Food for herpes: what foods to eat and what to avoid

To treat herpes and prevent recurrent infections, a diet must be followed that includes foods rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that is not synthesized by the body and must be ingested through food or supplementation. Some sources of lysine are meats, fish and milk.

Furthermore, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of foods rich in arginine, an amino acid that, on the contrary of lysine, favors the replication of the herpes virus in the body, making it possible for its recovery to be slower ^[1].

It is important to mention that foods rich in lysine also contain arginine, because both amino acids are found in foods that are rich in proteins, however, you should choose them that contain a greater proportion of lysine than arginine.

what foods to eat

To avoid recurrent herpes attacks, the following foods should be included in the diet:

1. Foods with lysine

It is believed that lysine could help prevent recurrent herpes or cure it faster, as it reduces virus replication in the body, helping the immune system and increasing its defenses. Lysine is an essential amino acid because the body does not produce it, which is why it must be ingested through food.

Las fuentes de lisina son la leche, natural yoghurt, huevos, aguacate, beans except black, guisantes, lentils, meats, liver, chicken and fish.

2. Foods with Vitamin C

It is also important to include foods rich in vitamin C in the diet, as it acts on the immune system, protecting the body from infections, in addition to contributing to collagen formation and skin regeneration, favoring the healing of ampoules that arise during a herpes crisis.

Some sources of foods rich in vitamin C are orange, kiwi, las fresas, lemon and piña. Check out other foods with vitamin C.

3. Foods with zinc

Zinc is a mineral that exerts different functions in the organism, in addition to strengthening the immune system, it also favors the healing of heridases. Some foods rich in this mineral are oysters, meats and soy.

See more about zinc and its functions in the organism.

4. Other foods that increase the immune system

Other foods that help to raise the defenses are foods rich in omega-3, vitamin E, probiotics and selenium. Some examples of these foods are linaza seeds, olive oil, ajo, sunflower seeds, kefir, sauerkraut, among others.

What foods to avoid

a scientific study ^[2] concluded that the lack of arginine reduced the replication of the herpes virus. For this reason, it is believed that the reduction in the consumption of foods rich in this amino acid could prevent the emergence and frequency with which the herpes virus manifests itself. However, this study is old and further investigations are needed.

Some foods rich in arginine are the avena, the granola, the wheat germ and the almonds, for example. Find out more about foods rich in arginine.

Another important measure is to avoid the consumption of industrialized products and foods rich in sugars and saturated fats such as pan blanco, galletas, soft drinks, pastries, salsas, sausages, fast food, snacks, frozen food like nuggets or pizzas, for example, because these are pro-inflammatory foods that slow recovery.

Likewise, it is important to avoid cigarettes, the consumption of alcoholic beverages and exposure to the sun without protection, as this reduces the body’s defenses and increases the risk of the virus.

supplementation with lysine

It is believed that supplementation with this amino acid could help prevent recurrent herpes or cure it faster. In general, the recommended prophylactic dose in individuals with recurrent herpes is between 500-1500 mg/day.

In cases where the virus is active, it is recommended to take up to 3000 mg/day of lysine during this period, and consult a doctor so that he can indicate which dose is adequate according to the case. Find out more about lysine supplements.

In addition, the doctor could also recommend the use of supplements based on zinc, omega-3, vitamin E and C.

See more advice on food in the continuation video: