Amino Acid As a Treatment for Plantar Warts

There are many options for treating plantar warts depending on whether you want to visit the doctor, or attempt removal at home. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the treatment option needs to be thorough. If a break in the skin occurs and some of the virus remains, the warts will spread. Amino acids can play a major role in any home treatment of plantar warts.

Plantar Warts

• Plantar warts are growths, typically benign, that are found on the skin of the feet. They are caused by the HPV (human papilloma virus) which is quite contagious and transmitted through small cuts or breaks in the skin. These can bleed or ooze if scraped. This is a slow acting virus, so you could have it for quite some time before the warts appear.

Amino Acid

• An amino acid is one of the building blocks of protein. There are several different types of amino acids, 10 of which are not produced by the body.

Treatment

• Salicylic acid is found in many over the counter wart removal treatments. This is biosynthesized from phenylalanine (an amino acid).

Application

• Salicylic acid is applied topically to the wart. It will break down the cells and allow the virus into the bloodstream. Once the virus is in the bloodstream, the body's immune system will develop antibodies.

Effectiveness

• As with any treatment, it depends on the individual. If the person is able to develop antibodies, then the wart will go away. If not, then other treatment method may need to be found.

Prevention

• Lysine is another amino acid. Taken orally, this amino acid can help the immune system prevent warts. A much more expensive form is available to apply topically.