Lysine is one of the few amino acids your body is unable to make on its own. Adequate amounts of lysine must be consumed through your diet, but when using lysine as a herbal remedy, it is often consumed in the form of a supplement. When adding lysine to your diet in the form of a supplement, it is necessary to talk with your doctor about any possible complications or risks.
Forms
Lysine comes in a variety of forms, but most people get enough lysine in their diet. You can find lysine in tablets, capsules, creams and liquids. Meats, cheese, cod, sardines, nuts, eggs soybean, beans, legumes and dairy products all contain rich amounts of lysine.
Herpes Treatments
Lysine is commonly used to treat outbreaks of cold sores and genital herpes. Lysine seems to effectively help people recover more quickly from an outbreak and keep outbreaks suppressed. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, to treat herpes symptoms take 3000 to 9000mg of lysine divided over the course of the day, and to keep herpes breakouts suppressed, take 1000mg of lysine three times a day. Children should take no more than 10mg of lysine day per pound of body weight. Results concerning the effectiveness of lysine for treating different form of herpes varies.
Shingles Treatment
Shingles is caused by a form of the herpes virus and because of this link, lysine has been recommended as a treatment. The effectiveness of lysine for reducing the herpes virus, Varicella zoster, remains unsupported by research; although, some doctors may still recommend it to their patients.
Osteoporosis Prevention
Osteoporosis results from a lack of calcium, which is necessary to keep your bones healthy and strong. Lysine has been shown to decrease the amount of calcium that is lost in the process of urination, leaving higher levels of calcium in your body to be absorbed and used to create strong bones. Therefore, it is speculated that taking lysine may reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
When lysine is taken along with L-arginine, it helps increase the activity of the cells that help build your bones and it increases the amount of collagen produced by the body in lab studies. Research on the effectiveness of taking lysine to reduce your risk of osteoporosis is limited and further research needs to be conducted.
Side Effects
Lysine seems to have a limited number of side effects. High levels of lysine can cause abdominal pain and increase your risks of developing gallstones. Also, high levels of lysine are thought to increase cholesterol levels, which can be particularly unhealthy for people who already have high cholesterol or have borderline cholesterol levels.
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