Warts are common, small growths that usually occur on the hands or feet.  Having a rough or grainy texture, Warts occur when a virus comes in contact with the skin.  A person can develop warts if they are infected with some strains of human papilloma virus (HPV).  Children and young adults most commonly develop warts because they have weakened immune systems.  There are Common Warts, Flat Warts, Plantar Warts, Genital Warts, Filiform Warts, and Periungual Warts, all of which are caused by different viruses. 

Common Warts tend to appear on the hands or feet.  While some Warts go away on their own, other need natural remedies to help remove them from the body.  Symptoms for Common Warts include:

• Small, grainy bumps on hands or feet
• Fleshy bumps are rough to the touch
• Sprinkled with black pinpoints, which are small, clotted blood vessels

Warts are primarily caused by HPV, which is a virus that has over 100 different strains.  Most of these strains are relatively harmless and only cause Common Warts, but more serious strains of the virus can lead to cervical cancer.  Some strains of HPV cause Warts on the hands, while other strains cause Warts to develop on the feet.  Children usually get warts via skin-to-skin contact, but not everybody who comes in contact with HPV will get Warts because each person's immune system responds differently.  Common causes include:

• Scratching or biting a Wart
• Sucking fingers
• Continuously biting fingernails
• Shaving the face or legs
• Wet or dry skin (which comes in contact with rough surfaces) 

• Essential oils can be great topical solutions that can help to relieve Warts.  Oregano and Frankincense are two great essential oils that have been proven to reduce and even get rid of Plantar Warts.  Mix one drop of each of these oils with a small amount of coconut oil and apply it directly to the Wart(s).  Apply this solution 2-3 times a day for 2-4 weeks, or until the wart is gone.  Continue applying for one week after the wart is gone to prevent recurrence. 
• It's beneficial to maintain a plant-based diet for better, overall health, and to stop eating meat, gluten, trans fats, refined sugars, processed foods, and salty foods.  These foods, which you should eliminate from you diet, cause inflammation and can reduce immune system function.  Eating plant-based foods can provide you with the essential nutrients your body needs for proper function.  Additionally, there are many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods that are beneficial to eat while you have Warts. 
• Apple cider vinegar is a superstar in the world of home remedies.  While the apple cider vinegar does not actually kill the virus, the acidity attacks the flesh that makes up the wart, kills it, and allows it to fall off naturally. Soak a cotton ball in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and apply it directly to the Warts, taping it on overnight.  Do this for about 1-2 weeks.  
• The inside of banana peels contain a proteolytic enzyme that can naturally eat away Warts.  You need a utensil to scrape the white mush off the inside of the peel and apply it to your Wart(s) twice a day until the Wart(s) is gone.  
• Consuming goldenseal and Echinacea increases the strength of the immune system.  Both of these have natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory substances, which can help to get rid of the virus.
• Establishing a neutral pH balance in your body can help decrease Warts and the HPV strains.  You can do this by eating a diet rich in alkaline foods (dark leafy greens, sprouts, cabbage, beets, broccoli, onions, garlic, parsley, mushrooms, leeks, cauliflower, eggplant, or carrots, among many other fruits and vegetables).  You can also mix 1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar in 8oz of water once a day to neutralize your body's pH level. 
• Raw garlic is a fantastic herbal remedy because it has incredible anti-bacterial properties.  While consuming raw garlic cloves is beneficial, the best way to use it is to mash it up into a paste, place it on the wart under a bandage, and re-apply every few hours. 
• For those that can handle a little pain, you can stick a sterilized needle in your Wart(s) to alert your body that something is wrong.  When you poke the wart, the body knows that something is not right and it can properly attack the virus.  Ice the wart until it is numb, sterilize a clean and sharp needle over a flame, and poke the needle well into the wart.  It is best to poke the wart all over because the body will attack the virus faster. Wash your hands after you do this procedure. 

• Dark Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, & chard)
• Sea Vegetables (spirulina or kelp)
• Broccoli
• Berries
• Tomatoes
• Cherries
• Pumpkin
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Green Tea
• Legumes
• Almonds
• Carrots
• Bell Peppers
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Brazil Nuts
• Pumpkin Seeds