Herpes - Eat Broccoli

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Eat broccoli and you could ward off herpes.

 

Preliminary lab studies of monkey and human cells conducted by

researchers at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in

Rootstown, Ohio show that a compound found naturally in broccoli,

cabbage, and brussels sprouts-- indole-3-carbinol--may be a key to

inhibiting the herpes simplex virus. And it works really well. The

compound blocked the virus from reproducing by an amazing 99.9

percent--essentially 100 percent effectiveness.

 

The indole-3-carbinol compound works by interfering with factors that

help cells reproduce. It inhibits the herpes simplex virus in the same

way, since the virus needs those same factors as the cells to reproduce,

reports WebMD and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

The study: The researchers treated human and monkey cells with

indole-3-carbinol. Then they infected them with one of two strains of

the herpes virus: HSV-1, which can cause oral or genital herpes, and

HSV-2, which causes genital herpes. The cells were also infected with a

herpes virus strain that is known to be resistant to medication.

 

The results: The indole-3-carbinol compound blocked the virus from

reproducing by at least 99.9 percent. Best of all, since the compound is

found in food, it's safe.

 

Herpes differs markedly from other viruses. Once a person contracts it,

the virus lives in the body for a lifetime. The American Social Health

Association estimates that as many as 80 percent of adults in the United

States have oral herpes, while 20 percent have genital herpes. Fully 90

percent are unaware they have the virus. There is no cure.

 

While this research news is promising, caution is advised until further

studies are done. What works in the lab doesn't always work on humans in

the real world. Still, eating more broccoli is a good idea not only to

prevent herpes, but also to possibly ward off cancer, cataracts, and stroke.

 

The research findings were presented to the Interscience Conference on

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.