Lysine and Cold Sores - Will It Cure All Cold Sore Problems?

Published July 31st, 2008

by Denny Bodoh

Lysine and cold sores - an excellent remedy if used correctly. By the time you are done reading this short article, you will know the truth about using lysine for cold sores.

Lysine for cold sores is in the news a lot. You will find that empirical evidence strongly suggest the power and effectiveness of using 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, prior to using lysine for cold sores, it is best to know as much as possible about how a cold sore is created.

Herpes simplex virus is the root cause of all oral herpes outbreaks. Some call them cold sores or fever blisters but they are both identical oral herpes events.

90% of the world population carries this terribly contagious virus. It is most common to be exposed to it before 12 years old.

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.

The herpes simplex virus will become active to produce new virus. Since it lives in the nerves, it can quickly tell when your immunity drops. Stress of any sort can create the right conditions for cold sores to happen.

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

The cold sore virus then makes the cell create new virus copies. Once the cell is filled to capacity, it bursts open and the new virus gushes out, looking for a home.

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

Arginine, an amino acid, is the main ingredient your cells need to create this new herpes virus. Arginine is a common protein found in many foods. Chocolate and nuts are quite rich in this protein.

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

Lysine is another essential amino acid - commonly found in fish and most dairy products. This is one protein that cannot be used to construct new herpes viruses. In fact, it is like putting water on a fire.

Lysine and arginine share the same storage area in your cells. The more lysine you put in storage, the less room for arginine.

You can easily lower the cell’s arginine supply by raising lysine intake. This is a tactic many people use to stop the progression of a cold sore and prevent future oral herpes outbreaks. You are, in affect, starving out the virus.

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.

Lysine supplements are usually 500-milligram capsules. They allow you to adjust the amount you get each day based on what works best for you. And when you want to eat some chocolate, you can take extra lysine.

Lysine is one of many common proteins and is quite safe. To treat a cold sore, dosages of 2000 to 4000 milligrams daily are the norm. Many people take 500 milligrams per day to help prevent future oral herpes cold sore outbreaks.

But, this is where lysine is misunderstood.

Lysine for cold sores is powerful when used as an internal treatment. But it does not work very well as a topical treatment.

I mention this because you will find cold sore remedies at the store that contain lysine. These are designed to put directly on the sore. The lysine does not absorb and get into the cells this way. Save your money.

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.

If you are a victim of long duration or frequent cold sore events, lysine is an excellent choice. But do not stop there. There are many other great cold sore remedies. You may find some will work even better for you than lysine for cold sores.

About the Author:

Cold sore relief? Check out the FREE expert articles about Cold Sores at Denny Bodoh’s popular web-site. While there you will get a lot of awesome Cold Sore cures and treatment options you can use immediately.