Wart treatment naturally with nutritional or dietary remedies, is there a cure that works? by Ray Sahelian, M.D. See also natural remedy newsletter
March 20 2016

A wart is a small tumor, typically on hands and feet, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister.  Warts typically disappear after a few months in children but in adults can last for years and can reoccur.

Natural treatment for wart
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a special extract of green tea as a prescription drug for the topical (external) treatment of genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The new drug, called Veregen (Polyphenon E) Ointment is the first prescription botanical (herbal) drug approved by FDA under the “new” drug amendments of 1962 that required drugs to be proven both safe and effective prior to being marketed in the U.S. The active drug ingredient, Polyphenon E, represents a proprietary mixture of phytochemicals produced from a partially purified water extract of green tea leaves. For more information on wart removal.

Veregen - topical green tea extract as natural wart treatment
A botanical ointment containing sinecatechins, a green tea extract, is a good treatment for external genital and anal warts. Dr. Silvio Tatti, at the Hospital Clinicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina assigned 502 adults with 2 to 30 warts to either sinecatechins ointment (15% or 10%) or inactive ointment for up to 16 weeks or until the warts cleared. In both sinecatechins groups, warts cleared completely in roughly 57% of patients compared to just 34% of subjects in the control group. Dr. Silvio Tatti says that sinecatechins ointment is sold as Veregen. Veregen is approved for the topical treatment of genital warts and perianal warts in health people aged 18 and older. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2008.

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of green tea catechins in the treatment of external anogenital warts: a systematic review and meta-analysis; J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. Tzellos T, Sardeli C, Lallas A, Papazisis G, Chourdakis M, Kouvelas D; Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2011.
Green tea sinecatechin Polyphenon E ointment is a botanical extract from green tea leaves exhibiting anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-tumour properties. The aim of this study was to integrate valid information and provide basis for rational decision making regarding efficacy and safety of green tea extracts in the treatment of EGWs. A systematic search in electronic databases was conducted using specific key terms. Main search was performed independently by two reviewers. The accumulated relevant literature was subsequently systematically reviewed and a meta-analysis was conducted. Three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies evaluating efficacy and safety of Polyphenon E 15% and 10% in the treatment of warts were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 660 men and 587 women were enrolled. Regarding primary outcome, both Polyphenon E 15% and 10% demonstrated significantly higher likelihood of complete clearance of baseline and baseline and new warts compared with controls. No significant heterogeneity was detected. Recurrence rates were very low. Commonest local skin sign was erythema and local skin symptom was itching. Efficacy of Polyphenon 15% and 10%, at least for the primary endpoint, is clearly indicated. Polyphenon E treatment exhibits very low recurrence rates and appears to have a rather favourable safety and tolerability profile. Recommendations for future studies should include evaluation of the efficacy of green tea catechins in the treatment of internal anogenital warts and direct comparison with its principal comparator, imiquimod.

Bee propolis may be of benefit.

Garlic
Dermatol Ther. 2014. Evaluation of TNF-α serum level in patients with recalcitrant multiple common warts, treated by lipid garlic extract. No universal consensus about optimal modality for treating the recalcitrant multiple common warts (RMCW). The objective of the study was to evaluate the immunological mechanisms and clinical therapeutic effect of using lipid garlic extract (LGE) in the treatment of RMCW. The study included 50 patients with RMCW. They were randomly assigned into two groups: the first group (25 patients) received LGE, and the second group (25 patients) received saline as a control group. In both groups, treatments were made to single lesions, or largest wart in case of multiple lesions, until complete clearance of lesions or for a maximum of 4 weeks. Blood serum was taken at pre-study and at the fourth week to measure tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) level. A significant difference was found between the therapeutic responses of RMCW to LGE antigen and saline control group (p < 0.001). In the LGE group, complete response was achieved in 96% of patients presenting with RMCW. There was a statistically nonsignificant increase in TNF-α of LGE group versus saline group. No recurrence was observed in the LGE group. LGE as an immunotherapy is an inexpensive, effective, and safe modality with good cure rates for treatment of RMCWs, when other topical or physical therapies have failed.

