Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus: Herbal Remedy for Herpes
Fruits and vegetables that are richly colored with red, purple, blue, or black are high in anthocyanins that act as a powerful cure for herpes and other viral infections.Plant extracts that contain anthocyanins / anthocyanosides, and carotenoids are famous for their ability to control inflammation and fight viral infections. This fact led scientists to study a specific herbal remedy for herpes that consists of two plants: Ribes nigrum / Black Currant and Vaccinium myrtillus / Bilberry. They used an extract of both of these herbs together to make a product with a standardized anthocyanin and astaxanthin content to stop replication of the herpes virus as well as the measles virus.
Note that astaxanthin is not well absorbed in the body if it is not combined with an oil or fat, but krill oil supplements that contain high levels of astaxanthin may also contain mercury. Just because the product says that it’s been “tested for heavy metals” does not mean that the tests resulted in a clean, non-metallic result. So look closely at your product and don’t waste money on astaxanthin products that don’t contain a fat or oil to make it easy to absorb. If you choose to buy a red algae powder as your source of astaxanthin, be sure to dissolve it in DMSO to make it bioavailable in the body.
But Ribes nigrum is valuable as an herbal remedy for HSV-1 for other reasons too. Ribes nigrum is used in gemmotherapy (a model of herbalism that specifically uses the embryonic tissues of trees, shrubs, flower buds, shoots, seeds, rootlets, sap, and catkins for healing) to drain, regenerate, and also restore proper function to organs and glands that have been weakened by toxins or pathogens. In gemmotherapy, the raw materials of a plant like Ribes nigrum that are processed into medicine are harvested at a critical period in the plant’s germination. Gemmotherapy acknowledges that the germination process in plants requires certain hormones and enzymes that are released only during germination or only in large quantities during germination. These enzymes and hormones are normally either not present at all or not present in high quantities at other times in the life cycle of the plant.
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In gemmotherapy, Ribes nigrum is used for detoxification of the body for the purposes of restoring proper reproductive hormone balance. Anyone with herpes infection can appreciate the need to rebalance the reproductive organs and hormones in a general way and the use of Ribes nigrum gemmotherapy can help with this process. Ribes nigrum also heals the adrenal glands, which support the reproductive system. The adrenals are the glands that are tasked with keeping us alive in a very survival-only kind of way when our lives get overwhelming or chronically stressful. A viral infection like herpes creates stress and herpes outbreaks often also manifest in response to stress, so it’s easy to see from simple anecdotal experience how herpes is tied directly into adrenal function (a gland that releases both adrenaline and cortisol to help us balance day-to-day stress and also high-stress, fight-or-flight situations). Ribes nigrum gemmotherapy can help the adrenal glands heal and rebalance in relation to reproductive organ function and hormone balance. You need for your adrenal glands to be in a peaceful dialogue with the reproductive organs because adrenal hormones and reproductive hormones must work together like a musical symphony.
So, a plant like Ribes nigrum can be administered as a cure for herpes both as a regular plant-based extract or tincture, but it can also be administered as gemmotherapy, a separate type of treatment that still utilizes the same plant, though at a different life–stage, wherein the plant parts used in the treatment are derived from embryonic tissues that are in a state of rapid growth and change. As such, if you’re looking at using this herbal treatment for herpes, measles, or any other viral infection, you’ll need to first seek out an herbal extract of Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus. Find a regular Ribes nigrum herbal extract in combination with Vaccinium myrtillus. The study that used these two herbs specifically looked at anthocyanin content of the herbal extract as a vital part of the cure for herpes. The final product was a combination herbal extract (containing both Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus) with 28-39% anthocyanins. This high-anthocyanin extract containing Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus was administered in combination with astaxanthin that was in solution with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Click here to buy Vaccinium myrtillus standardized to 25% (4:1) anthocyanin concentration.
