What we eat has a direct effect on our health and well being. Where it’s possible, eating organically offers health benefits that could fill many books book, and so I highly recommend it, where of course you can.
Regarding cold sores, there are lots of foods that can assist your immune system in its efforts to thwart cold sores specifically altogether just as there are foods that will support the virus.
Raw Foods
This could be the single most important diet tip of this entire guide because what you eat and therefore how your body functions all begins from here.
There are a number of reasons why we might neglect to eat raw fruits and vegetables, including convenience, family tradition and how we are raised. The truth is, eating fresh raw foods every day should not be a “diet”, it should be a way of life. It will help you to maintain a healthy weight, have more energy and vitality, more youthful skin and… less outbreaks. Some simple suggestions to get started:
Include fresh, raw fruits and vegetables as a side to your breakfast, lunch or dinner When you have a snack try munching on vegetable sticks made of celery, beets or carrot, with a nice dip such as hummus to go with it Make a salad for lunch that has as many raw vegetables as you can find, including fresh greens and sprouts, and top with your choice of oil such as coconut, olive, grapeseed, flax seed, etc. Finish with a decent pinch of salt and a very small splash of apple cider vinegar.
Drink a freshly made fruit or vegetable juice each day (within minutes of making it) from whatever is in season in your area. Some nice mixes are:
- Tomatoes, beets, carrots, salt and pepper
- Apples, carrots and celery
- Apples, pineapples, mint and lime
- Berries, apples and watermelon
- Whatever yummy fruits you have access to, be creative
- Add a dash of fresh ginger or bee pollen to your fruit juices, if you desire
This could be the single most important diet tip of this entire guide because what you eat and therefore how your body functions all begins from here. There are a number of reasons why we might neglect to eat raw fruits and vegetables, including convenience, family tradition and how we are raised. The truth is, eating fresh raw foods every day should not be a “diet”, it should be a way of life. It will help you to maintain a healthy weight, have more energy and vitality, more youthful skin and… less outbreaks.
Some simple suggestions to get started:
Include fresh, raw fruits and vegetables as a side to your breakfast, lunch or dinner When you have a snack try munching on vegetable sticks made of celery, beets or carrot, with a nice dip such as hummus to go with it Make a salad for lunch that has as many raw vegetables as you can find, including fresh greens and sprouts, and top with your choice of oil such as coconut, olive, grapeseed, flax seed, etc. Finish with a decent pinch of salt and a very small splash of apple cider vinegar.
Drink a freshly made fruit or vegetable juice each day (within minutes of making it) from whatever is in season in your area. Some nice mixes are:
- Tomatoes, beets, carrots, salt and pepper
- Apples, carrots and celery
- Apples, pineapples, mint and lime
- Berries, apples and watermelon
- Whatever yummy fruits you have access to, be creative
- Add a dash of fresh ginger or bee pollen to your fruit juices, if you desire
ARAININE:
Foods high in arginine, for example may trigger cold sores. Arginine is a non- essential amino acid, meaning the body produces this on its own; no supplementation is needed. Amino acids are the structural units that make up proteins. According to studies, foods that are high in the amino acid, arginine can trigger or bring on a cold sore outbreak in some people. The Herpes virus needs arginine to grow, replicate and become active. Therefore, reducing your i ntake of foods high in arginine can be extremely helpful in your battle against cold sores. Keep in mind, the body naturally produces arginine, so it cannot be nor should it be eliminate entirely. Simply cut back on foods which are very rich in Arginine while increasing foods high in Lysine (below).
The most important thing is to make sure that you DO NOT take any additional Arginine in supplement form. This may be tricky however, as you may be taking a supplement that contains this amino acid without even realizing it. So be sure to check your labels. The bottom line:, arginine can aggravate outbreaks for some people, but it is most likely to make a noticeable difference if you consume an excessive amount, such as a huge block of chocolate in one sitting. Or, if you happen to be taking it regularly in say a supplement form, such as in a protein shake.
Examples of foods high in arginine include:
- Chocolate
- Nuts, including peanut butter
- Protein shakes and drinks that contain Arginine
- Oats, including porridge
- Muscle building formulas and multivitamins that contain Arginine
- Lysine
Lysine has been found to inhibit the spread of the herpes simplex virus. Lysine is also an amino acid. But, Lysine is Lysine is an essential amino acid, meaning that we must get it through food or supplements because the body doesn‟t make it
on its own. It’s used to make protein, which we need to produce infection- fighting antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and body tissues.
If you get plenty of Lysine in your diet or by supplementation (discussed later), it can help dramatically reduce the frequency of cold sore outbreaks. It can also help to heal cold sores much faster if you DO have an outbreak.
N ote that Arginine and Lysine compete with each other for absorsion in the intestines, so the less arginine there is in the diet, the more lysine is absorbed.
Examples of foods high in Lysine include:
- Most vegetables and fruits particularly beets, avocados, mangos, tomatoes, apples, apricots, pears, figs and papaya
- Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheeses
- Eggs
- Brewer‟s yeast
- Fish, particularly sardines and cod
- Chicken, beef and lamb
- Sprouts, especially mung bean sprouts
Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C)
Vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family may help to stop herpes in its tracks, this is due to a naturally high amount of a compound called indole-3- carbinol (I3C), including:
Recent clinical studies show that this compound has the potential to interfere with the way the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) reproduces. The preliminary trial results are very promising.
Past studies have also shown that I3C is what is known as a „cell cycle G1 antagonist‟ and that herpes simplex virus (HSV) requires cell cycle factors to replicate.
In a clinical study, researchers treated monkeys and humans with I3C. Cells were infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV). The replication of all HSV types tested was inhibited by at least 99.9% by I3C. The monkey cells required pretreatment with I3C for at least 12 hours and human lung cells required pretreatment for 36 hours prior to infection for the I3C to be effective. iv
Examples of foods high in indole-3-carbinol (I3C) include:
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Kale
Artificial Sweeteners
There is some evidence that suggests that artificial sweeteners can trigger cold sores in some people. Most often you‟ll find these in food and drinks that are labeled “diet” or “sugar free”. Some examples are, diet sodas, several brands of toothpastes and sugar substitutes among others. This is something you may want to consider and test for yourself to see how you react to them.
Labels that include the following would contain artificial sweeteners:
- The word “sweetener” followed by a reference number
- Saccharin, ex. Sweet ‘N Low
- Aspartame ex Equal or NutraSweet
- Sucralose ex. Splenda or Altern
- Sorbitol
B-Complex
You can make some simply changes to improve your diet which will assist your body in dealing with stress by eating a diet rich in B vitamins and magnesium. Vitamin B5 has long been considered the “anti-stress” vitamin, and when taken along with vitamin B6 and magnesium your body has a better chance to recover from stressful situations.
The B group of vitamins are also important for a healthy nervous system and for the body‟s production of serotonin, a hormone released in our brain which helps us to feel happy, relaxed and at ease.
Foods that contain high amounts of B group vitamins:
- Bananas
- Wholegrain foods and brown rice
- Green leafy vegetables
- Brewer‟s Yeast
- Barley
- Soy Products
- Turkey
- Tuna & Salmon
- Eggs
- Dairy Products
- Mushrooms
-Supplementation: As a supplement, B vitamins need to be taken as a “complex” to prevent causing an imbalance because some B vitamins are dependent on others
