Lysine and Cold Sores - A Top Remedy For Your Cold Sore?

By Denny Bodoh

Lysine and cold sores are enemies. Read this article now. You will finally know what works and what does not when using lysine for cold sores.

Lysine for cold sores is much talked about these days. The truth is - lab and empirical data strongly support the use of lysine for cold sores.

Why can lysine stop cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes outbreaks? How do I use it for best results?

Good questions for sure.

But before we look at the use of lysine for cold sores, we should first understand the actual cause of a cold sore.

The primary cause of all cold sore events is the herpes simplex virus. Whether you call them cold sores, fever blisters, or oral herpes outbreaks, they are all the same thing.

An extremely contagious virus, it currently infects about 89% of humans around the world. The majority of these people catch the herpes simplex virus before 12 years of age.

The herpes virus hides in the root area of your facial nerves and will be dormant there most of the time. This is an area located behind either ear. As long as it is hibernating, you will not have any symptoms.

If the herpes simplex virus senses a weakening of your immune system, it may become active - wanting to create new virus. Stress, both physical and mental, is usually what triggers this chain of events.

The herpes virus squirms through the nerve fibers to the surface of your skin. Once there, the virus will enter the nerve cells.

Each virus then forces that cell to act as a virus factory and construct herpes virus clones. When the cell is swollen with fresh virus, it is destroyed to free the new virus.

Your open cold sore is caused by this destruction of millions of adjacent cells.

Arginine is a common protein fraction (amino acid). It is the primary protein needed to build new herpes virus. It is found, to some degree, in most foods. Arginine is particularly high in chocolate and nuts.

Your cells have a special area to store proteins, such as arginine, inside the cell.

Lysine is also an essential amino acid. Dairy and fish are good sources of lysine. New herpes virus can not be created using lysine. It is like putting water in your gas tank.

Here is the good news. Arginine and lysine fight over the same storage space within your cells. The more your cells store lysine, the less arginine it can hold.

Reducing your arginine supplies by increasing lysine intake is a trick many folks use to stop herpes virus activity and support quick healing. It can also prevent future cold sore events by starving the herpes virus of the fuel it needs.

You can increase your lysine levels with a diet rich in vegetables, fish and dairy products. Also, not eating high arginine foods, such as chocolate and nuts, will help reduce your arginine levels.

Adjusting your eating habits to control oral herpes, cold sore or fever blister attacks is not usually much fun. Most folks prefer lysine in capsules for the bulk of their treatment. This amino acid is inexpensive and you can find it anywhere.

With lysine capsules, you can change your intake based on your need. And you often do not have to give up the foods you love, such as chocolate or nuts.

Lysine is very safe. Commonly people take 1000 to 4000 milligrams per day during a cold sore and 500 to 1000 milligrams daily as a preventative measure. Again, you can adjust this depending on how often you get them.

But, this is where you need to be careful.

Lysine for cold sores is a well-proven and effective treatment when taken internally. However, it has not shown much value as a topical treatment.

There are lysine salves on the market for use as cold sore remedies. Lysine must get into the cells to work. Lysine does not absorb through the skin. You must take it orally for good results.

Lysine for cold sores is one of the more proven and convenient cold sore remedies that you should be using.

There is much more you should know about lysine for cold sores - and other great cold sore remedies. But, there is just not enough room to cover it all in this one article.

Whether you want to shorten the duration or to prevent future outbreaks, lysine is powerful medicine. But, keep this in mind. There are several other excellent cold sore remedies for you to try - that may work even better for you than lysine for cold sores. - 14018

About the Author:

Lysine for cold sores - want to know more? Go now to Denny Bodoh's expert web site bursting with excellent FREE facts about cold sores. You will be amazed to discover some awesome cold sore treatment tips you can use right now.