To treat herpes and prevent recurrent infections, a diet that includes foods rich in lysine, which is an essential amino acid that is not synthesized by the body, must be consumed by diet or dietary supplements, along with some sources of lysine is meat, fish and milk.
In addition, consumption of foods rich in arginine, which is an amino acid that, unlike lysine, promotes replication of herpes virus in the body, which can slow recovery should be reduced.
- It is important to note that lysine-rich foods also contain arginine.
- As both amino acids are found in protein-rich foods.
- So choose those that contain more lysine than arginine.
To prevent recurrent herpes attacks, the following foods should be included in your diet:
Lysine is thought to help prevent recurrent herpes and helps speed up its treatment by decreasing replication of the virus in the body, thus strengthening the immune system. Lysine is considered an essential amino acid because the body cannot produce it and therefore must be ingested by food.
Lysine sources are milk, yogurt, eggs, avocado, beans, except black, peas, lentils, meat, liver, chicken and fish.
It is also important to include vitamin C-rich foods in the diet, as it stimulates the immune system, protects the body from infections and contributes to collagen formation and skin regeneration, favoring healing of wounds that occur during a seizure.Herpes.
Food sources rich in vitamin C include orange, kiwi, strawberry, lemon and pineapple. Discover more foods rich in vitamin C.
Zinc is a mineral that performs several functions in the body, which in addition to strengthening the immune system, also promotes wound healing. Foods rich in this mineral include oysters, meats and soy. Learn more about zinc and its functions in the body.
Other foods that help increase defenses are those rich in omega-3, vitamin E, probiotics and selenium.Examples of these foods include flaxseed, olive oil, garlic, sunflower seeds, kefir and ginger.
To prevent herpes, foods rich in arginine, which is an amino acid that stimulates the replication of the virus and increases the frequency of seizures, should be reduced. Some of these foods are oats, granola, wheat germ and almonds, for example. See more arginine-rich foods.
Another important measure is to avoid eating coffee, as well as white flour and sugar-rich foods such as chocolate, white bread, biscuits, cakes and soft drinks, as they are pro-inflammatory foods that make recovery difficult.
In addition, it is also important to avoid cigarette use, alcohol consumption and unprotected sun exposure, as these are factors that weaken the immune system and increase the risk of the virus.
Lysine supplementation is thought to help prevent recurrent herpes and treats lesions more quickly. In general, the recommended dose for the prevention of recurrent herpes is 500 to 1500 mg per day of lysine.
In cases where the virus is active, it is recommended to ingest up to 3000 mg of lysine per day during the acute period, and the doctor should be consulted to indicate the most appropriate dose for the case in question. See more details about lysine supplements.
In addition, your doctor may also recommend the use of zinc, omega-3, vitamin E and C. See dietary tips in the video below: