Whenever I post research on this site, I always try, when I remember, to write a bit about the study so that others can make sense of it. This recent study I came across probably needs that. (link to abstract here)

Lian Fang is the mature receptacle or node from the lotus plant. The lotus plant itself is an amazing herb that has traditional served both a medicinal and culinary purpose in Asia for thousands of years. Pretty much every part of it is attributed to some type of healing ability. Other parts include the leaf (he ye), the rhizome (ou jie), the plumule (Lian Xin), the stem (lian geng), and the seed (Lian zi).

So in this study, the researchers found that the extracts of the Nelumbo Nucifera, lotus receptacle, where able to suppress the early gene expression of the herpes simplex virus better than the common marketed anti viral drugs, such as Acyclovir. The best way to prevent chronic outbreaks of the herpes virus is to stop the virus in its earliest stages of development and reproduction, this is what the Lotus did. Acyclovir was found to be good for acute infections but not for chronic reactivation, the Lotus was found to be good for both.

These nucleoside drugs like Acyclovir work by destroying the virally infected cells chromesomes. The lotus worked by stopping the herpes gene from duplicating, without actually destroying the inner workings of the cell itself.