Importance of a Proper Diet
"Let food be your medicine": this maxim of ancient origins, daughter of Hippocrates, can also be confirmed in the fight against herpes.
More than a cure, however, it is better to talk about prevention, since herpes cannot be defeated definitively but at most rendered harmless.
What is certain is that a specific diet, and a healthy diet in general, can have an excellent preventive value. In fact, we know that herpes finds fertile ground for its own replication in the host's scarce immune defenses, with consequent appearance of annoying bladders filled with liquid. To prevent these unpleasant manifestations, it is very important to keep the body's immune defenses high, also thanks to the very important contribution of food.
The herpes diet is based on a series of scientific evidences, most of which are awaiting confirmation.
In fact, several studies have attributed to certain foods and specific supplements the ability to prevent or even combat herpes; however, official medicine interprets these researches with prudent skepticism, given the limited amount of research on this subject.
Lysine and Arginine
One of the most common tips when it comes to the diet against herpes is to increase the dietary intake of lysine by reducing that of arginine; the latter amino acid, in fact, seems to promote the replication of herpes viruses, which synthesize proteins much richer in arginine than human ones.
The ability to antagonize arginine from a metabolic point of view is ascribed to lysine, competing with it in various biological reactions. This advice translates, in practical terms, into the reduced consumption of foods such as peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, refined sugars, dried fruit in general, and chocolate, preferring foods in which the arginine / lysine ratio is lower, such as animal proteins, dairy products and legumes. Furthermore, particular attention should be paid to cooking methods that preserve or make lysine less bioavailable; according to some studies, the amount of bio-available lysine is reduced from too high cooking temperatures, or from the association with a reducing sugar (for example fructose, glucose, or lactose), sucrose or yeast during cooking. The presence of humidity, on the other hand, seems to preserve the bio-available lysine; for this reason steaming and boiling are in this sense preferable methods to frying and grilling.
As for any food supplements, it is suggested to take 500/1000 mg of lysine two / three times a day, while the specific supplementation of embankment so dear to some sportsmen should be avoided. Lysine supplementation should be moved towards the maximum dose of the recommended range in the event of active herpetic manifestation.
At the present state of knowledge, this dietary approach to the problem of herpes seems acceptable, given the fair amount of studies on this subject and the absence of side effects related to specific integrations of lysine (up to 6g / day). It should be noted, however, that scientific studies seem to focus more on the additional administration of lysine than on the reduction of foods rich in arginine, which would risk - among other things - to create food imbalances. Bitter cocoa powder, for example, is one of the most flavonoid-rich foods, many of which have shown interesting antiviral properties in vitro; consequently, a quality dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa could even be useful in preventing herpes.
For the effectiveness tests consult the notes at the end of the article, for the purchase of lysine powder or tablets you can refer to this link.
C vitamin
Although in the circles of official medicine there is the belief that vitamin C does not produce any beneficial effect in the treatment of colds and other viral diseases such as herpes, there are some studies (as well as empirical evidence of many habitual users) that emphasize the effectiveness immunostimulant of this vitamin. In fact, we know that ascorbic acid is essential for some cells of the immune system, such as phagocytes and T cells. Nevertheless, only in the presence of specific deficiencies, the additional administration of vitamin C through specific supplements seems able to improve the immune defenses. Examining the recent bibliography, it also appears that the intravenous administration of vitamin C is effective for calming the pain and itching that characterize the recrudescence of herpes zoster (shingles). Very few bibliographical references on the usefulness of megadoses of vitamin C (> 3 g / day) in accelerating healing during the acute phase of the disease.
As for any dietary supplements, in terms of prophylaxis, the specific intake of 180/500 mg of L-ascorbic acid per day is suggested.
At the present state of knowledge, the daily integration of vitamin C at the indicated doses seems acceptable, if not even advisable; different speech for the megadoses of vitamin C (> 1g / day), a practice not accepted by official medicine and in vogue only among a few "fanatics" of this vitamin; under medical advice a very high dose of vitamin C (up to five grams) can be taken, subdividing it into at least three daily intakes, at the onset of herpetic prodromes (the first symptoms of the disease, such as sense of heat and local itching). At a dose of 2g / day is the so-called Tolerable upper intake level (UL), ie the maximum dose of vitamin C which presumably does not create toxicity problems in healthy individuals. As regards foods rich in vitamin C, we invite you to consult this article, also bearing in mind the good rules for preserving the content of ascorbic acid in food.
Zinc
Even more limited, and less reliable from the scientific point of view, the evidence on the utility of zinc taken orally in the prophylaxis and treatment of herpetic infections. This mineral, which abounds in diets rich in fish, red meat, cereals, legumes and dried fruit, should be integrated in doses of 15/20 mg / day, taking care to associate - in the case of chronic administration - a copper supplement to prevent specific shortcomings caused by this practice.
At the present state of knowledge, zinc supplementation is not recommended in the prevention or treatment of herpes.
Additional dietary suggestions
- In some studies conducted on laboratory mice, the ingestion of important quantities of simple sugars (sucrose) has decreased the immune defenses, reducing the synthesis of antibodies. Some similar evidences have also been found in humans; consequently, it is recommended to reduce the presence of simple sugars in one's diet, reducing the consumption of carbonated soft drinks, sweets, sugary fruit juices, table sugar, and some types of fruit (candied fruit, figs, grapes), chestnuts, dates and dried fruit intended as dehydrated fruit, like raisins). The reduction in the dietary intake of sugars has also proved useful in the prevention of candida, obesity and insulin resistance in predisposed subjects.
- Probiotics, special categories of lactic ferments contained in many milks and yoghurts that have been much publicized in the last period, could help in optimizing the immune defenses, so they can be useful in preventing herpes.
- The consumption of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables is certainly useful for providing the body with the micronutrients needed to combat the herpes virus attack; an important role should be attributed to citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, black tea, kiwi, and unsweetened citrus juices.
- Another important advice in terms of anti-herpes is to increase the consumption of fish in the diet to rebalance the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6, often unbalanced in favor of the latter due to the excessive consumption of vegetable oils compared to a reduced intake of omega three (mainly contained in sea fish, oil and flaxseed, and hemp oil).
- Plant extracts that can be combined with the diet to combat herpes viruses: echinacea, eleuterococco, blackcurrant, lemon balm (topical application)
