How your diet influence directly your cold sores outbreaks.

What are cold sores?

Cold sores outbreaks are a manifestation of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) that you carry in your nerve cells. If you suffer from labial herpes (herpes) you are probably infected by the Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, but the type 2, generally associate with genital herpes can also manifest itself on the lips or the noise region. Near 80% of the world population carries the virus, but only 15% to 30% of them suffer from recurrent outbreaks. Once you are infected by the virus, you are infected for life; there is no known cure to herpes.

How to control outbreaks with a balanced diet

Here comes the good news! Even if you suffer from recurrent cold sores you can drastically reduce or even prevent outbreaks by following some simple rules. Some of these rules are not fun to implement into your daily life, but their effects may convince you to stick with it.

Your diet can have a direct effect on cold sores!

The amino-acid ratio battle.

Arginine: Arginine is an amino-acid found in virtually any food that you eat. Arginine by itself is not evil; the problem is that it is the favorite 'food' use by the Herpes Simplex Virus to reproduce. High levels of arginine appear to cue the virus to begin replicating.

Lysine: Lysine is also an amino-acid obtained by your diet. If arginine has herpes growth-promoting activity, lysine has the opposite effect. The herpes virus cannot use Lysine to feed or to replicate; this is why we need to feed more lysine to our cells.

So logically the more lysine and the less arginine you consume in your foods, the fewer cold sore outbreaks you are likely to have. BUT the goal is not to eradicate arginine from your diet, you need it to stay in good health and regenerate muscles! What we need is food with a good lysine/arginine ratio.

Here are 2 examples:

Example 1 Peanuts: 100 grams of peanuts contain: 1006 mg of lysine and 3506 mg of arginine. This is a 0.29 lysine/arginine ratio. Eat peanuts with moderation!

Example 2 Plain Yogurt: 100 grams of plain yogurt contain: 311 mg of lysine and 104 mg of arginine. The lysine/arginine ratio is 2.99. Yogurt is ok!

Food with a poor lysine/arginine ratio (consume with moderation):

• Eat with extreme moderation all kind of nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc...) as well as their by-products.

• Eat with moderation all kind of seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc..) as well as their by-products

• Citrus-based juices (orange, grapefruit, tangerine juice, etc...)

• Raisins

• Coconut

• Chocolate and all other cocoa by-products

• Puffed oat and oatmeal, wheat and wheat by-products • Cucurbitaceae (Squash, pumpkin, etc...)

• Beware of arginine-rich food supplements, typically found in bodybuilding food products

Some food with a good lysine/arginine ratio (ok food)

• Dairy products (yogurt, milk, cheese)

• Meat (chicken, beef, pork etc...)

• Fish (tuna and sardines are packed with lysine)

• Soybeans

Some food with a near neutral lysine/arginine ratio (neutral food)

• All vegetables

• Shellfishes

• Legumes

Refined sugars and their substitutes.

This one is not easy, everything nowadays contain refined sugars or artificial sweetener, from industrial bread to your favorite yogurt. To avoid these sugars try to buy 'plain' food and sweetened them by yourself with pure honey.

Try to stay away from refined and processed sugars like:

• White sugar

• Fake brown sugar

• Corn syrups

Try to stay away from refined and processed sugars like:

• Aspartame (a.k.a: Equal and NutraSweet)

• Saccharine (a.k.a: Sweet'N Low)

• Sucralose (a.k.a: Splenda, Altern)

• Sorbitol

Remember, try to use honey instead of refined sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Avoid acid beverages and liquids

Drink these beverages with moderation, they acidify your body and a low body ph is more subject to viruses' proliferation:

• All soft drinks with phosphoric acid or refined sugar or artificial sweeteners (Actually those 3 condition apply to 99% of soft drinks, it might be a good idea to quit soft drinks for good!)

• Beer, wine and alcoholic beverages

• Go easy on all sort of vinegars, including by-products like yellow mustard

If you really like bubbly liquids, try to replace soft drinks by sparkling mineral water, they come in a variety of flavors.

Fatty food

Fats from natural source like meat, fish and plants (unsaturated fats, Omega-3 oils (fish oils, flaxseed oil), Omega-6 oils (most natural plant oils) and saturated fats) are relatively safe to consume. But hydrogenated oils also known as trans-fat should be avoided at all cost. It is widely found in fast food, packaged, pre-made and processed food.

Final word on dietary habits

The goal is not to eradicate everything we have listed from your diet; you can indulge once in a while without any consequences. But moderation is the key!