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Foods to avoid with cold sores are key foods that contain high levels of the amino acid arginine and low quantities of lysine. Take a look now at what these foods are and how to easily cancel them out. Lysine and arginine are two common amino acids found in foods. They are the two most widely researched nutrients that affect cold sores. Here is how they work. Cold sore events occur because of the replication process of herpes simplex virus (type 1 and 2). This is a sub-microscopic virus that creates more virus by forcing your cells to become herpes factories. When the cell becomes full of new virus, it is destroyed to release them. This causes the cold sore ulcer. Arginine is a protein fraction that is essential in the production of new herpes virus. Your nerve cells have a storage area within the cell specifically for arginine. The same receptors are used to store lysine. Lysine is a protein that cannot be used to create new virus. When you consume high levels of lysine, the lysine will take the place of some of the arginine. This creates a situation where the cell cannot support the production of new herpes virus because of low arginine levels. Whenever your cells have a higher lysine than arginine content, it discourages creation of new virus. This often sends the herpes virus back into a latent state. You will not get a cold sore if the cells cannot create virus. These are a few of the foods to avoid with cold sores. Arginine levels are higher than lysine levels in these selections. ---- Anything that contains chocolate ---- Nuts ---- Seeds ---- Any seafood that has a shell such as shrimp and oysters ---- Grains such as wheat and oats ---- Many fruits and berries including grapes, grapefruit and oranges ---- Some vegetables to avoid are carrots, broccoli, onions, squash, rutabaga and peas. Fact is - it can be hard to avoid certain foods. Some should not be avoided. You will notice many of the foods on the avoid list have a high nutritional value and are important for your optimal health. You probably would not hurt yourself by avoiding these foods for just a week or so. However, for optimal health, you should not avoid these foods for any length of time. Do not use avoidance of these foods as a method to prevent cold sores. To do so could weaken your immune system. This could actually cause more cold sores, rather than less. A better solution would be to increase your lysine intake during a cold sore event. This often stops a cold sore fast. This is also a very good way to prevent future cold sores. Here are some high lysine foods that are good any time you have a cold sore. They are especially good for balancing out some of the foods to avoid with cold sores. All dairy products are rich in lysine, such as cheeses, yogurt, and whole milk. Other lysine rich foods include chicken, beef, beets, apricots, figs, avocado, apples and soybeans. Fish is a particularly good source of lysine, especially flounder. OK - I know keeping to a special diet is not fun. Most people, like myself, drop it quickly. Truth is, I have not followed these diet restrictions very well at all. I love chocolate too much! A great way to reduce cold sores without the bother of a restricted diet is the use of a lysine supplement. Lysine usually comes in 500 mg. capsules and can be found anywhere. It is common to take 2000 mg. (4 caps) to 4000 mg. (8 caps) daily during the cold sore and two capsules daily as a maintenance dose to prevent cold sores. Is lysine safe to take in large quantity? Lysine is perfectly safe. Eight capsules daily is only 4000 mg., or 4 grams. No bad side effects have ever been noted. You often exceed this just by eating food alone. A four-ounce serving of flounder, for example, will provide the equivalent of 4 to 5 grams of lysine. The capsules are just more convenient. Yes - you can have your chocolate and eat it too. Keep in mind that you just need to increase your lysine intake to heal or prevent cold sores and balance out those high arginine foods to avoid with cold sores.
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Denny Bodoh understands cold sores. Before you spend another dime on your cold sores, check out his awesome free information about cold sores and discover a few incredible cold sore cures and treatments.
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