Shingles is a disease characterized by a painful, blistering skin rash that usually develops on just one side of the body, within the area supplied by just one of the major spinal or cranial nerves. Shingles results when the varicella-zoster virus--the same virus that causes chicken pox upon initial exposure--reawakens within the body, usually after decades of inactivity. The University of Michigan Health System suggests that eating foods that contain a high ratio of lysine to arginine may offer some benefits for people with shingles.
Function
Lysine and arginine are both amino acids, building blocks of protein inside the body. However, each serves a different specialized function. For example, lysine provides raw material for the formation of collagen, which heals wounds and contributes to bone growth. Arginine, as a component of a compound called nitric oxide, plays a key role in maintaining healthy blood pressure throughout the body, including the heart and brain. In the case of shingles, arginine stimulates the growth of a related virus, called herpes simplex, while lysine counteracts that effect. Since arginine and lysine compete with one another for absorption by infected cells, U.M.H.S. says that "some doctors" believe that consuming foods that contain a high ratio of lysine to arginine might reduce the duration or severity of shingles.
Foods to Enjoy
High lysine/low arginine foods to enjoy include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, soybeans and legumes. Farm-raised chicken and turkey contain more lysine and less arginine than their wild-caught counterparts and even other types of game like duck or goose. Dairy products like cheese, milk and yogurt provide an even higher lysine/arginine ratio than poultry, fish and meat. Choosing lean, low-fat or reduced-fat versions of these foods offers benefits for general health, independent of their effects on shingles.
Foods to Avoid
Nuts, seeds, gelatin and chocolate contain large amounts of arginine that may contribute to the duration or severity of shingles. Specific foods to avoid include plain nuts, seeds or chocolate, as well as foods that use them as major ingredients, like gelatin desserts, peanut butter, tahini, trail mix, and "gummy" candies or fruit snacks. People with shingles who suffer from chocolate cravings should choose foods flavored with small amounts of chocolate and cocoa, like chocolate pudding, chocolate milk and chocolate-coated granola or snack bars. These foods follow the high lysine/low arginine pattern of their major ingredients--dairy products and grains, respectively--so they are safe to eat.
Risks
The major risk of consuming high lysine/low arginine foods is that it will have no effect. U.M.H.S. concedes that all of the studies on the benefits of high lysine/low arginine are for the herpes simplex virus, not the varicella zoster virus that causes shingles. So, according to U.M.H.S., the benefits of such foods for people with shingles are purely speculative. In addition, people with active heart or vascular disease should consult their physicians before starting a high lysine/low arginine diet since, as nutritionist Gemma Brufau, Ph.D., explains in the November 2006 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition, in the long term, diets that follow the opposite pattern---low lysine/high arginine---lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and vascular diseases like heart attacks and stroke.
Benefits
It is possible that people with shingles who consume high lysine/low arginine foods will experience the same benefits as people with herpes simplex who consume those foods. An April 1987 study published in the journal "Dermatologica" and led by Indiana University infectious disease specialist Richard S. Griffith, M.D., concluded that people who consumed 3 g of lysine per day were significantly less likely to experience herpes simplex outbreaks than those who did not, although exact figures were not provided. Seventy-four percent of people who consumed lysine also reported that it was "effective" or "very effective" in reducing the severity of their symptoms.
Warnings
High lysine/low arginine foods do not replace conventional medical treatments for shingles or any other condition. All people who contract shingles should seek the advice of a physician. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that prescription antiviral drugs such as acyclovir reduce the severity and duration of shingles, as well as the risk of a shingles-related complication known as postherpetic neuralgia. People over 60 who have not had shingles may be eligible for a shingles vaccine called Zostavax.
References
- University of Michigan Health System: Shingles and Postherpetic Neuralgia
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Nuts: Source of Energy and Macronutrients; Gemma Brufau, Ph.D. et al.; November 2006
- "Dermatologica"; Success of L-Lysine Therapy in Frequently Recurrent Herpes Simplex Infection; Richard S. Griffith, M.D. et al.; April 1987
- United States Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Shingles: Hope Through Research
