Shingles is the sequel to chicken pox. It causes pain typically followed by blisters that appear on either the left or right side of the body. It may also cause headache, fever, chills, and fatigue. Although the rash typically clears up in two to four weeks, nerve pain (post‐herpetic neuralgia) may last for several weeks or months afterwards.
To prevent and treat shingles, adopt a natural foods diet. If infected, supplement your diet with the following nutrients:
| Nutrient | Dosage |
|---|---|
| Whole beta glucan (whole glucan particle derived from Saccharomyces cerevisae) | 500 mg three times daily during active lesions; decrease dosage as lesions heal |
| Proline‐rich polypeptides | 4 sprays in mouth, hold for 30 seconds and swallow, twice daily in the early morning and before bed for a total of 16 mg daily |
| Vitamin C (mineral ascorbates) | 1,000 mg every two to three hours (or as much as you can tolerate without developing diarrhea); decrease dosage as symptoms improve |
| Olive leaf extract | 100 mg three times daily |
| Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) | 400 IU daily |
| Zinc glycinate chelate | 20 mg twice daily (see Appendix A for precautions) |
| Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate and beta‐carotene) | 2,500 IU retinyl palmitate and 2,500 IU beta‐carotene daily |
| Andrographis | 400 mg two to three times daily |
You can also ask your doctor for vitamin B12 injections, which can accelerate recovery from an outbreak: 1,000 mg daily injected intramuscularly for five days, followed by 500 mg every other day until the lesions heal.
Deseret Biologics has a two‐kit homeopathic treatment that’s safe and effective for shingles. The kit contains ten vials, each containing a different dilution of the actual deactivated virus. You take the vials of the first kit in ascending order over the course of a month to boost your active immune response and then you take the vials of the second kit in descending order to support passive immune protection. You can’t buy the kits directly; you must obtain them through a healthcare provider.
To fight the infection from the outside in and relieve pain, apply the following to the affected area at the first sign of outbreak:
Capsaicin: Found in plants including chili pepper, red pepper, cayenne, and paprika. This burns initially, but it quickly reduces inflammation and dries the lesion.
Peppermint oil: Apply liberally as an effective treatment for post‐hepatic neuralgia.