. Of all these vegetarian zinc foods, pumpkin seeds offer one of the most concentrated non-meat food sources of zinc.

2. Vitamin C
When applied topically to herpes ulcers and taken orally with bioflavonoids,vitamin C increases the rate of healing.

3. Vitamin A
Vitamin A fights viral infections by increasing the activity in the thymus gland. (High doses of vitamin A can be dangerous, while beta-carotene is a safer form.). Following are tips to find natural vitamin A sourch in foods,

• Vitamins A are found in different forms, retinol in foods, retinoid (they are chemically similar to vitamin A) in medicine. Vitamins A are also fat soluble, meaning it will mix with oil instead of water. It is important to ingest enough vitamin A for your health and well being. Because vitamins A have several essential functions in your body, you must get enough of it from natural vitamin A source in foods.

• Natural vitamin A source include liver. You can cook it like any other meat and it tastes great. Do not think about it as liver, think of it as meat and you won’t be grossed out when eating it. Do not over eat animal’s liver because its vitamins A contents are really high. Eat it occasionally.

• Carrots are excellent natural vitamin A source. Carrots are a good natural source for vitamins A. It contains 93% vitamin A.

• The following foods are also good natural vitamin A source: pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach and leaf vegetables also contain source vitamin A. Some fruits contain vitamins A as well, such as mango, papaya, and apricots.

4. Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) or solid licorice extract.
Topical use on herpes lesions helps them heal more quickly and reduces recurrent infections.



5. High Lysine and low arginine.
The herpes virus requires Arginine to replicate. Lysine is an amino acid shown to have anti-viral properties. If you avoid foods that are high in arginine while increasing foods high in lysine, you can slow-down the rate of the virus’s replication—and speed your healing time. Lysine supplements can also reduce the severity of a herpes outbreak. The following chart shows high arginine and lysine foods.

Avoid foods high in Arginine	Increase foods high in Lysine
Chocolate	Beans
Peanuts	Fish
Almonds	Turkey
Seeds	Chicken
Most Nuts	Vegetables

Edited from: http://www.thedietchannel.com/Natural-Health-Perspectives-How-To-Reduce-Herpes-Outbreaks.htm , http://www.ehow.com/how_4602845_natural-vitamin-source-foods.html & http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/zinc-food-sources.html