
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 12, 1993                   TAG: 9307100106
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO                                LENGTH: Short

FOOD MAY BE CULPRIT BEHIND COLD SORES

People who suffer from recurrent cold sores may be experiencing food allergies, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.

"About 10 percent of all cold sores could be caused by an allergy to food," says Dr. Michael Goldstein, spokesman for the academy.

Goldstein says researchers at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School in Scotland conducted patch-testing for food allergies on 21 patients with repeated cold sores, and 20 of the patients exhibited allergic reactions.

Eleven reacted to benzoic acid, a common food preservative. They were asked to avoid the substance. When they were checked three years later, 10 reported great improvement.

by CNB