Diet for Herpes

Herpes is a condition caused by a virus that is characterized by sores forming on the mucus membranes of the body. The most common forms of herpes are oral herpes, which are known as cold sores, and genital herpes. Neither one of these conditions is curable and they are both highly communicable. If you have herpes, your diet can help you control outbreaks and symptoms associated with the disease. A diet that is high in the amino acid lysine and low in the amino acid arginine will help with living with this condition.

Lysine Foods

• Always try for foods that are rich in lysine, whether you are in the middle of an outbreak or not. Lysine is an amino acid that acts as an inhibitor to the herpes virus. If you have sores, lysine will help get rid of them sooner and if you are between outbreaks, it can help prolong the time you have without them. Foods you should add to your diet include vegetables, legumes, dairy products, seafood, chicken, turkey, eggs, organ meats, potatoes and brewer's yeast.

Arginine Foods

• Certain foods should be cut out of your diet altogether. These foods are rich in the amino acid arginine and can actually help the virus manifest itself. If you are between outbreaks, arginine will speed up the time until your next one and will make current outbreaks last longer than they should. Arginine-rich foods include chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, cakes, alcohol, coffee, tea, nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut and bleached white flour.

In-Between Foods

• There is a whole range of foods that fall somewhere in the middle of these two groups. These foods usually have a higher level of arginine in them, which must be balanced with lysine-rich foods to keep from having an outbreak. These foods must only be eaten when you are between outbreaks and only in addition to an already lysine-rich diet. If you do have an outbreak, you should cut these foods out altogether as they can prolong symptoms. Do not resume eating these foods until the outbreak has stopped. Foods that fall in this middle group are whole grain products like cereals, bread, pasta and pancakes; oats; corn; rice; peas; beans; chickpeas; carob; foods that contain seeds like tomatoes or eggplant (fruits and berries with seeds may be eaten); and citrus fruits because these may irritate sores.