Evidence supporting the use of: Forsythia
For the health condition: Cold Sores

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Forsythia (Forsythia suspensa) is a plant commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where it has been prescribed for a variety of infections and inflammatory conditions, including those presenting with symptoms similar to cold sores (herpes simplex virus). In TCM, forsythia is believed to "clear heat" and "remove toxins," which loosely corresponds to managing infections or inflammations. However, the specific use of forsythia for the treatment of cold sores is largely based on traditional practice rather than robust scientific evidence. There are a few laboratory studies suggesting that forsythia extracts may have antiviral properties, but these have not been directly linked to clinical effectiveness against herpes simplex virus in humans. No high-quality clinical trials have demonstrated that forsythia is effective in the prevention or treatment of cold sores. As such, while forsythia has a long history of use in TCM for symptoms that may overlap with cold sores, scientific validation for this particular use is lacking, and most recommendations are based on traditional formulations rather than modern evidence.

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