This series of articles is focused on common, human viruses which are not completely “cleared” by the immune system, and instead, hang around for the life of the person. There is substantial evidence in the scientific literature that these common, persistent viruses can negatively affect one’s health, and possibly even one’s lifespan. These viruses can “reactivate”, causing symptoms which are usually milder than the initial infection. But the challenge more relevant to living a Long Life is that these viruses have been associated with things like cancer, weakening of the immune system, and Alzheimer’s. In this series of articles, we present and comment on some of the scientific evidence for the harm these viruses can do to healthspan and lifespan, and consider how that harm might be mitigated or eliminated.
Part 1 (this article) will focus on Herpes simplex virus – 1 (“HSV-1” or “oral herpes”).
