Foods High in Lysine and Low in Arginine

Our body is a machine which is more than capable of taking care of itself. And when it cannot, it sends us warning signals asking us to look into the matter and take the necessary steps to ensure that it gets the required nutrition for its daily processes. The various bodily fluids and enzymes required for all the body processes to go on smoothly are also more or less readily available within our body. However, there are some enzymes that cannot be produced by the body and hence require to be introduced through the diet that we intake. These are called essential amino acids. Out of these essential amino acids, lysine and arginine are two quite important ones that help our body in many ways. In this Buzzle article, however, we will focus on foods that are rich in lysine and low in arginine at the same time and see why and how these foods benefit our body.

Benefits of Lysine
Lysine is an essential amino acid which is very helpful in building strong muscle tissues. It also helps to recover from serious injuries or a recent surgery. It has been observed that lysine rich foods also help in the retention of calcium within the body. Also, lysine helps to prevent virus infections, especially herpes - cold sores.

Benefits of Arginine
Arginine is an amino acid that helps in the production of spermatozoa in men. It also helps to produce the growth hormone and strengthens the immune system of the body. Arginine is also known to have stress busting properties and helps to improve metabolism and aids in ailments such as arthritis.

Why are Foods High in Lysine and Low in Arginine Good for Us
While it is true that lysine and arginine have a lot of benefits separately, there are some ailments like the herpes virus infestation - cold sores that can be treated only if the ratio of lysine to arginine in the food is properly balanced. For these ailments, it is necessary that the lysine content in food is higher than that of arginine. This is because studies have proved that when the arginine content is equal or more than that of lysine in the diet of a person suffering from herpes, the arginine has a tendency to meddle with the efficiency, and thus reduce its effectiveness against the virus. Hence, herpes patients are advised to reduce their arginine intake and increase their lysine intake, for a better recovery process.

List of Such Foods
In this section, we'll give you the names of some foods that can be included in your diet which should be high in lysine and low in arginine, especially if you suffer from herpes - cold sores.

*All foods mentioned here are as per the Agricultural Handbook, 1-23, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dairy: Milk and milk products are the best examples of foods that are high in lysine content and low in arginine content, thus making them the first choice to include in diets for people suffering from herpes. Even within the various dairy products available, the following are the best options for a favorable lysine - arginine ratio.

• Margarine
• Plain Yogurt
• Low Fat Fruit Yogurt
• Skim Plain Yogurt
• Low Fat Plain Yogurt
• Cheese
• Buttermilk
• Skim Milk
• Half and Half Cream
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Ice Cream
• Whole Milk
• Nonfat Milk
• Whipping Cream

Fish: Fish and fish products are also great sources of more lysine and less arginine. In fact, they give you almost 1½ times more lysine than arginine, which is very favorable if you have been advised a high lysine and low arginine diet. The exception is any kind of shellfish, which can have an opposite effect. Here are the kinds of fish you can safely eat.

• Salmon
• Swordfish
• Haddock
• Smelt
• Snapper
• Pollock
• Eel
• Catfish
• Whitefish
• Cod
• Mackerel
• Carp
• Pike
• Herring
• Bluefish

Meat: Though not as high as fish, some meats do have a favorable lysine to arginine ratio, that can be useful for people who are advised such a diet. Here's the list of meat that you can consume.

• Pork Spare Ribs
• Dark Meat Chicken
• Chicken Neck
• Pork Leg
• Pork Shoulder
• Chicken Drumstick
• Beef Round Steak
• Beef Rib Roast
• Beef Short Ribs
• Beef Tenderloin
• Pork Sausage
• Ground Beef

Fruits and Vegetables: Some fruits and vegetables are also present in the high lysine and low arginine foods list. You'll find them below.

• Mango
• Apricot
• Apple
• Dried Pear
• Pear
• Fig
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Turnips
• Pineapple
• Potato
• Celery
• Dried Peach
• Plum
• Green Beans
• Lentil Sprouts
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Guava
• Spinach
• Watermelon
• Cabbage
• Corn
• Sweet Potato
• Turnip Greens
• Banana
• Asparagus

This list of foods which have more lysine and less arginine is not the complete one. The items in this list have been arranged in the descending order of the ratio of lysine to arginine as per the U.S.D.A handbook. Before consuming these foods consult your doctor and make sure you are not allergic to any of them. Eat healthy, stay fit and no illnesses and ailments will bother you!