A natural substance found in food fights back unsightly cold sores and speeds recovery. Lysine, an essential amino acid that assists growth, wound healing, calcium absorption and fat metabolism in the body appears to suppress the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
The university team recommends looking into lysine as "self care steps that may help reduce recurrences, speed healing, and put that smile back on your face."
Significance
In a 2008 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine," Northeastern Ohio University dermatologist, Christina Cernik, M.D., describes cold sores as itchy, painful blisters and sores that usually develop on the borders of the lips. Since cold sores usually resolve on their own within 10 to 14 days, Cernik says most cases don't merit prescription antiviral drugs. Self care steps like taking lysine may improve the frequency and severity of cold sores without the cost of a doctor visit or prescription drug. Since lysine is already a component of the foods people eat and the tissues that make up the human body -- especially the liver and muscles -- lysine also falls into the category of natural remedies.
Risks
In the Dec. 2005 issue of "Alternative Medicine Reviews," nutritional medicine specialist, Alan R. Gaby, M.D., claims that short-term studies show that lysine intakes up to 6 g per day --- more than twice the nutritional requirement for most people --- cause no adverse effects in otherwise healthy adults with cold sores. However, Gaby cautions, long-term studies are lacking.
Benefits
UMHS describes the data showing that lysine prevents cold sore recurrence as "reliable and relatively consistent." Gaby goes into greater detail, reviewing five individual studies including nearly 400 patients, and concludes that lysine shows some benefits. Gaby notes that some of the studies failed to find a statistically significant difference between the cold sore healing time, severity or recurrence rate of people who took lysine supplements compared to those who took nothing at all. However, Gaby cautions that some of the studies used under 500 mg lysine when higher doses such as 1 g and up may be required to see an effect.
Types
Gaby describes three types of lysine cold sore treatment. The first involves taking a dietary supplement in doses between 1 and 6 g per day. This is the approach investigated in most of the clinical studies on lysine and cold sores. The second type involves increasing intake of lysine rich foods such as poultry, fish, dairy, soy and legumes while simultaneously decreasing intake of foods rich in another amino acid, arginine, that opposes the effects of lysine. Gaby explains says that examples of arginine-rich foods reported to trigger cold sore outbreaks include chocolate, peanuts, cashews, almonds, gelatin and sunflower seeds. The third type of lysine cold sore treatment, and the one advocated by Gaby, is a combination of lysine supplements with dietary changes favoring increased lysine and decreased arginine.
Considerations
As with any dietary supplement, people who consider taking lysine should share this decision with their health care providers, including dentists. The cost of lysine supplements may not be covered by insurance, but some people may be able to apply the cost of lysine cold sore treatment to their health care spending accounts. In addition, Dr. Cernik says that while mild or occasional cold sore outbreaks don't usually merit prescription drugs, people who experience severe or frequent outbreaks should see their doctors, as should people who experience symptoms that last longer than two weeks.
References
- University of Michigan Health System: Cold Sores
- "Alternative Medicine Reviews"; Natural Remedies for Herpes Simplex; Alan R. Gaby, M.D. ; Dec. 2005
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; "The Treatment of Herpes Simplex Infections; Christina Cernik, M.D., et al.; June 9, 2008
