Canker sores may be out of sight, but they’re not out of mind. They lie on the inner lining of your lips and cheeks or on the base of your tongue, the floor of your mouth, or your soft palate. Eat anything hot or spicy, and they’ll burn like fire. These painful critters, also called recurrent aphthous ulcers, are yellowish gray or white with red borders. They’re tiny, round, and appear individually or in bunches.
Fortunately, they’re not contagious and normally heal within 7 to 14 days. But that’s faint praise. When they do make their cameo appearances, they can turn the simple pleasures of eating, talking, and even brushing your teeth into harrowing experiences.
It’s a good thing that help is just around the corner. There are some dietary and other natural measures that you can take to keep these little buggers out of your mouth.
Start by eliminating the top canker sore triggers from your diet, such as chocolate, nuts, tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries, and oranges and other citrus fruits. Try to avoid eating sharp-edged corn chips and pretzels, because they can irritate and injure the lining of your mouth and produce an ulcer.
After you’ve eliminated the troublemakers, you can reintroduce each of these foods into your diet one at a time every two to three days to determine which is the source of the trouble.
Canker sores can also be caused by food sensitivities to wheat products. See your doctor to determine whether food allergies are causing your problem.
Once you’ve taken these steps, if you still suffer from an occasional canker sore or two, a certain type of licorice supplement will relieve the pain and shorten the duration of the ulcer. You can also take a high-quality multivitamin/mineral supplement daily to prevent them altogether.
Zap Canker Sores with Licorice
The kind of licorice that stops canker sores is a far cry from the black, stringy stuff that kids love to gnaw on. What you want is deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL.
"DGL has anti-inflammatory properties. It speeds the healing process and soothes the discomfort of canker sores," says Michael Traub, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and director of the integrated residency program at North Hawaii Community Hospital in Kamuela.
In one study, 20 people with recurrent canker sores used a DGL mouthwash. Fifteen people experienced at least a 50 percent improvement within one day and were completely healed by the third day.
Among those who recovered was one patient who had had recurrent canker sores for over 10 years. He had several sores on his tongue and lips, inside his cheek, on his soft palate, and in the back of his throat. By the seventh day after he started using the DGL solution, he was completely free of sores.
To begin the healing process, take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, says Dr. Traub, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. While chewing, use your tongue to position the tablet residue on the sore to promote even speedier healing. You should use DGL, which is available at health food stores, until the sore heals, he adds.
In addition, you can empty the powder from a capsule into ½ cup of lukewarm water, dissolve the DGL, and swish the solution around in your mouth, says Dr. Traub. Repeat this at least two or three times a day until the sore has healed.
A High-Potency Multivitamin to Cover Your Bases
Deficiencies of B vitamins, including B12 and folic acid; zinc; and iron appear to be prevalent among people with canker sores. When the deficiencies are corrected, the sores often show improvement or complete remission. "Evidence of a vitamin deficiency often shows up inside your mouth and throat because of the rapid cell turnover rate that’s characteristic of the mucous membranes," says Jennifer Brett, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut.
"Low levels of some B vitamins can cause swelling of the tongue and canker sores. If you’re not getting enough zinc, you won’t heal as quickly from small injuries like biting the inside of your mouth. And without enough folic acid and iron, you won’t maintain the necessary rapid cell division that you need to keep the lining of your mouth healthy," says Dr. Brett.
A high-potency multivitamin purchased at a health food store should give you the nutrients that are necessary to prevent recurrent canker sores, says Dr. Brett. Take 500 to 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of iron, 800 micrograms of folic acid, and 15 to 20 milligrams of zinc, she says. If your multivitamin doesn’t include all you need, simply add separate supplements to make up the difference.
C and Thiamin: More Sore Solutions
If your canker sores are a result of food allergies, take 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of buffered vitamin C daily to help reduce the level of histamines in your body, says Dr. Brett. Histamines are the immune system chemicals that are released by white blood cells and cause inflammation and irritation. To enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C, take 1,000 milligrams of quercetin or 100 milligrams of grapeseed extract daily as a preventive, she says. These are both bioflavonoids, compounds that inhibit histamine release, reduce inflammation, and speed healing.
Other research shows that a deficiency of thiamin can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. In a study, researchers determined levels of a thiamin-dependent enzyme in 120 people. Forty-nine of the 70 participants with recurrent canker sores had low levels of the enzyme, compared to only 2 among the 50 in the group without ulcers. Dr. Brett recommends taking 100 milligrams of thiamin daily as a preventive.
