Cold Sore Lysine Facts

Cold sore lysine.

Is it all what it is cracked up to be?

In this article, discover for yourself the facts about the why and how of cold sore lysine use for oral herpes.

Cold sore lysine has been much talked about as a treatment for cold sores and other herpes outbreaks. It actually does work extremely well for stopping these troublesome sores - but ONLY if you know how to use it properly.

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.

Normally the herpes virus is latent. It becomes active only to create new virus. It does this by moving to the surface, infecting the nerve cells there, and forcing them to build copies of the virus.

When the cell is full, it is destroyed to release the new virus.

The open wound we see on our face is the visible result of thousands of adjacent cells being destroyed by the cloning process of the herpes virus - either HSV-1 or HSV-2.

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, along with lysine, is in a group designated as essential amino acids. There are about 17 amino acids in this group the body cannot create. They must be obtained from the foods we eat. Each one is important to specific tasks within our body.

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 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 cannot be used for creating herpes virus - like water cannot burn. And it smothers the replication process by keeping arginine from being available for use.

FACT: Lysine is only available to the cells if taken orally.

Lysine from food is the best utilized form of lysine. Eating food high in cold sore lysine, such as meat, fish and dairy, is the best way to get this powerful amino acid for healing or prevention.

For convenience, you can find lysine capsules at most stores that sell vitamins. These are very convenient since they reduce the need to change your diet. Combining diet with supplemental lysine would still be the best method.

You may have seen topical remedies that contain lysine. These may be helpful treatments for cold sores - but not because of the lysine.

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 the lysine after the sore opens up, even if it did work, is too late. The damage is already done.

YES. Lysine works great for quenching cold sores. And Lysine is great for preventing them too. But your cold sore lysine must be taken orally to do its magic.

Lysine is as safe as food. Lysine capsules usually come in 500 mg. size. 4000 mg. per day is common during an outbreak. 500 to 1000 mg. daily is the usual amount for prevention.

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.