- Foods to Eat
- 1. Foods with lysine
- 2. Foods with vitamin C
- 3. Food with zinc
- 4. Other foods that strengthen the immune system
- Foods to Avoid
- Lysine supplementation
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, should be eaten through food or supplementation, with some sources of Lysine is meat, fish and milk.
In addition, the consumption of foods rich in arginine should be reduced, which is an amino acid that, unlike lysine, favors the replication of the herpes virus in the body, which can slow recovery.
It is important to mention that foods rich in lysine also contain arginine, because both amino acids are found in foods in foods rich in proteins, so one should choose those that contain a greater amount of lysine than arginine.
Foods to Eat
To avoid recurring herpes attacks, the following foods should be included in the diet:
1. Foods with lysine
It is believed that lysine can help prevent recurrent herpes and contribute to speeding up its treatment, since it decreases the replication of the virus in the body, strengthening the immune system. Lysine is considered an essential amino acid, because the body is not able to produce it, and therefore it must be ingested through food.
The sources of lysine are milk, yogurt, eggs, avocado, beans, except black, peas, lentils, meat, 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 stimulates the immune system, protecting the body from infections, in addition to contributing to the formation of collagen and skin regeneration, favoring the healing of wounds that arise during a crisis of herpes.
Some food sources rich in vitamin C are orange, kiwi, strawberry, lemon and pineapple. Discover more foods rich in vitamin C.
3. Food with zinc
Zinc is a mineral that performs several functions in the body, which besides strengthening the immune system, also favors the healing of wounds. Some foods rich in this mineral are oysters, meats and soy. Learn more about zinc and its functions in the body.
4. Other foods that strengthen the immune system
Other foods that help increase defenses are those rich in omega-3, vitamin E, probiotics and selenium. Some examples of these foods are flax seeds, olive oil, garlic, sunflower seeds, kefir and ginger.
Foods to Avoid
To prevent herpes, foods rich in arginine should be reduced in the diet, which is an amino acid that stimulates the replication of the virus and increases the frequency of the crisis. Some of these foods are oats, granola, wheat germ and almonds, for example. See more arginine-rich foods.
Another important measure is to avoid the consumption of coffee, as well as white flour and foods rich in sugar, such as chocolate, white bread, biscuits, cakes and soft drinks, because these are pro-inflammatory foods, which make recovery difficult.
In addition, it is also important to avoid the use of cigarettes, the consumption of alcoholic beverages and unprotected sun exposure, as these are factors that weaken the immune system and increase the risk of the virus manifesting itself.
Lysine supplementation
Lysine supplementation is believed to help prevent recurrent herpes and treat lesions faster. In general, the recommended dose for the prevention of recurrent herpes is 500 to 1500 mg daily of lysine.
In cases where the virus is active, it is recommended to ingest up to 3000 mg of lysine a 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, the doctor may also recommend the use of supplements based on zinc, omega-3, vitamin E and C. See more advice on nutrition in the following video:
