Much of the stuff you read and hear on the net about canker sores relates simply to treating canker sores if they develop. And understandably, after all, there’s not much else you care about when that volcanic pain hits your mouth.
But as the brilliant Chinese thinker Sun Tzu once said, the best way to win a war is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
In our case, this means that it’s better to prevent canker sores from erupting in the first place than to treat them once they’ve unleashed their fury on you.
With that in mind, here are the top 5 supplements to help protect you against canker sores.
1.Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is one of the 8 B vitamins and the most complicated of all, considering that it contains the biochemically unique element, cobalt. In fact, it is sometimes known as cobalamin. Primarily known for its energy-boosting properties, vitamin B12 is especially vital for the brain and nervous system, and also aids in blood production.
People with vitamin B12 deficiencies experience a number of different problems, including fatigue and depression even at slightly below normal levels, and even mania and psychosis at severe levels. It is also associated with a type of anemia.
You can get B12 naturally by consuming animal proteins, especially beef, seafood, and liver, in unnatural ways in fortified food products like flour, and also in totally ungodly ways like energy drinks. There are no real negative effects from taking too much vitamin B12, although correction of megaloblastic anemia with vitamin B12 can lead to fatal hypokalemia and gout in sensitive individuals.
So what does all this have to do with canker sores?
Based on results published in spring 2009 from research conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, B12 showed great promise in preventing thrush in RAS patients. In the case study, 58 randomly determined RAS patients received 1000 mcg of B12 nightly or a placebo and were followed for a period of 6 months. The results were that 74% of the treated group experienced a complete remission of canker sores by the end of the study. The average duration of the canker sores and pain levels were reduced during the first four months, but reportedly disappeared completely during the fifth and sixth month. Those on the placebo saw a 32% remission at the end.
2. Folic acid
Folic acid might be the Lon Cheney of the vitamin world, as it is the vitamin with a thousand faces, including vitamin B9, vitamin Bc, or folacin and folate (the naturally occurring form), not to mention the acid pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate and pteroylmonoglutamic acid.
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll stick to folic acid.
Folic acid is a lot like vitamin B12 in that they work together to metabolize many functions within the body, including DNA synthesis and restoration, and it also encourages rapid cell growth. It is especially important in pregnant women and children because it keeps their rapidly growing tissues healthy and developing properly. Folic acid deficiencies are rare in Western diets, as many breads and foods are fortified with it, but they lead to a host of problems, including nerve damage and numbness, weakness, swollen tongue, memory loss , peptic ulcers and also heart palpitations.
You can get folic acid naturally in leafy greens and legumes, egg yolks, sunflower seeds, and liver, as well as fortified cereals and breads. Your body can also store anywhere up to 20,000 mcg within your body, so deficiencies are relatively uncommon. The preferred daily intake is 1000 mcg for an adult.
As to what exactly it does for canker sores… There doesn’t seem to be as complete a study as the one for vitamin B12, it seems that folic acid is mainly suggested for canker sores because deficiencies can lead to peptic and canker sores. Now, although it has been said that deficiencies are rare, everyone’s body works in different ways. So maybe some people are trading a little low and will want to implement more than the proposed daily amount to stop getting them. That, and the way folic acid speeds up the process of cell division can help ulcers heal faster than usual.
So it may be worth giving it a try. Just remember that the effects can take a while.
3. Lysine
Lysine is actually an amino acid, specifically, it’s an essential amino acid, which means we can’t create it ourselves and have to get it from other sources. It’s an important foundation for all proteins in the body, so it’s not something you want to do without. It also helps the body absorb calcium, repair muscles, and helps with the manufacture of enzymes and antibodies in the body. Fortunately, it can be found in a variety of sources such as fish, chicken, beef, peas, vegetables, and cheeses.
The recommended minimum amount for a healthy adult is 12 milligrams.
Most of the hype around Lysine’s effect on canker sores could be traced back to the old thorn in our sides, herpes. Lysine has been shown to be effective in curing viruses, so it would stand to reason that it would be good for cold sores and herpes simplex virus. But since RAS has nothing to do with herpes, it might be foolish to consider it for canker sores.
Or is that it?
Lysine deficiencies are related to immunodeficiency, so taking lysine might help boost and regulate the immune system. And RAS is a condition of the immune system, so it could have a positive effect in that regard. Also, lysine is a protein base and a highly recommended health supplement for after surgeries due to its power to help the body repair itself, which could help cure canker sores.
4. Iron
Iron is literally one of the most abundant elements in the universe. The center of the planet is a solid core of matter. It burns in every star in every galaxy, it is under our feet and it is inside our bodies. In fact, we cannot live without it. You hippy-dippy types might say it’s what connects us all.
Iron is crucial to carry oxygen to our cells through the blood. A protein called hemoglobin in red blood cells is the taxi that carries oxygen from our lungs to our cells, and 2/3 of the iron in the body is found in hemoglobin, with most of the rest inside a protein called myoglobin, which moves oxygen to the muscles. There are 2 types of dietary iron, heme and non-heme. Primarily, heme iron is derived from the hemoglobin in red blood cells, which comes from eating animals. Non-heme arises from plant sources. Each is absorbed into our bodies about the same.
Iron is mainly used to treat anemia, a disorder in which the body does not produce enough red blood cells and hemoglobin to efficiently transfer oxygen throughout the body.
The typical suggested intake of iron for men is approximately 8 mg/day, while for women it is 18 mg/day due to blood loss during menstruation. For pregnant women, 27 mg/day is recommended. The downside to iron supplementation is the fact that iron toxicity can be possible and can occur if care is not taken. Some people, mostly of European lineage, have what is known as hemochromotosis, in which the body absorbs iron exceptionally efficiently, so much so that it stores the iron in the body’s organs, which can eventually cause problems. About 1 in 250 people have this disorder, which can be increased by iron supplementation.
So what is the jib with canker sores?
Well, once again, this is one of those shortcoming things. Along with anemia, which causes general malaise and tiredness, iron deficiencies can cause canker sores. There are actually a number of scientific studies that have tested RAS patients with iron deficiency and after a round of iron and B12 supplementation, the sores were gone. Of course, it’s good to figure out the numbers yourself and keep track of the results.
5. Astaxanthin
The latter is a bit of a wild card.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, a lipid-soluble pigment found in algae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, crayfish, and other crustaceans. Astaxanthin is what gives salmon its red color. It’s so red, in fact, that it’s actually been approved as a food additive for color.
What makes astaxanthin useful to us is that it is also essentially the most effective antioxidant in the world. It works overtime to help your body heal and it does it so well, in fact, that it has been shown to prevent sunburn.
This was the main reason why I started taking it in the summer. But I discovered that there were other advantages that I did not expect. In sufficient doses, astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory properties.
And if there is something that helps to eliminate a canker sore, it is to remove the inflammation.
I found that while taking astaxanthin, the canker sores I had were smaller, less painful, and cleared up faster than standard canker sores. It also seemed like they, for lack of a better way to put it, were struggling to get going. A small blemish would emerge that can normally explode and become a canker sore in a day or two, but in this case, it seemed to just float there, not continuing or getting worse and then disappearing.
Alternatively, I saw that the more I took it, the less effective it became. Almost as if his body got used to the supplementation and normalized again. It may seem that the best way to take astaxanthin might be in cycles: a week or two and then a week or two off.
Try any of these supplements and see if they make a difference for you!