Let me break this down to make it easy to find the right herbs for herpes, measles, and viral treatment. In most countries of the world, it will be unlikely that you’ll find an herbal combination extract that contains both Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus with a standardized anthocyanin content above 28%. However, there are products on the market that offer Ribes nigrum extract with standardized anthocyanin content above 28%. And there are separate products that have been developed containing Vaccinium myrtillus with an anthocyanoside content above 25% (a 4:1 extract). If you can find separate products in your geographic area that contain Ribes nigrum as a extract with standardized anthocyanin / anthocyanoside content and administer it along with a separate product that contains Vaccinium myrtillus with a standardeized anthocyanin content, that would be ideal. Shoot for an anthocyanin content that averages (between the two products) above 28%. But if you can find products with standardized anthocyanin content, that’s okay. Administer the Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus at the proper dose and, if you don’t know that you’re receiving the proper dose of anthocyanins, be sure to eat a diet high in anthocyanins to ensure that your daily intake of this medicinal substance is high. Foods that are high in anthocyanins include:- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Black rice
- Black soybeans
- Richly colored foods that are red, blue, purple, or black
Click here to buy Ribes nigrum extract standardized to 25% anthocyanins.
In addition to consuming a large quantity of anthocyanin-containing foods and herbs, you’ll also want to combine a pure astaxanthin powder with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). If you’ve never heard of DMSO and you wish to cure a major illness like herpes or measles, then this is a medicine that you should definitely learn about. DMSO is an over-the-counter medicine that was approved years ago by the FDA for the treatment of cystitis in pregnant women. At the time when it was approved, doctors and scientists didn’t know just how useful DMSO actually was in the context of many health problems. They just knew that DMSO had a toxicity level similar to that of water and it could relieve bladder irritation and urinary tract infection. DMSO easily passes through tissues so it doesn’t matter if you administer it by catheter to the bladder, or if you put it on your skin topically, or drink it – it still ends up passing through the kidneys and the bladder. As it turns out, DMSO remains the “drug” with the broadest medicinal action of any medicine currently approved by the FDA and it has the ability to heal nerve tissues in particular. When administered in very high doses via IV to patients who have recently had a severe spinal cord injury that would normally result in death or paralysis, DMSO can heal the nerve tissues to make it possible for patients to walk again. It has been used by Dr. Jacobs to heal severe spinal cord injuries in Oregon, but for the most part, it’s functionality in medicine has been covered up by Big Pharma. Nonetheless, herpes is a disease that colonizes the spinal ganglion and nerves, so the use of DMSO can be important in overcoming this disease because DMSO can heal nervous system tissues.
Click here to buy 99.9% pharmaceutical grade DMSO.
That being said, DMSO requires some learning and care to use it properly. Click here to learn the basics about DMSO. It is a powerful solvent and it combines with almost anything that it touches. This can be a negative thing if you accidentally administer DMSO topically along with, for example, a toxic personal care product that contains parabens. But DMSO’s ability to combine with medicinal substances like astaxanthin though, can yield some really miraculous results. When you combine DMSO with other medicines, it tends to potentiate those medicines, it can sometimes make medicines that normally can’t be administered through the skin into medicines that easily pass through the skin, and it can also change the way medicines function in the body. DMSO easily cuts through biofilm in the body and it is used by no-chemo or low-chemo, no-radiation alternative cancer treatment hospitals to penetrate the sheath that normally covers cancer cells, protecting them from the immune system, to deliver powerful anti-cancer medicines that normally can’t touch cancer. But in terms of herpes or measles, HIV, or any other serious disease involving an infection or colonization of the body by viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and more, DMSO can work miracles by being able to gain access to areas of the body that are normally hard to reach using conventional antiviral treatments like acyclovir or antibiotics like azithromycin.
Combining astaxanthin with DMSO strengthens the effects of astaxanthin against the herpes virus and it also makes it easier for the astaxanthin to reach the herpes virus wherever it is hiding inside the body.
Of course, in addition to the combination of Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus as herbal extracts, you also will need to find Ribes nigrum in it’s gemmotherapy form for detoxification and to heal the adrenals and reproductive organs. In its gemmotherapy form, Ribes nigrum does not have antiviral effects so don’t attempt to work with only Ribes nigrum gemmotherapy for herpes. However, Ribes nigrum extract is not as powerful as an adrenal gland rejuvenator that also balances reproductive hormones. So be aware that these medicines, though derived from the same plant, have very different effects on the body.
