Herpes Simplex Virus Replication

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 wh 00004000 ich 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.