Cause of warts
Warts are caused by a viral infection.

Are warts contagious?
Yes, they can be. Warts are contagious when in contact with the skin of another. It is also possible to get warts from using towels or other objects that were used by a person who has warts.

Genital warts info
Genital and anal warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts on the genitals are very contagious and can be passed to another person during oral, vaginal or anal sex. Warts can grow on the cervix (inside the vagina), and a woman may not know she has them. She may pass the infection to her sexual partner without knowing it. A few papillomaviruses are known to cause cervical cancer.
   Young women commonly become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) soon after they start having sex. However, most of these genital wart infections persist less than 3 years, and only a tiny minority of women develop pre-cancerous changes in their cervical cells. Still, in a small number of cases, persistent genital wart infection with cancer-related HPV strains may cause pre-cancerous cervical changes within just a few years. Sexually Transmitted Disease, July 2007.
   Circumcision helps protect against infection with human papillomavirus, a wart virus. International Journal of Cancer, March 15, 2009.
   Men who carry the virus that causes genital warts may be at increased risk of HIV infection. Journal of Infectious Diseases, June 1, 2010.

Medications
Gac Med Mex. 2015. Application of cantharidin, podophyllotoxin, and salicylic acid in recalcitrant plantar warts. A preliminary study. Plantar warts often are refractory to any treatment and can last for decades in adults. Recalcitrant warts are defined as those that have persisted for more than two years, or after at least two treatment modalities. A total of 15 consecutive patients with recalcitrant plantar warts were included in this preliminary study. The treatment consisted of applying one to two sessions that comprised compounding 1% cantharidin, 5% of podophyllotoxin, and 30% salicylic acid (CPS), with an interval between applications of four weeks. With treatment and subsequent follow-up for six months, there was complete eradication of lesions in 15 patients, eight (53.3%) required a single application of the solution, and seven (46.7%) two applications, with no side effects. Topical treatment by compounding is safe, effective, and a promising therapeutic modality when applied in recalcitrant plantar warts.

Gardasil Vaccine benefit
Merck & Co's Gardasil vaccine appears to be safe and effective in preventing genital warts in young men and boys according to the FDA in Sept 2009.

Am J Clin Dermatol. 2013. Intralesional antigen immunotherapy for the treatment of warts: current concepts and future prospects. Many destructive and immunotherapeutic modalities have been used for the management of warts; however, an optimal treatment with high efficacy and absent or low recurrence has not been explored to date. Recently, the use of intralesional immunotherapy with different antigens has shown promising efficacy in the treatment of warts. We review the different aspects of this new modality, including candidates, types of warts treated, dosage, number and interval between treatment sessions, mode of action, efficacy, adverse effects, recurrence rate, advantages, disadvantages, current place and future prospects. A literature review revealed that healthy immune subjects are the best candidates, and a pre-sensitization test is usually done before the start of therapy. The dosage, the number and interval between sessions, and the success rates varied among the different studies. The mode of action is still uncertain, but is essentially mediated through stimulation of T helper-1 cell cytokine response. Adverse effects are mild and generally insignificant, and the recurrence rate is absent or low. Intralesional antigen immunotherapy seems to be a promising, effective and safe treatment modality for viral warts. Future well-designed and controlled studies would help to more clearly define its place in the challenging field of wart therapy.

Testimonial
A year or two ago I started taking Source Naturals Zinc with Copper, one pill every night before bedtime. I was taking it for general wellness and in hopes it might help some gastrointestinal problems I was having. Within two or three weeks the warts on my hands started to disappear. The slowly disappeared completely and have not returned even after I stopped taking the zinc. This is my own experience and I though it might be good to add to your warts page. I should add that the medical research studies on pubmed seem to support the use of zinc for common warts, though the results have been somewhat mixed. In one study, 50% had complete resolution. Another study injected zinc into the warts but had complications such as scarring and ulceration.