If you’re taking acyclovir for herpes and you want to continue taking this drug for a period of time while you begin working with Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus, that’s okay, but DO NOT ADMINISTER DMSO IF YOU ARE STILL TAKING ACYCLOVIR. Indeed, you can begin working on the cure for herpes without stopping your conventional medicine treatment using acyclovir if you wish, but DMSO strengthens the effects of certain medicines including acyclovir and the other antiviral medications prescribed for herpes. DMSO also alters the effects of these drugs and it takes them deeper into the cells of the body. Acyclovir is rather toxic to human cellseven without adding DMSO to potentiate its effects. Acyclovir is a drug that can cause damage to nerve tissues and general health so if you feel like you can handle the idea of going off this drug sooner than later to heal herpes, go for it. Though you can begin working with gemmotherapy and the herbal extracts and also astaxanthin before you stop taking acyclovir, avoid taking DMSO for at least 24 hours after you take your last dose of acyclovir or other antiviral medicines for herpes.
The study that looked at the Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus herbal remedy for herpes specifically studied HSV-1, HHV-8, and cytomegalovirus as well as the measles virus, but just because the scientists did not study this protocol in regard to HSV-2, other herpes viruses, varicella-zoster, smallpox, and other viruses does not mean that it won’t work to heal other viral infections. Use your best judgment and your own “felt sense” of what seemes right to you to decide whether this at-home herpes cure seems like the proper choice in your situation and for your specific diagnosis. Scientists can’t study every medicine against every single type of pathogen that exists, so often, they choose representative pathogens to prove that a medicinal substance or substances works.
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Bilberry / Vaccinium myrtillus and Black Currant / Ribes nigrum: Herbal Remedy for HSV-1
In one scientific study, a black currant and bilberry herbal remedy for herpes was used to examine viral infectivity of herpes in comparison with a control group. In the study, HSV-1 was inhibited by the Ribes nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus extract. Scientists noted that the bilberry and black currant extract worked synergistically with acyclovir, though patients can definitely work with bilberry and black currant as a stand-alone treatment for herpes if they wish to. As we noted above, it would be best to avoid working with DMSO while still taking acyclovir.In theory, this same HSV-1 herbal remedy would also work as as an herbal cure for HSV-2. Be sure to do the full protocol that we discuss above for best results, including astaxanthin plus DMSO. Remember to stop taking prescription and other over-the-counter medications including birth control pills or bioidentical hormone therapy while working with DMSO.
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Bilberry and Black Currant: Herbal Remedy for HHV-8
In addition to its ability to kill HSV-1 naturally, bilberry and black currant extract can also inhibit HHV-8. Several component parts of the extract acts against HHV-8 including:- Delphinidin-3-glucoside chloride
- Cyanidin-3-glucoside
- Petunidin-3-galactoside
- Delphinidin-3-rutinoside chloride
Again, the fact that this HHV-8 herbal remedy inhibits this type of herpes virus indicates that it might also inhibit other types of herpes viruses too.
Black Currant: Herbal Remedy for Genital Herpes and Oral Herpes
Ribes nigrum / Black Currant extract by itself is a powerful anti-herpes medicine so if you live in an area of the world where Vaccinium myritllus or astaxanthin or DMSO are not available, you can still work with Ribes nigrum as a stand-alone, natural treatment for herpes. Studies have shown that, at a 100-fold dilution, black currant prevents HSV-1 from attaching to human cell membranes. It also prevents plaque formation of both HSV-1 and HSV-2. Plaques can protect the herpes virus and prevent the immune system from eradicating the virus.Studies have indicated that black currant contains compounds that can kill both the virus that causes oral herpes (HSV-1) and the virus that causes genital herpes (HSV-2). Practitioners recommend that people with herpes take black currant along with L-lysine and zinc supplements to prevent herpes outbreaks as well as to treat outbreaks. After all, L-lysine, when administered in high doses (3000 mg per day) with a low arginine diet, starves the herpes virus of the amino acid that it requires to replicate while creating a hostile environment for the virus to survive. If you can’t obtain astaxanthin, DMSO, Ribes nigrum in gemmotherapy form, or other elements of this protocol, consider working with high-dose L-Lysine and a low-arginine diet that includes a lot of richly colored red, purple, and black fruits and vegetables as an alternative.
