Cold sores are annoying, embarrassing and sometimes painful breakouts that occur around the mouth and lips. They are actually caused by the herpes simplex virus, which can remain dormant in a person's body until the time is right to erupt. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, people who take lysine supplements or consume foods with the amino acid lysine regularly have fewer cold sore outbreaks than those who do not. The Herpes website further explains that the amino acid arginine works in opposition to lysine, so the more lysine and the less arginine you consume in your foods, the fewer cold sore outbreaks you are likely to have.
Yogurt
The lysine-to-arginine ratio of a food is important to consider when determining how helpful it will be when it comes to treating cold sores. The Herpes website explains that this is because the amino acid arginine speeds cell replication, causing more cold sore outbreaks, while lysine decreases cell replication, doing the opposite. Plain yogurt has 706mg of lysine but only 237mg of arginine; so the lysine-to-arginine ratio is 2.98. The higher the lysine-to-arginine ratio, the better, when it comes to treating herpes outbreaks like cold sores. Since the best-known lysine-to-arginine ratio is a 3.0, it is clear that yogurt is an excellent food to eat if you get cold sores.
Margarine
Out of all the foods and condiments available, the Herpes website lists margarine as the best for controlling the herpes virus which causes cold sores. This is because 14g--or about a 1/2-oz. serving--of margarine has 9mg of lysine and 3mg of arginine, giving it a lysine-to-arginine ratio of 3.0. With all the new types of margarine with plant sterols and other additives, you may want to check the ingredient label to make sure there is as much lysine in the particular brand before you decide to purchase it.
Milk
Milk is also rich in lysine, so it can reduce the number of cold sore outbreaks that a person gets. The Herpes website states that goat's milk actually has more lysine than cow's milk, with a lysine-to-arginine ratio of 2.4. Skim cow's milk has 663mg of lysine per serving, while whole cow's milk has 637mg of lysine per serving.
Beets
While dairy products are usually the best type of food for controlling cold sores, it is also important to note that there are some non-dairy foods that can also be helpful in reducing the power of the herpes virus. The Herpes website explains that beets have 72mg of lysine per serving and only 30mg of arginine per serving, giving them a great lysine-to-arginine ratio of 2.4. A vegan who gets cold sores or a person who is lactose intolerant may want to eat beets to ensure that they get enough lysine.
