Nutritional Psychiatry – Foods the Brain Needs for Success
The brain needs many foods for success; a lack of any one of the hundreds of nutrients will result in poor cognitive health and performance.
© 2025 Modern Mind Masters - All Rights Reserved
Our site features affiliate links. If you buy through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
The internet is full of clickbait and false promises — all dangling miracle cures in exchange for your clicks, likes, or hard-earned cash.
You know the saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
And I’d agree with that 99% of the time.
But this isn’t one of those times.
This discovery comes courtesy of my wife — a long-time cold sore sufferer. Like clockwork, she’d get one every couple of months, usually in sync with her period. Hormonal shifts would slightly weaken her immune system, and the lurking cold sore virus would seize its moment.
We’ve thrown the kitchen sink at cold sores over the years: creams, supplements, oils, ice, and good old-fashioned prayer. Nothing worked. The sores always came, and the cycle of crusty shame would begin.
Until now.
The solution is unconventional, but after watching my wife apply this at the very first tingle — half a dozen times and counting — I’m convinced. At this point, it’s not a lucky streak. It’s a reliable way to stop a cold sore dead in its tracks within 24 hours.
I’ll spare you the long-winded buildup. Here’s the magic. Fair warning: some of you might raise an eyebrow, but I urge you to read on. I’m not a doctor, and I’m not a virologist, but I know results when I see them. The worst that can happen? You stay skeptical. The best? You never suffer another cold sore again.
Disclaimer: For legal reasons, I’m not instructing you to put ivermectin paste on your lips. I’m simply telling you that, for informational purposes, my wife has done exactly that, multiple times, with a 100% success rate and zero side effects. What you do with that information is entirely up to you.
Brace yourself — here it is: Ivermectin. Specifically, ivermectin paste — the kind sold as an oral horse dewormer. Since ivermectin isn’t available over the counter in most U.S. states (though that’s slowly changing), this is the easiest way to get your hands on it.
If you’re in the U.S., Tractor Supply is your go-to. A single 6g tube will run you about $11 — and considering that’s enough to deworm an entire horse, the amount you’ll need for a cold sore is microscopic. Amazon also sells a similar brand. One tube will likely last you years.
The brand I’ve used is Durvet (linked below). There are others, but the only thing that matters is the active ingredient: Ivermectin 1.87%. Durvet was the first one I tried — and the last, because it worked so well I never needed to look elsewhere.
There’s only one real rule when using ivermectin paste for cold sores: apply it at the very first sign. The earlier, the better. If you wait too long, the virus can get a head start and the paste might not stop it. Even if you’re unsure — whether it’s an itch, a tingle, or just a hunch — apply it anyway.
Because it’s on your lip, it’ll naturally wear off, especially when eating or drinking. Just reapply as needed. And don’t stress about swallowing trace amounts — ivermectin paste is designed to be taken orally (by horses, of course), but the tiny dabs you’ll use on a cold sore are nowhere near a problematic dose. Applying it every few hours is more than safe at the amounts you’ll be using.
There simply isn’t any other product that I have ever used or even heard of that does anything to treat or even manage a cold sore, let alone prevent it from occuring.
If you’ve ever had a cold sore, you know the emotional rollercoaster: the tingle, the dread, the mirror check, and then the full-blown lip apocalypse. Over the years, I tried everything:
Nothing truly stopped a cold sore from developing. It was always the same routine—blister, crust, shame, repeat.
Like most of you probably did, I winced the moment I saw the word “ivermectin.” The infamous horse dewormer. The one the media swore only tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorists were dumb enough to use. I was skeptical too. I mean, how could something designed to kill parasites possibly help against a virus?
It didn’t make sense then, and honestly, it still doesn’t fully make sense now. But after six out of six cold sores stopped dead in their tracks within 24 hours, it became impossible to call it coincidence.
I first stumbled across the idea while scrolling social media, when I saw a post from Dr. William Makis (@MakisMD). His words stopped me cold:
“Ivermectin cream can help stop cold sores.”
I blinked.
You mean… that ivermectin? The horse paste? The apple-flavored punchline the media mocked into oblivion?
Yep. That one.
I laughed and told my wife. She tried it anyway — because when you’ve had enough cold sores, desperation makes you bold.
Below is a testimony from my wife:
As soon as I felt the cold sore tingle starting, I dabbed a tiny bit of the horse ivermectin paste on my lip. I didn’t expect much.
But within hours, the blister never developed. The bump flattened. No crust. No explosion. No walk of shame with a Band-Aid on my face. Just smooth skin. Like nothing had happened.
