Cold Sore Lysine - How It Works To Heal Cold Sores

Cold sore lysine treatment has been in the news a lot lately.

Studies continue to show it to be very helpful for relief of persistent cold sores.

But many people who write about lysine do not know how it actually works.

FACT: Lysine quenches cold sores much like water extinguishes fire.

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 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 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 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 smothers cold sores by making arginine unavailable.

Lysine is also stored within the cells, in the same storage area as arginine. The more lysine in your diet, the more of it is stored in the cells. And the more lysine, the less room there is for storing arginine. Basically, lysine and arginine fight 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 must be taken orally to reach the cells and be absorbed.

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.

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.

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 does not absorb through the skin to prevent cold sores, nor is it any good once the sore opens up. The lysine molecule can only be absorbed by the cells through the normal nutritional pathway - the bloodstream.

IT'S TRUE - lysine does work well at putting out those burning cold sores. Also, sufficient lysine on a daily basis is useful as a preventative measure. But lysine can get into the cells only if taken orally.

For treatment of a currently active sore, a common daily dosage would be about 4000 mg.. Between outbreaks, many people take 500 to 1000 mg. of supplemental lysine as a preventative.

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.