Several scientific studies have looked at Ribes nigrum as an herbal remedy for the following bacterial and viral infections in addition to its ability to treat herpes naturally:
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- Respiratory synctial virus / RSV
- Influenza A / IFV-A
- Influenza B / IFV-B
- Haemophilus influenza type B
- Adenovirus
- Herpes Simplex Virus-1 / HSV-1
- Streptococcus mutans
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Helicobacter pylori
At a concentration of less than 1%, Ribes nigrum extract was able to stop the replication of the HSV-1 virus as well as Respiratory Synctial Virus / RSV, Influenza-A, and Influenza-B. At a higher concentration of 10%, a Ribes nigrum extract was able to inhibit the adsorption of the viruses onto the surface of human cells. The inhibition rate was over 95%. Once again, it’s important to point out that, in order to cure herpes, you have to be consistent in treating the disease over the course of a long period of time (a year is a good estimate). The best herpes cures that exist in the natural world tend to target one aspect of herpes pathogenicity to reduce the population of the virus in the body exponentially. But even when the population of the herpes virus is reduce exponentially, it takes time to get the population down to a critical level where it is no longer hijacking the immune system. It’s essential to build the immune system at the same time so that the immune system can, at some point, overcome the last remaining pathogens that are left. This takes time.
In addition to its ability to prevent the herpes virus from attaching itself to human cells, Ribes nigrum suppresses protein synthesis during early stages of viral infection. Studies have shown that Ribes nigrum reduces the bonding of HSV-1 to cell barriers, but it also reduces plaque accumulation associated with HSV-1, HSV2, and varicella-zoster. So if you work with this herbal remedy for herpes consistently for a long period of time, it will not only prevent herpes viruses from attaching to human cells in order to insert their DNA and replicate, but it will also disrupt plaques that normally hide the virus from the immune system.
As an antibacterial agent, Ribes nigraum disinfected 99.8% of Haemophilus influenza type B bacteria and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It had not noticeable effects on Streptococcus mutans, however. So, if you have other infectious pathogens in your body that are causing your immune system to function in a poor or imbalanced way, Ribes nigrum will help restore balance by killing other colonizing bacteria and pathogens too. Helicobacter pylori, for example, is a bacterial pathogen that causes gastric ulcers, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease / GERD, gastric cancer, and other serious health problems. Most people are infected with this bacteria at some point in their lives as it is ubiquitous in the water supplies all across the world. But polysaccharides in blackcurrant seeds, make it hard for Helicobacter pylori bacteria to stick to the gastrointestinal walls so Ribes nigrum can kill H. pylori even while it works to overcome the problem of herpes infection. The polysaccharides from Ribes nigrum seeds have an anti-adhesive action that makes it valuable against a number of different types of pathogens.
Contraindications against Using Black Currant
In some susceptible individuals, particularly those who have a sensitivity to salicylate, black currant extract or oil can cause allergic reactions. Also, people who are taking phenothiazines, a type of antipsychotic medicine, should avoid black currant because it can increase the risk of seizure.Black currant slows blood clotting, so if you have a bleeding disorder or if you take a medication to prevent blood clotting (such as Warfarin), you should talk to a doctor before you take this herb. Also, don’t take black currant prior to having surgery because it can increase your risk of bleeding.
Click here to buy Ribes nigrum gemmotherapy extract.
How to Administer Ribes nigrum (herbal extract and gemmotherapy), Vaccinium myrtillus, Astaxanthin, and DMSO
How to Administer an Herbal Extract of Ribes Nigrum
Dosing Ribes nigrum as an Herbal Tea for Herpes and Other Infections:
Add a dose of 2-4 grams of the powder in a cup of boiling water and allow it to steep as a tea for 15 minutes. Administer 2-4 grams as a tea up to 3 times per day for a total dose of between 6-12 grams daily.Dosing Ribes nigrum as a dry extract in capsule form:
Administer a dose of 170-200 mg up to 3 times per day.Dosing the Powdered Whole Herb of Ribes nigrum:
Administer 240 mg of powdered whole herb from 3 to 5 times per day for a total daily dose of 1000-1700 mg.NOTE: Children between the ages of 6 and 12 years of age should take half the adult dose of Ribes nigrum.