It was, no exaggeration, a miracle. I now lovingly refer to that tube in the fridge as “my trusty steed.”
Let’s set the record straight for a moment.
Ivermectin isn’t just some random “horse dewormer.” It won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for its life-saving role in fighting parasitic infections.
It’s been used safely in humans for over 40 years across the globe — and still is, especially in developing countries where medical systems haven’t banned or demonized it.
Yes, mainstream media continues to claim it’s ineffective against COVID, despite dozens of studies arguing otherwise — but that’s a separate debate. Right now, we’re talking about cold sores (yes, another virus…), so let’s stay on track.
Beyond its antiparasitic fame, ivermectin is used to treat cholera, intestinal worms, rosacea, lice — and now, at least anecdotally and convincingly — cold sores.
Oh, and cancer.
Dr. William Makis has become a leading voice in the ivermectin conversation, using it as part of an unorthodox cancer protocol. If you’re curious, check out his Substack or X account — his patient testimonials speak for themselves.
So why all the mockery? Simple: it’s cheap, off-patent, and it works.
And that’s bad for business — but very, very good for the rest of us.
Of course, as someone who writes science-backed articles, I couldn’t help but dig a little deeper into how an antiparasitic compound like ivermectin could have any effect on cold sores — also known as fever blisters.
For those unfamiliar: cold sores are small, fluid-filled blisters that typically show up around the lips, mouth, or nose. They’re caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1).
Once you’ve been infected, the virus doesn’t leave your body. It lies dormant in nerve cells, waiting for the right trigger — stress, illness, sunburn, hormonal changes, or a weakened immune system — to “wake up” and cause a new outbreak.
In my wife’s case, the pattern was clear: flare-ups almost always happened around her time of the month, and pregnancy was especially brutal, thanks to all the hormonal shifts.
Curious to understand more, I dug into the research (long before COVID pushed ivermectin’s name into controversial territory, it had quietly amassed hundreds of peer-reviewed studies). One recurring observation stood out: ivermectin shows both antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Some research suggests ivermectin can interfere with a virus’s ability to replicate by blocking nuclear transport proteins — specifically importin α/β — which are used by many viruses, including herpesviruses, to hijack your cells.
Even more interesting: ivermectin’s anti-inflammatory action appears to be separate from its antiparasitic role. This means it may reduce the local immune reaction that makes cold sores swell, blister, and eventually rupture. Less inflammation could mean less tissue damage — and in some cases, no visible sore at all.
If you’re the curious type, here are just a few studies that explore ivermectin’s antiviral properties. I’m not here to convince you — only to share what’s worked, time and time again, for my wife.
The effect of ivermectin on the viral load
Ivermectin: A Multifaceted Drug With a Potential Beyond Anti-parasitic Therapy
If you curious, but not quite ready to take the jump into topically applying ivermectin horse paste on your lips, ivermectin can also be found in human creams (like Soolantra) for conditions like rosacea — which might be a safer alternative for off-label cold sore use.
I have not tried other ivermectin creams, however, as the Durvet brand ivermectin paste was successful enough for us on the first attempt that I do not need or want to try anything else.
There you have it: an $11 solution that’s been 100% effective for us — but only when applied within minutes of the first tingle. Despite decades of research backing ivermectin’s antiviral properties, the media has stirred up confusion about this once-respected medication.
Of course, we wouldn’t ideally be using a treatment meant for horses (or any other animal, for that matter), but right now, it’s tough to find a human-approved cream with a strong enough dose of ivermectin. Thankfully, things are starting to shift, with more states working to make ivermectin available over the counter. But until that happens, my wife will continue to swear by her trusty equine remedy. It may not be for horses, but it certainly works wonders for her!
The brain needs many foods for success; a lack of any one of the hundreds of nutrients will result in poor cognitive health and performance.
Explore practical strategies on how to overcome laziness, embracing laziness as natural and tackling it with rest, planning, and reframing success.”
Discover what is the ketogenic diet — a low-carb, high-fat way of eating that shifts your body into fat-burning, ketone-producing mode.
How Disney, Ford, and Sanders overcame repeated setbacks to become 3 of history’s most successful failures
Discover The Impact of Cannabis Use on Brain Function and Cognitive Performance, exploring how heavy and moderate cannabis use affects memory, brain activation, and cognitive abilities.
Modern life can quickly leave you feeling overwhelmed if you are not prepared. Learn how to overcome these feelings and stay in control of your time
© 2025 Modern Mind Masters - All Rights Reserved
You’ll Learn:
Effective Immediately: 5 Powerful Changes Now, To Improve Your Life Tomorrow.
Click the purple button and we’ll email you your free copy.