Cold Sore Cure

Cold sore lysine – is it the miracle cure for cold sores that many claim? In this article you will get the latest research facts about cold sore lysine remedies for herpes sores.
Cold sore lysine treatment has been in the news a lot in recent years. Studies continue to show it to be very helpful for relief of these persistent sores. But many people who write about lysine do not know how it actually works.
FACT: Cold sores are quelled by lysine similar to a fire being quenched by water.
Water puts out a fire by starving it of the oxygen it needs to burn. Lysine works in a similar way – it represses cold sores by depriving the herpes virus of what it must have to create the sore.
Before using lysine, however, let us explore the cause and effect of these outbreaks and how lysine actually works for you.
The herpes simplex virus moves to the surface for the sole purpose of creating new virus. This parasite virus enters a cell and forces that cell to produce new virus clones. When full, the cell is broken open to spill out the fresh virus.
The herpes virus, type 1 or 2, creates the open, ugly ulcer on your lip or nose by burning up thousands of nerve cells during this replication process.
FACT: Arginine feeds cold sores like oxygen feeds fires.
The herpes virus is made of protein. The main protein used by the cells to create this sub-microscopic virus is the amino acid arginine.
Arginine and lysine are considered essential amino acids. Your body cannot create these. They are essential for your health and must come from your diet.
Your body cells store arginine in a special area within the cell. If forced to create new herpes virus, your cell will draw on these stores until depleted. Without arginine readily available, new virus cannot be created.
FACT: Lysine smothers cold sores by making arginine unavailable.
Your cells stock up on lysine too. And they do so in the same storage space as arginine. Since these two amino acids compete for the same storage area, the more lysine you eat and make available to your cells, the less arginine will be available for virus creation.
Here is the best news. Lysine cannot be used to create new virus. Like water, it cannot burn. And because lysine forces arginine out of the cells, it removes the main building block for the virus.
FACT: Lysine is only available to the cells if taken orally.
The best way to flood your cells with cold sore lysine is by eating foods high in this protein. Dairy products, meats, and fish are excellent sources of this amino acid.
Lysine capsules, although not as well absorbed, are much more convenient for many people. A special diet is often hard to keep, especially with your busy schedule. But, it would be best to combine dietary sources with these supplements.
There are several drug-store treatments that contain lysine. These treatments often contain other herpes fighting ingredients that will help – at least for comfort. Lysine sounds good on the label – but, as a topical remedy for cold sores, it has not been proven to work.
Amino acids, such as lysine, do not go into the cells through the skin. Putting it on the skin before the sores blossom is of no value. And applying this amino acid after the sore opens up, even if it did work, is too late. The damage is already done.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT – lysine is great for extinguishing, and preventing, cold sores. But keep in mind that it only works when it gets into the cells. This can only happen when taken by mouth and absorbed internally from food and supplements.
Lysine is perfectly safe. It is only a protein fraction. Commonly, lysine supplements are taken in doses up to 4000 mg. per day during the outbreak. Some folks also take 500 to 1000 mg. daily to prevent cold sores.
Consuming high lysine foods is the best source of quality lysine. Taking lysine capsules may also be necessary for you to reach the levels you need for effective cold sore lysine treatment.

There are foods that can cause cold sores – and foods items that can also prevent them. Fact is, what your diet choices have a big affect on cold sore healing and prevention.
This short article does not provide meal recipes. It will reveal to you the different foods you need to pay attention to if you suffer from cold sores.
WHAT CAUSES THE COLD SORE?
Cold sores are the collateral damage caused by the replication process of the herpes simplex virus.
Unlike bacteria, the herpes simplex virus can’t reproduce its own kind. In parasite fashion, it enters your surface nerve cells and makes the cells build new virus copies.
Once the cell becomes full or is exhausted, the virus destroys it to spill out millions of fresh herpes simplex virus. This destruction of a large number of cells in close proximity causes the open cold sore wound.
AMINO ACIDS LYSINE AND ARGININE.
Arginine and lysine are quite common protein fractions (amino acids) found in most foods. They play a big role in cold sore development.
Herpes simplex virus is made up of primarily arginine. The herpes virus can’t replicate without sufficient arginine in the host cells. Your cells have specific receptors for arginine storage.
Lysine is very similar to arginine but cannot be used as a protein for building herpes simplex virus. Also, lysine shares the same storage area in the cells with arginine.
Flooding your cells with lysine will push much of the arginine out, making it impossible for that cell to create herpes virus particles. This will stop cold sores, heal them quickly and prevent future outbreaks.
HIGH LYSINE FOODS HELP STOP COLD SORE EVENTS.
Although most food items contain both lysine and arginine, they may contain more of one than the other. The recipe for success here is eating foods that are higher in lysine. A ratio of 2 to 1 – lysine over arginine – is preferred for cold sore control.
High lysine foods in this category include most meat, fish and other seafood (avoid pork). Dairy products and eggs are excellent sources of lysine. This includes cheese and yogurt.
If you like fish, you are in luck. Flounder is a great eating experience and provides the highest levels of lysine we have seen. You will get an unbelievable 14,000 milligrams of lysine per 450 grams (16 ounces) of flounder.
Some folks have reported a one-time serving (450 grams) of flounder quickly gets rid of cold sores.
FOOD ITEMS THAT MAY ENCOURAGE COLD SORES.
Foods that tend to encourage cold sores are high arginine foods.
Avoid nuts, beans and seeds of all sorts. This includes almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts and sunflower seeds. Grains, especially oats, are high arginine food items.
Most vegetables are borderline in that they contain almost equal amounts of lysine and arginine. If you are prone to cold sores, eating vegetables could provide a little too much arginine.
Chocolate is loaded with arginine. Ouch!
BALANCING LYSINE AND ARGININE.
Using food alone to flood your cells with cold sore preventing lysine can be quite a challenge. Many of the foods that you are tempted to avoid are essential to your optimum health.
Do not give up nutritious food products, such as vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Instead increase your intake of high lysine foods so that, at the end of the day, your diet balances out to higher levels of lysine.
Or you can do what many cold sore victims do – take lysine supplements. These supplements are cheap and easy to find. This way you don’t have to change your diet.
Lysine supplements come in 500-milligram capsules or tablets. During a cold sore, many folks will take 4000 to 5000 milligrams of lysine – spread throughout the day. This will usually stop a cold sore and heal it very quickly.
We know that arginine and lysine are major players in the cold sore arena. If you find that lysine therapy does not work as well as you would like, do what others have done – try combining it with other good, proven cold sore treatment methods.