©2005, Elizabeth Walker, RDH, BS, DC

• Multivitamin/mineral, antioxidants and EPA/DHA – 2packets/day w/ meals (See "Please Read First") in a 300/200mg per tablet ratio – 3/day w/ meals
• Vitamin D 1000 IU with soy isoflavones – 1 tab, 2x/day w/ meals
• Lactobillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis (7.5 million live organisms each) in a powdered form mixed with water twice per day. Allowing these probiotic organisms to be swished around the mouth helps to inoculate the mouth with healthy bacteria and to inhibit growth of bad germs
• L-Glutamine (3,500 mg), Deglycyrrhized Licorice Root (500 mg) and Aloe Leaf extract (50 mg) – Two to three times per day. A powdered form of this can be mixed and taken together with the probiotics.

Product names used by Dr. Walker are listed below.  

            Nearly everyone has had exposure to the Herpes Simplex Virus and contracted a cold sore or canker sore within their mouth. Once exposed, the virus remains in the body forever. It remains dormant as long as tissue calcium levels remain high. Tissue calcium levels can drop regardless of blood calcium levels. This can happen due to stress, infection and excessive sugar consumption. Fever is a response by the body to raise tissue calcium levels by taking it from our bones and developing teeth. This is why teeth sometimes erupt into the mouth with a little white fever mark to indicate such events. Fever does not affect the enamel of teeth already present in the mouth.

       For canker and cold sore prevention, consider that calcium absorption requires some important cofactors. To absorb it from the GI tract into the blood stream requires vitamin D. This is why milk products are fortified with Vitamin D. To get calcium from the bloodstream into the tissues requires adequate levels of essential fats such as the omega 3 oils, EPA/DHA.

       Essential fats are crucial to the health of our skin and mucous membranes. The main constituent of our cell membranes is phospholipids, which are comprised of essential fats. Healthy cell membranes are extremely important for providing a barrier against germs that cause disease. Additionally, people who are deficient in essential fats will very commonly be sun sensitive (burn easily) and get canker sores from exposure to the sun.

       Several years ago, my sister and I took our children on a Florida vacation. Everyone but me got sunburned the very first day so I gave them a tablespoon of cod liver oil each day and they were able to enjoy their vacation in the sun for five more days. The pain of everyone’s initial sunburn healed quickly, with no further burning. Their skin also did not blister or even peel. It was a great testimony to the healing power of essential fats.

       News stories about skin cancer prevention should mention the importance of nourishing our skin with essential fats instead of only stressing sunscreens. Another important factor in the health and integrity of our skin is the issue of hydrogenated fat consumption. These fats are very detrimental to our cell membranes because they prevent us from utilizing omega 6 oils such as corn and safflower oils. Plus, they cause a rigidity to the cell membrane which makes it difficult to get toxins out and nutrients in to the skin cells. The explosion in consumption of these fats in the American diet since WW II could help explain the huge jump in skin cancers. Perhaps these factors also relate to the incidence of some oral cancers. This would certainly be an important area to research.

       There is a check off list for foods with hydrogenated fats in the Quizzes section of this web site. My book, Conquer Fatigue in 30 Days has an entire chapter devoted to understanding fats called “Good Fats, Bad Fats and Horrible Fats.”

       One important aspect of our oral environment that we overlook is our mouth’s healthy bacterial flora. We know that our intestinal flora, primarily Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria, are killed off by antibiotic usage (including those found in dairy and meat products), chlorinated water, and medications such as antacids and gastric acid inhibitors.

       Healthy bacteria, also known as probiotics (the opposite of antibiotics!), often need to be supplemented on an occasional or steady basis, depending on the client. People who were never breastfed as a baby often have a much more difficult time getting healthy bacteria to persist in their bodies. Such people should supplement probiotics on a regular basis for life.

       Swishing these bacteria in the mouth before swallowing can inhibit the growth of bad germs. Many people have reported that regular consumption of yogurt can prevent oral Herpes outbreaks. Probiotic supplements are more effective than yogurt because their bacteria are stronger, more resistant to our digestive enzymes and persist longer in our bodies.

       These healthy bacteria support our immune function, aid our digestion, detoxify the intestines, prevent the manufacture of carcinogenic compounds, manufacture vitamins and essential fatty acids, reconjugate hormones and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Healthy levels of probiotics are essential to good health.

       For canker sore relief, L-Glutamine is an amino acid that has an excellent track record for accelerating healing after any type of tissue injury or surgery. Also, it has been used in the mouth to help heal sores caused by chemotherapy. In my health coaching practice, I have extensively used an L-Glutamine product that is combined with licorice root and aloe vera to heal conditions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Swishing probiotics and L-Glutamine together in the mouth can do wonders for healing sores.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you appreciate the information on this website, please support it with purchases from our Online Store. You must register your name and email address to access the online store. The names of products listed above are (in order) Wellness Essentials,  Iso D3, Ultra Flora Plus DF powder and Glutagenics. 

       If you are confused about nutrition, you are not alone. It is a complex subject!  For a FREE vitamin consultation, email Dr. Walker with a few bits of information listed under the Health Coaching tab at the top of the page. She will gladly help you make the most effective and economical nutrition purchases.

       For more product information go to the product categories and select Multiple Vitamin/Mineral formulas, Fatty Acid Formulas,  and Probiotics and Intestinal Support Formulas.  For more information on canker and cold sores, please go to www.VitalityDr.meta-ehealth.com and click on Conditions and select Herpes Simplex Virus.