| |  | | Loss of Taste and Smell
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Name not given
Posted on: April 30, 2006
I was sick with three different strains of viruses. About 5 months ago I came away from the viruses with a loss of my taste and smell. This has been going on for awhile. I did an herbal cleanse for 1 and 1/2 months I felt this would help, but to no avail. I’m looking for help to get my taste and smell back.
Allergies, low immunity, residual catarrh from the original infection, residual fungal infection and zinc deficiency are commonly behind a loss of sensory perceptions that occur after resolution of an infection. I would use the following protocol:
1) 2 to 4 weeks on an anti-allergic, anti-candida diet. Avoid all of the foods that commonly cause sensitivity and foods that encourage fungal growth: sugar (and limit fruit and fruit juices), dairy products, wheat, corn, oranges, strawberries, caffeine, yeast (including all yeast breads), mushrooms, pork, tomatoes, peanuts, chocolate, eggs and any foods that cause you digestive distress. Although this may sound like a severely limited diet, you can safely include fish, a little chicken, rice and most vegetables.
2) improve immunity by including plenty of antioxidant fruit and vegetables in the diet and supplement with good brands of vitamins C and E
3) Supplement with zinc. A zinc deficiency is often related to a loss of taste and smell
4) In your diet and supplements, include essential fatty acids, which decrease allergic reactions: oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, trout), fish oils, freshly ground flax seed, evening primrose oil
5) use a herbal expectorant and antimicrobial formula for at least 2 weeks to get rid of any residual catarrh. Although the original infection may have disappeared, mucous created during the infection may remain. You should be able to find an expectorant/antimicrobial herbal blend at a health food store, for example, a combination of: licorice, echinacea, elecampane, grindelia, bayberry bark, mullein leaf
6) Use St. John’s wort tincture, 1/2 teaspoon three times daily for at least 3 weeks. St. John’s wort supports the nerve tissue, which can help revive the sensory perceptions. Supplement with a good brand of vitamin B complex to further support nerve function.
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