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.

Arginine and lysine work in the following way.

The herpes simplex virus is the root cause of all cold sores. A virus particle will enter a nerve cell at the surface and force it to create new virus. It will then explode the cell to release the cloned virus thus creating a huge open wound.

One of the main ingredients the cell must have to create new herpes virus is arginine. Your cells have special receptors that they use to store 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.

With enough lysine in your diet, quite often the herpes virus cannot replicate and will go back into hibernation. This can stop a cold sore from developing any further.

Foods to avoid with cold sores. These are foods with higher levels of arginine.

---- Chocolate (ouch)

---- Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts

---- Flax, sesame and most other seeds

---- Any seafood that has a shell such as shrimp and oysters

---- Grains such as wheat and oats

---- Oranges, grapes and other fruits and berries

---- Most vegetables are neutral but avoid rutabagas, winter squash and pumpkins, broccoli, carrots and corn

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.

Yes, I realize following a restricted diet is difficult for most people. Also, dairy products may be rich in lysine but cannot be tolerated by some folks. Fact is, I have not followed these avoidance guidelines very good myself.

The best solution, for your convenience and good health, might be taking an additional lysine supplement. It generally comes in 500 mg. capsules and is available nearly anywhere vitamins are sold. Many folks take six to eight of these capsules a day during a cold sore and one or two capsules daily to prevent cold sores.

Is large dose lysine safe?

Lysine is a common protein in most foods and is perfectly safe. A six-ounce serving of flounder, mentioned previously, will give you about 5000 mg. (5 grams) of body-ready lysine. The capsule form of lysine is not as absorbable but is much easier for many people.

Do not give up the foods you love - especially chocolate. Eat additional high lysine food or take lysine capsules. This will cancel out the bad effects of the foods to avoid with cold sores.