Today I want to explain five things you need to know about the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Roughly 95 percent of the population has the Epstein-Barr virus. The more you know about EBV, the less you’ll be adversely affected by it.

The Epstein-Barr virus can use different strategies to go under the radar and survive in a person’s body. The virus can go dormant and become very difficult for the body to detect.

You can never get rid of EBV—you have to focus on keeping it in remission. To keep it in remission, you need to understand the strategies of the virus and how to support the immune system to keep it under control.

Important things to know about the Epstein-Barr virus:

1. You can’t get rid of it

2. It’s associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia

3. It blocks key immune nutrients that your cells depend on, like vitamin D, vitamin A, and zinc

4. It modulates fever response

5. Emotional stress may trigger EBV to come out of remission

Three things to help inhibit EBV from coming out of remission:

1. Decrease your stress and exposure to triggers

2. Take cod liver oil

3. Choose one or two of these herbs:

• Elderberry

• Echinacea

• Olive leaf extract

• Andrographis

• Astragalus