Cold Sore Lysine - Powerful Medicine for Cold Sores?

Cold sore lysine. Is it all what they say it is?

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

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.

Fire must have oxygen to burn. Water smothers the fire by preventing oxygen from reaching it. Lysine works much the same way with cold sores. It keeps the herpes virus from getting the one main nutrient it must have to make new virus.

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 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 is the oxygen that makes cold sores burn.

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 nerve cells store arginine in a specific location within the cell. Cells that are forced to create herpes virus will do so only until the arginine stores are used up. Arginine is the main building block of the herpes virus. Without it, no virus cloning can take place.

FACT: Lysine smothers cold sores by making arginine unavailable.

You see - lysine is also stocked up in the cells, using the same receptors as arginine. Lysine, if consumed in large enough quantities, will actually force some arginine out of the cells by taking its place. Arginine and lysine compete for the same space.

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 can only reach the cells for storage through the blood supply.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.