To the Editor: Recently, we have observed that a number of our university students are taking large doses of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a phenolic antioxidant food preservative, as treatment for genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Relying on statements made in Pearson and Shaw's best-selling book, The Life Extension Companion,1 these students take 2 to 6 g of BHT per day. The book recommends maintenance doses of at least 2 g per day, taken at bedtime on an empty stomach. The 250-mg capsules are available in most health food stores.Although no well-controlled clinical trials have been reported, there . . .