Posted on 05/05/2005 8:47:59 AM PDT by blam
Licorice ingredient ferrets out herpes
Nathan Seppa
A compound in licorice homes in on lab-grown cells infected with a herpes virus and induces them to self-destruct, a new study finds. These results suggest that a drug based on the compound could seek and destroy herpes viruses hiding in people's bodies. Current antiherpes drugs attack the virus only when it's causing symptoms.
The virus in the new study is Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), which causes skin and lymph cancers. The researchers suspect that the gene responsible for KSHV's capacity to hide out is latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA).
Researchers at New York University ran lab tests on white blood cells, some of which were infected with the herpes virus. Exposing the infected cells to the licorice ingredient, glycyrrhizic acid, shuts down LANA. That starts a chain reaction of biochemical changes in the white blood cells, leading to their suicide and the virus' death. The uninfected cells showed no detrimental effects from glycyrrhizic acid, the researchers report in the March Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Despite these results, simply eating licorice is unlikely to purge a herpes virus from a person's system, says study coauthor Ornella Flore. Most of the glycyrrhizic acid in licorice is probably degraded in a person's stomach, she says.
To develop a treatment, Flore suggests, researchers could inject glycyrrhizic acid into animals previously infected with viruses and determine which viruses it can ferret out, how potent the drug is, and—if the results are promising—what dose would be needed in people.
Katie Holms cold sore ping!
Licorice, Ferrets, and Herpes.
There are 3 words you don't see connected very often.
More good news for the Clintons.
Herpes BUMP LOL
I'm glad I don't have herpes.
I hate licorice.
I'd be interested to see whether this acid works on other virii. At the very least, it should revolutionize the cold-sore prevention industry.
"More good news for the Clintons."
Now that is funny!
This is fairly good news as far as I am concerned. Not all Herpes viruses are caused by sexual contact. Herpes Zoster which unfortunately I fall prey to a couple of times a year is from the chicken pox virus, which can lay dormant in the body for 20, 30 years or more and then reappear. I happen to be afflicted with an unusual form of the virus...Herpes Zoster Otitis, which attacks only my left ear approximately every six months or so.....It is not a pleasant thing when it occurs.......I am sure you don't want to know the details or symptoms..
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again the rat was dead and the ratman was slipping the money into his pocket and spitting to clear his mouth.“That’s what they makes likcerish out of,” he said. “Rat’s blood is what the big factories and the chocolate-people use to make lickerish.”
Again the relish, the wet-lipped, lip-smacking relish as he spoke the words, the throaty richness of his voice and the thick syrupy way he pronounced the word lickerish.
“No,” he said, “There’s nothin wrong with a drop of rat’s blood.”
“Don’t talk so absolutely disgusting,” Claud told him.
“Ah! But that’s it, you see. You eaten it many a time. Penny sticks and lickerish bootlaces is all made from rat’s blood.”
“We don’t want to hear about it, thank you.”
“Boiled up, it is, in great cauldrons, bubblin and steamin and men stirrin it with long poles. That’s one of the big secrets of the chocolate-makin factories, and no one knows about it -- no one except the ratters supplyin the stuff.”
.
-- Roald Dahl, The Ratcatcher.
Good news for Robin Williams.
I was wondering if this ingredient may work on other viruses?
Note to investors: BUY TWIZZLERS STOCK NOW!
For 26 years I have taken 250 mg. each of BHT and BHA daily. Both are food preservatives on the GRAS list. My objective is life extension (works great on lab rats). However, a side benefit is that these fat soluble substances also modify the fatty surface of various viruses thus allowing the immune system to recognize and attack them. Before I began this regimen I had serious problems with a couple of viruses. No symptoms for 26 years. If I am still here in 30 years I will conclude that the life extension experiment was also successful.
I like licorice, maybe I'll start snacking on it more.
The dangerous form of Kaposi's sarcoma is caused by oxidative stress - it used to be rather rare until the Popper culture took off.
KS is not caused by a virus - the article's writer may have misunderstood this.
I did not relize that mononucleosis was in the herpes family as well, thanks for the info. Both mysister and I had mono in the ninth or tenth grade. My doc told me the Herpes Zoster infection in my ear was from dormant chicken pox, but, aha, perhaps its the mono as well.
Valtrex drug works extremely well when I get the flare ups..I can always tell a few days before an outbreak when the virus is working, I get nerve pain in the neck and the side of the head, two 500mg Valtrex at the beginning of symptoms and the flareup pretty much disappears rapidly.
Thanks for your understanding.......Before I went to an ear, nose and throat specialist for this thing, my family doctor did not have a clue what the problem was. What a relief to have a diagnosis.
Think I'll make some licorice tea!!
Ditto if this could take out the virus that causes shingles which I understand is yet another herpes variant. I've never had it but people I know that do say it's very, very painful.
Good luck with your outbreaks, hope this works out to be something that'll wipe it out.
Ditto if this could take out the virus that causes shingles which I understand is yet another herpes variant. I've never had it but people I know that do say it's very, very painful.
Good luck with your outbreaks, hope this works out to be something that'll wipe it out.
Just be careful....you CAN overdose on glycyrrhizic acid from what I understand.....(I take deglycyrrhized licorice - DGL - for what appears to be LYME disease...well, actually to protect my stomach from all the aspirin I take for the pain.)
Sorry, it hardly beared repeating (dunno what happened, maybe it's a bad part of the Internet that Al Gore created).
Well my baby , she tastes like licorice,
Well my baby, she like a ferret in bed.
Well my baby, she gave me herpes.
Now my baby , made my genitals all red.
Lead break and then repeat.....
You really cracked me up with the three words you don't find linked together often. I thank God everyday for all the funny Freepers on here; sure helps balance out all the depressing news everywhere.
My memory may be playing tricks on me today, but I seem to recall reading that glycyrrhizic acid showed promise in the treatment of some forms of psoriasis.
"Note to self: Avoid women who smell like licorice."
And I just thought she was baking cookies with anise.
"Just be careful....you CAN overdose on glycyrrhizic acid from what I understand.....("
Yup. Too much can cause dangerously high blood pressure. Even small amounts should be avoided by hypertensives. And fyi for folks who are interested: most candy sold as licorice, like twizzlers, contains virtually no real licorice. Rather, it's licorice-flavored.
Looks like I came back JUST IN TIME to issue the ZOT!!!
SingOut
Since Sep 11, 2005
Wow, today's only an hour & a half old. Where you are, it's not even today yet, and you are already gonna get it!
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