Foods to Fight Cold Sores

Cold sores which are also known as fever blisters are nothing but tiny blisters around the mouth and on the lip. The condition of cold sores is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), which is of two types, viz; HSV-1 and HSV-2. The sores are usually swollen and red, which consist of a clear fluid and these break open at maturity. They take about 2 weeks to heal but are very painful when they are situated around the mouth. The symptoms of cold sores are fever, a sore throat, pain inside your mouth and on your lips, swollen glands in neck and other body parts.

These can spread by touching either an infected fluid which is exposed, or by passing any other body fluid of the infected person, thus there should be no contact with the patient's utensils, clothes, towels, and body. However, when the cold sores occur in the mouth, you have to take care of the foods that you eat, some of them could have medicinal properties to fight these sores as well. These foods act as a natural remedy for cold sores, and you don't have to sort to chemical medicines for relief. Thus, in the paragraphs below, we have a few foods to fight cold sores mentioned just for your information.

Importance of Foods to Fight Cold Sores

Cold sores are definitely a serious condition and there is no cure for them, but they can be reduced gradually. Since they are contagious in nature, the infected person and the people around, should be very careful of hygiene and exposure to the infected fluid. As cold sores take about 2 weeks to heal completely, it is also important to regulate their diet as well, by including some foods to fight cold sores (lysine rich foods) and excluding some (arginine rich foods) which are not healthy for them.

These are the foods to avoid with cold sores. These two amino acids have contradictory roles in cold sores, where lysine prevents the outbreaks and arginine stimulates the eruptions. However, since maximum cold sores are seen inside and around the mouth area, eating some medicinal and lysine rich foods, could help in fastening the healing and recovery time. Therefore, take a look at some of the foods which are required for the prevention of cold sores.

Fruits
Starting with healthy and fresh foods to fight cold sores, fruits like apples are very good sources of lysine. It is found that apples consist of 17 mg of lysine and about 8 mg of arginine, which makes it a ratio of lysine to arginine. Because of the presence of lysine, the herpes breakouts are reduced and the clear liquid which consists of the virus is not exposed for spreading. Another fruit which gives a ratio of 1.5:1 of lysine to arginine is Avocado. They not only stop the sore from erupting, but because these fruits are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, they help in healing of the sores. These are great options for vegans who are looking for foods to fight cold sores.

Dairy Foods
Eating dairy products like yogurt daily is known to be the best way of getting rid of cold sores within 2 weeks. The amount of lysine is 706 mg and 237 mg of arginine in one serving of yogurt. Thus, it is advised that you eat yogurt several times a week to reduce outbreaks of the sores. However, it is also found that yogurt made from skim milk is richer in lysine than that made from low fat milk, thus the former is advised. The other dairy product which is rich in lysine is cheese, where Swiss cheese has a higher ratio of lysine to arginine than Gruyere cheese. American cheese which is processed also contains 427 mg lysine and 155 mg arginine and hence should be included in your daily diet, but regulate the consumption, as it is rich in calories as well.

Other foods which can provide L-lysine for cold sores could be;

• Beef
• Green Vegetables
• Soy Products
• Potatoes
• Chicken
• Margarine
• Fish (Cod, Tuna and Salmon)

With these foods to fight cold sores, hope you have found this information helpful. However, before consuming any of these foods, it is advised that you consult your physician and find out if they are suitable for your diet.