The herbal extract of ribes nigrum should be avoided during pregnancy.
How to Administer Ribes Nigrum as Gemmotherapy
Gemmotherapy can be administered to all ages and at all stages of life, including during pregnancy.
The Ribes nigrum gemmotherapy dose is highly variable. While some adults administer 5 drops per day, others may opt to administer 50-100 drops per day. An average dose is 20 drops per day given as 10 drops in the morning and 10 drops in the evening. For children and during pregnancy, give lower doses.
How to Administer an Herbal Extract of Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus should be administered at a dose of 500 mg (equivalent to 5000 mg of the whole fruit) daily in adults.Most bilberry products are standardized to 25% anthocyanoside content (4:1 extract), but some products are standardized to a higher anthocyanoside content.
If you are eating fresh bilberries, you would need to consume 100 grams of them daily to get 300-700 mg of anthocyanosides. If you are consuming a high anthocyanin diet, aim to eat 50-100 grams or more of purple, red, blue, or black fruits or vegetables to safley increase your daily consumption of anthocyanins.
How to Administer Astaxanthin and DMSO
Purchase an astaxanthin product that does not contain chemicals or added substances. This product, for example, is a powdered red algae that naturally contains astaxanthin. It is safe for use with DMSO. Using a gram scale, measure out about 100 mg of the red algae and then add 5-50 drops of 70-99.9% pharmaceutical grade DMSO to the powder until it makes a smooth, liquid mixture about the consistency of honey or maple syrup. Add more DMSO to make the mixture thinner or less to make it more viscous depending on whether you plan to drink the mixture or apply it to your skin.
Click here to buy a powdered Astaxanthin product that can be mixed with DMSO.
Allow the DMSO-red algae mixture to sit for 3-5 minutes. Then, mix the DMSO-red algae mixture with about 4 ounces of water. Drink this mixture right away after you mix it with water. Drink it once or twice daily.
Alternatively, you could apply the DMSO-red algae mixture to your skin. Be aware that DMSO can be extremely drying to the skin. Administer this mixture with 50-100 drops of water to avoid drying out the skin excessively. Apply to different areas of the skin daily. NOTE: DMSO causes the body to have a smell similar to oysters or garlic. Choose a low-odor DMSO product to avoid this problem during treatment.
Resources:
• Sivarajan, R. et al. (2022). A defined anthocyanin mixture sourced from bilberry and black currant inhibits Measles virus and various herpes viruses. Retrieved September 25, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9264518/
• Suzatani, T. et al. (2003). Anti-herpesvirus activity of an extract of Ribes nigrum L. Retrieved September 30, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12820226/
• Ikuta, K. et al. (2012). Anti-viral and anti-bacterial activities of an extract of blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L.). Retrieved September 30, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22985050/
• Ejaz, A. et al. (2023). Biological activities, therapeutic potential, and pharmacological aspects of blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L.): A comprehensive review. Retrieved October 31, 2024 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10563683/
• Weston Price Foundation (2018). Natural Support for Hormone Balancing. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/modern-diseases/recovery-bioidentical-hormones/#gsc.tab=0&gsc.sort=
• Hejja, M. et al. (2024). Specific Antimicrobial Activities Revealed by Comparative Evaluation of Selected Gemmotherapy Extracts. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38391567/
• Vanekova, Z. and Rollinger, J. M. (2022). Bilberries: Curative and Miraculous – A Review on Bioactive Constituents and Clinical Research. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9277355/
• European Medicines Agency (2017). European Union Herbal Monograph on Ribes nigrum L., folium. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-ribes-nigrum-l-folium_en.pdf
• National Nutrition.ca (N.A.). Gemmotherapy: Discover the Power of Plant Buds. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/gemmotherapy/
• Chu, W. K. et al. (n.d.). Chapter 4: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92770/
