HERPES NATURAL TREATMENTS – LYSINE RESEARCH UPDATE

ABSTRACT: Herpes outbreaks are fewer and shorter when lysine is included in your
diet. Research examples over the past 25 years generally point to the effectiveness of
eating foods with high lysine-arginine ratios and by supplementing with extra lysine
during outbreaks.

MAIN ARTICLE:

There is no way to cure herpes, especially genital herpes. This family of viruses causes
common infections of the skin or mucous membranes. Short term herpes treatment with
prescription antiviral drugs can accelerate the healing of an acute outbreak and lower
the recurrence rate. However, they can also cause a wide array of side effects,
including kidney failure, hepatitis, and shock. Safe and effective approaches are
therefore needed. There is evidence that certain dietary modifications and natural
substances may be useful for treating active Herpes simplex lesions or preventing
recurrences. Natural herpes treatment includes lysine, vitamin C, zinc, vitamin E,
adenosine monophosphate, and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).

One of the most common dietary approaches to alleviating outbreaks is simply eating
high-lysine foods or taking lysine supplements. It is important to see what the
researchers are saying in their publications on this topic. Not all of them are in
agreement as to the benefits of lysine. See the journal quotes from four different articles
that appeared from 1978 to 2005.

1. From: Herpes, vol. 12 no. 2, pp. 38-41 (2005), "Use of complementary and
alternative medicine for the treatment of genital herpes."

"We have reviewed available scientific data on six commonly used treatments
(echinacea, eleuthero, L-lysine, zinc, bee products and aloe). Currently, there are
insufficient clinical data to be confident of the efficacy and safety of any of these
products for the treatment of genital herpes."

2. From: Chemotherapy, vol. 27 no. 3, pp. 209-213 (1981), "Relation of arginine-

lysine antagonism to herpes simplex growth in tissue culture."

"In the studies conducted, arginine deficiency suppressed herpes simplex virus
replication in tissue culture. Lysine, an analog of arginine, as an antimetabolite,
antagonized the viral growth-promoting action of arginine. The in vitro data may be the
basis for the observation that patients prone to herpetic lesions and other related viral
infections, particularly during periods of stress, should abstain from arginine excess and
may also require supplemental lysine in their diet."
3. From: Dermatologica, vol. 156 no. 5, pp. 257-267 (1978), "A multicentered study
of lysine therapy in Herpes simplex infection."

"Lysine appears to suppress the clinical manifestations of herpesvirus infection. 45

patients with frequently recurring herpes infection were given 312-1,200 mg of lysine
daily in single or multiple doses. The clinical results demonstrated a beneficial effect
from supplementary lysine in accelerating recovery from herpes simplex infection and
suppressing recurrence. Tissue culture studies have demonstrated an enhancing effect
on viral replication when the amino acid ratio of arginine to lysine favors arginine. The
opposite, preponderance of lysine to arginine, suppresses viral replication and inhibits
cytopathogenicity of herpes simplex virus."

4. From: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, vol 12 no. 5, pp. 489-496(1983),

"Subjective response to lysine in the therapy of herpes simplex."

"To test the effect of lysine supplementation on herpes infection, 1543 subjects were
surveyed by questionnaire after a six-month trial period. The study included subjects
with cold sores, canker sores, and genital herpes. Of these, 54% had been diagnosed
and treated by a physician. The results showed that the average dosage used was 936
mg of lysine daily. Eighty-four per cent of those surveyed said that lysine
supplementation prevented recurrence or decreased the frequency of herpes infection.
Whereas 79% described their symptoms as severe or intolerable without lysine, only
8% used these terms when taking lysine. Without lysine, 90% indicated that healing
took six to 15 days, but with lysine 83% stated that lesions healed in five days or less.
Overall, 88% considered supplemental lysine an effective form of treatment for herpes
infection."

Controlling Herpes Naturally with Diet

The easiest strategy, before considering drugs or natural herpes treatment, is to eat
foods that have the highest lysine content and the lowest arginine content. However,
both of these are common amino acids that occur in virtually every single protein in your
diet. It is most important, therefore, for you to know which foods have the highest or
lowest ratio of lysine to arginine. The top foods to eat, with the highest lysine-arginine
ratio, are cheeses and other cultured dairy products. The bottom of the list, meaning
foods with the lowest lysine-arginine ratio,include most nuts and certain fruit juices.

Of course, you can push the balance in your favor by supplementing with about 1,000
mg of lysine daily also. This is especially helpful during outbreaks.

AUTHOR RESOURCE: Dr. Dennis Clark, PhD, has spent more than 30 years as a
research scientist, specializing on natural approaches to health. For more than 15 years
he has focused on treating herpes with diet and herbs. See what he has to say
regarding what your doctor doesn't know about herpes at http://herpesreliefcenter.com.
Design your best anti-herpes meals with the lysine-arginine food chart at
http://herpesreliefcenter.com/herpes-lysine-arginine-food-chart.htm.