Cold Sore Lysine - How And Why It Works
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008Cold sore lysine - is it the miracle cure for cold sores that many claim? Find out the truth. Get the latest research facts, right now, 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.
Right now, we need to take a look at what really causes cold sores and how lysine can literally stop them in their tracks.
When the herpes simplex virus becomes active, it infects nerve cells on the surface and forces them to make copies of the virus. Once full, the cells are annihilated to free the new virus.
The painful, unsightly sores on your face are the result of the destruction of thousands of close-together body cells by the herpes simplex virus.
FACT: Arginine is the main nutrient that feeds the herpes fire.
Protein is what the herpes virus is made of. To create new viruses, your cells need arginine as the main ingredient. Without it, virus replication is impossible.
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. Each amino acid has a specific function in the body.
Your cells have special receptors that store arginine for various purposes. A cell that is invaded by herpes and is forced to make clones will use up this arginine in the process. New herpes virus cannot be built without arginine.
FACT: Lysine extinguishes the fire of cold sores by preventing arginine from reaching it.
Your cells warehouse lysine too. And it does so in the same storage space as arginine. Since arginine and lysine 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.
Lysine does not support the creation of the herpes virus. And it keeps the arginine from being available for virus replication by replacing it in the storage area of the cells.
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 high lysine foods. 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.
Do not sucker for lysine as a topical treatment for cold sores. These remedies may have other ingredients that can help relieve these painful sores. But lysine put directly on the sore area is of little or no use.
Lysine is a large molecule and is not able to be absorbed readily through the skin. Putting it on the skin, or on the sore, will be of no help. It cannot get through the skin to prevent the sore and, once it becomes an open ulcer, the damage is done.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT - lysine is great for extinguishing, and preventing, cold sores. But keep in mind that lysine only works when it gets into the cells. This can only happen when it is taken by mouth and absorbed internally from food and supplements.
Lysine is perfectly safe. It is just 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.
Eating more of the high lysine foods and less of the high arginine foods may be all you need to beat these hideous sores. Supplementing your diet with lysine pills may be the easiest way of getting the highest levels needed for a cold sore lysine cure.