Definition

Canker sores are ulcerlike sores, especially in the mouth, thought to be an immune reaction.
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Causes

Canker sores are triggered by poor dental hygiene, allergies to chocolate and other foods, stress and/or fatigue. Also may be a result of abnormal immune response to normal bacteria in the mouth. Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid may make the sores harder to heal but stress and allergies are usually the cause. Preventative steps: body chemistry should be balanced in minerals, acidity, and alkalinity.
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Symptoms

These sores may appear on the tongue, lips, gums or inside the cheeks. They have white centers surrounded by red borders, ranging from pinhead size to as large as a quarter, appearing quickly and leave quickly (usually 4-20 days). These sores occur most often in females.
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Treatment

treat
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Nutrients

Acidophilus, taken as directed on the label, helps maintain healthy balance of intestinal flora. Iron, taken as directed on the label, as a tonic. L-Lysine (amino acid), 500 mg 3 times a day on an empty stomach. Vitamin B complex, 50 mg. per day, helps immune function and healing. Ascorbic acid, 3,000-8,000 mg. per day. Pantothenic acid (B5), 50-100 mg. 3 times a day, is necessary for adrenal function (the antistress endocrine gland). Garlic capsules, 3 capsules 3 times a day, an immunostimulant and natural antibiotic. Multivitamin and mineral complex, taken as directed on the label. Vitamin A emulsion, 50,000 IU for 2 weeks, then 25,000 IU, speeds healing, esp. mucous membranes. Emulsion is easily assimilated. Zinc gluconate lozenges, dissolved in mouth every 3 hrs. for 2 days, enhances immune function.
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Herbs

• Alum root, wild
• Ash, prickly
• Bayberry bark
• Birch
• Bistort
• Burdock
• Cedar, eastern red
• Clover, red
• Echinacea
• Germanium, wild or spotted
• Golden seal
• Gold thread
• Lavender
• Lily, white pond
• Myrrh
• Onion
• Pau d'arco
• Pennyroyal
• Pilewort
• Raspberry, red
• Red root
• Rock rose
• Rosemary
• Sanicle, wood
• Self-heal
• Shinleaf
• Sumac berries
• Tea tree
• Witch hazel

Recommendations

Avoid chewing gum, mouthwashes (unless prescribed by a doctor), smoking, coffee, and foods that trigger these sores. Avoid sugar, citrus fruits, and processed or refined foods. Do not eat fish or meat of any kind for 2 weeks while a canker sore is present, because animal protein produces excess acid in the body. Diet should include plenty of salads with onions (onions contain sulfur and have healing properties). Also your diet should include yogurt, kefir milk, cottage cheese and buttermilk.
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Bibliography

• Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; pg., 236.
• Earl Mindell's Herb Bible, by Earl Mindell, pg., 151.
• The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, pgs., 142-143.
• The Old Herb Doctor, by Joseph E. Meyer, pg., 142.
• Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., 36, 44, 146, 200, 262.
• Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, pgs., 38, 63, 145, 231, 236, 266, 298.
• Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., pgs., 125-126.

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