Canker sores can be quite uncomfortable and even painful. I’ve found that food sensitivities and/or allergies are often the root cause of regular canker sores and reflect an inflammatory response in the mouth.
- Most often, gluten is the culprit, but other foods could be to blame as well.
Testing for Food Sensitivities:
- You can certainly test for this concern with an IgG food antibody panel (blood test), but the gold standard assessment is actually an elimination diet.
- In my experience, it is best to fully eliminate the food 100% “cold turkey” for a full 4 weeks to accurately evaluate which inflammatory symptoms improve.
Tips on How to Prevent Canker Sores
To prevent the recurrence of canker sores, it is important to:
Support a balanced immune system response with full-spectrum probiotics (including Saccharomyces boulardii if the individual is challenged with other allergies) – we can discuss this in more detail.
Support the protective mucosal layer on the tongue with a bioavailable B-complex including methyl forms of both B12 (not cyano-) and B9/Folate (not folic acid) – we can discuss this as well.
Eliminate any alcohol-based or other caustic mouthwash, and also avoid any toothpaste containing SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).
Healing Existing Ulcers:
To help an existing ulcer heal:
I recommend DGL lozenges (a common GI supplement), as they may be helpful. Although there is some evidence that non-deglycerized licorice works best, it is also available in lozenges, though more difficult to find.
Another readily available option is licorice tea (e.g., Yogi’s “Egyptian Licorice”).
Eliminating acidic/spicy foods temporarily can also help an existing ulcer to heal.
Research: http://www.oooojournal.net/article/S1079-2104(05)00159-9/fulltext
