Food remedies for getting rid of cold sores
With little progress in producing more effective cold sore treatments from the drug companies, many people look to natural remedies for getting rid of cold sores and one of the first areas worth looking at is your diet.
The herpes simplex virus infects around 90 percent of the US population and although many people never experience cold sore outbreaks, it can make life unbearable for the many people who do whenever they suffer an attack. However, by taking a few simple precautions you may be able to prevent cold sores from occurring so regularly and when they do there severity is often reduced and one of these habits is simply to change your eating habits.
Amino acids are compounds required by our bodies for essential functions. While our bodies can manufacture many amino acids, essential amino acids cannot be and must be consumed directly. However, too much of one of these - arginine - has been linked with cold sore outbreaks, while too little of another - lysine - seems to have the same, although it may simply be that the two amino acids need to be in balance; and therefore by eating foods that are low in arginine and high in lysine, the frequency of cold sore outbreaks can be reduced and encouraged to heal faster when they do occur. Lysine can also be taken as a supplement, which many people find to be extremely beneficial.
Lysine is found naturally in meat, dairy products and eggs and so we should ensure adequate intake of these; arginine is found in nuts, fish, chocolate and grains, all of which we need to ensure we do not eat too regularly.
Another compound found to help with cold sores is lactobacillus acidophilus, a microorganism used in yogurt making. It is well known that yogurt is good for us in restoring the balance of naturally occurring bugs in our stomachs required in digestion, but it also appears to prevent cold sores too. Although yogurt has an effect on the sores, the effects of acidophilus capsules appear to be equally dramatic.
Therefore if you suffer from frequent cold sores and are not having any luck with the medications designed to treat this unpleasant condition, it may be time for you to try an alternative. Even if the medications are successfully getting rid of cold sores, you may like to try controlling the foods you eat to see what different can be made, with the aim of reducing your dependence on medicinal remedies for this unpleasant condition.
How to get rid of cold sores safely and naturally
If you are interested in more in-depth information on how to get rid of cold sores next time you're suffering from them I recommend the e-book Cold Sore Freedom in 3 Days by Grace Melgarejo.
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Click here to learn how you can start to get rid of your cold sores now!