Herpes is a permanent condition resulting from an infection with the herpes simplex virus. Genital sores and other symptoms often appear immediately following the initial infection. After the initial reaction, there may be outbreaks and genital sores, but between outbreaks the virus goes into hibernation. Herpes cannot be cured but it can be managed and the number of outbreaks can be reduced. Some think that lysine is an effective alternative treatment in preventing herpes outbreaks.
About Lysine
Lysine is an amino acid required by the body to make protein. Lysine also aids in the assimilation of calcium and has a hand in the creation of collagen. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that lysine is something the body is unable to make on its own; it is necessary to obtain sufficient amounts of lysine through food or supplements, but supplemental lysine is rarely necessary.
Lysine's Reputation
According to The Mayo Clinic and the American Social Health Association's Herpes Resource Center, lysine is believed by many in the general public to be an effective alternative treatment for genital herpes. Lysine is, in particular, thought to be effective at preventing genital herpes outbreaks. It is also thought to lessen the severity and the length of outbreaks when they do occur.
Expert Insight
Lisa Marr, author of the book "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Physician Tells You What You Need to Know," states that there is no reliable research indicating that increasing your lysine intake will benefit you if you have herpes. Terri Warren, a herpes expert and author of the book "The Good News About the Bad News Herpes: Everything You Need to Know," concurs with Marr and notes the need for lysine to be studied in depth.
The Lysine Studies
Marr and Warren report that some studies conducted in the late 1970s seemed to indicate lysine's potential for preventing herpes outbreaks. The first studies apparently showed promising results when lysine was combined with the herpes virus in a laboratory setting. Studies later performed on human subjects also indicated that lysine might be of help, but unfortunately the studies were not well designed. The subject groups were small and control groups were absent. Both Marr and Warren maintain that there have been no well-designed studies that have been able to replicate the findings of the preliminary lysine research from the 1970s.
Risks
While they do not recommend lysine as a treatment for herpes, neither Marr, Warren, nor the Mayo Clinic indicate that increasing intake of lysine is known to be harmful, provided that it is not ingested in large quantities. Marr does not advise taking lysine supplements in the amount of over 4,000 mg each day. Marr further cautions that the taking of lysine supplements has not been well studied over time.
Sources of Lysine
Lysine occurs naturally in many foods; some people choose to boost their lysine intake through their diet. James F. Balch, M.D.; Mark Stengler, N.D.; and Robin Young Balch, N.D., authors of "Prescription for Drug Alternatives," advise that chicken, cottage cheese, avocadoes, and wheat germ are particularly good sources of lysine. Additional sources of lysine include other varieties of cheese, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, turkey, red meat, fruit, yeast, soy products, potatoes, bean sprouts, lima beans, and other vegetables.
References
- "The Good News about the Bad News Herpes: Everything You Need to Know"; Terri Warren, RN, MP; 2009
- "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Physician Tells You What You Need to Know"; Lisa Marr, MD; 2007
- "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sourcebook"; Laura Larsen, editor; 2009
- American Social Health Association's Herpes Resource Center Learn About Herpes: Treatment
- The Mayo Clinic: Herpes treatment options
- "Genital Herpes: The Facts"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2008
