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Lysine is an essential amino acid and is a basic building block of all protein. This nutrient was first isolated in 1889 from casein.
Lysine is one of numerous amino acids that the body needs for growth and tissue repair. It is classified as one of the nine "essential" amino acids because you need to get it from outside sources such as foods and supplements since the body cannot make it on is own. Like all amino acids, lysine is a necessary building block for all protein. It is needed for proper growth and bone development in children; it helps calcium absorption and maintains a proper nitrogen balance in adults. This amino acid aids in the production of antibodies, hormones, and enzymes, and helps in collagen formation and tissue repair. There might be use in lysine to help maintain healthy blood vessels. Because it helps to build muscle protein, it is good for those recovering from surgery and sports injuries. It also lowers high serum triglyceride levels.
Another very useful ability of this amino acid is its capacity for fighting cold sores and herpes viruses. Taking supplemental L-lysine, together with vitamin C with bioflavonoids, can effectively fight and/or prevent herpes outbreaks, especially if foods containing the amino acid arginine are avoided.
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Herpes Virus Infection
SOURCES
Lysine is an essential amino acid, as so cannot be manufactured in the body. It is therefore vital that adequate amounts be included in the diet. Food sources of lysine are numerous, but the richest sources include cheese, eggs, fish, lima beans, milk, potatoes, red meat, soy products, and yeast. Vegetables are generally a poor source of lysine, with the exception of legumes (beans, peas, lentils).
MOLECULAR DESCRIPTION
Lysine is an essential amino acid that has a net positive charge at physiological pH values making it one of the three basic (with respect to charge) amino acids. This polar amino acid is commonly found on the surfaces of proteins and enzymes, and sometimes appears in the active site. Sources of lysine include meats, fish, poultry, and dairy products. Lysine is incorporated into proteins at the rate of 7 percent on a molar basis compared to the other amino acids.
LYSINE DEFICIENCY
Although a deficiency of lysine is rare, since it is found in so many protein foods, the symptoms may include anemia, bloodshot eyes, enzyme disorders, hair loss, an inability to concentrate, irritability, lack of energy, poor appetite, reproductive disorders, retarded growth, and weight loss.
Supplements are best used by individuals suffering from a herpes outbreak or by people on vegan or vegetarian diets and low-fat dieters. People using grains as their only source of protein are often deficient in this nutrient. Post-menopausal women can take lysine to encourage absorption of calcium by the body.
LYSINE HEALTH BENEFITS
Researchers are exploring the value of lysine supplementation and the consumption of lysine-rich foods for lowering cholesterol, improving athletic performance, and enhancing recovery after surgery. Lysine may help prevent osteoporosis since lysine promotes the body's absorption of calcium. It slows the damage to the eyes caused by diabetes and may help prevent cataracts. It may help to boost the immune system and its antiviral properties may help treat chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis, and HIV, and burn patients. Older people could also require more lysine, as one study found older men required more of this nutrient than younger men.
Some nutritionally oriented healthcare providers and dentists recommend taking lysine during an outbreak of canker sores to speed healing. The exact cause of these tiny but quite painful mouth ulcers is unclear, but most research indicates that a virus is responsible. However, there have been almost no clinical trials using lysine as a remedy for canker sores.
The most promising application of lysine is its use in managing and preventing painful and unsightly herpes sores caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
LYSINE & THE HERPES VIRUS
Lysine may help to prevent and relieve cold sores (herpes). Exciting research over the past several decades suggests that lysine may be helpful in controlling herpes simplex-related infections. There are two types of this virus: type 1, which typically causes cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth, and type 2, which tends to cause genital sores. However, both forms can cause eruptions around the mouth or on the genitals. Once infected with the virus, you have it permanently. It may lie dormant, but it doesn't go away. Outbreaks are usually painful and unsightly, as well as contagious.
A few years ago, researchers discovered that in order to grow (replicate), the herpes virus needs arginine, another common amino acid. (Foods high in arginine include chocolate, peanuts, almonds, seeds, cereal grains, gelatin, and raisins.) Lysine competes with arginine for absorption and entry into tissue cells. And when lysine is present, it inhibits the growth of HSV by knocking out arginine.
This makes a diet high in lysine and low in arginine a useful tool in managing HSV infections. In a recent study, participants consumed large amounts of lysine (about 1 gram three times each day) while restricting food sources of arginine. A significant number of participants (74%) noticed an improvement in their HSV infections and a decrease in the number of outbreaks.
Lysine supplements (as opposed to foods high in this nutrient) can also play an important role in staving off and reducing the severity of herpes-related cold sores. Results of a six-month trial involving more than 50 people indicate that lysine is far more effective than a placebo in preventing cold sores. Participants given a placebo had more than twice as many such infections as those taking lysine. Moreover, the herpes sores that did develop in the lysine group tended to be milder, and to heal faster, than the outbreaks in the placebo group.
Lysine supplements may even prevent HSV outbreaks in chronic sufferers.
Speed healing of shingles lesions. Painful shingles blisters are caused by a reactivation of varicella-zoster virus, an infection that started out as an attack of chickenpox. Herpes zoster is closely related to herpes simplex, however, and lysine appears to have a similar role to play in treating an eruption of shingles. Keep in mind, however, that most nutritionally oriented healthcare providers will combine lysine therapy with conventional antiviral medications such as acyclovir or valacyclovir.
SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS
Tablet
Powder
Liquid
Capsule
LYSINE DOSAGE
It is estimated, however, that the daily requirement for an adult is approximately 12 mg per kilogram (2.2 lb) of body weight, which would translate to about 840 mg for a 70 kg male (approximately 150 lbs). While many people satisfy their need for lysine through dietary sources, supplements are now popular for treating and preventing specific ailments as well.
RDA Requirement:
- Infant 3-6 months: 97 mg per kg of body weight
- Child 10-12 years: 44 mg per kg of body weight
- Adults: 12 mg per kg of body weight
Special Tips:
Of all the amino acids, lysine is the most sensitive to the effects of food processing, such as dry heat. The amount of protein available in legumes and other sources of lysine can be significantly reduced if they have been toasted or roasted.
Common foods high in lysine include nonfat milk (8 fluid ounces, or 245 grams, contains about 660 mg of lysine) and whole-wheat bread (one slice of wheat bread, or 28 grams, provides 85 mg of lysine).
For canker Sores: Take 1,000 mg L-lysine three times a day with meals while a canker sore is present. Reduce the dose to 500 mg three times a day for one week following healing.
For cold Sores: Take 1,000 mg L-lysine three times a day with meals for flare-ups. If you are subject to recurrent outbreaks of cold sores, continue on a maintenance dosage of 1,000 mg day.
For Shingles: Take 1,000 mg L-lysine three times a day with meals during flare-ups. Reduce the dose to 500 mg three times a day for one week after healing.
TOXICITY & SYMPTOMS OF HIGH INTAKE
Toxicity has not been determined but animals fed high amounts of lysine, have shown a tendency to gallstones as well as elevated cholesterol - but these tendencies have not been proven in humans.
Side effects are rare with lysine supplements, although a few cases of abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported with very high doses (more than 10 grams a day). However, these are not consistent symptoms.
L-lysine is best taken as a single supplement and not in combination with other amino acids. Such combinations are touted as nutritional supplements that build more muscle and are often used by athletes and bodybuilders. However, too much protein strains the functions of the liver and kidneys and can cause other health problems. The single supplement should be taken on an empty stomach because larger amounts of the amino acid can build up in the blood and brain, enhancing its health benefits.
LYSINE INTERACTION
Lysine must be used with care in supplement form when taking antibiotics. In very large doses (10 to 30 grams a day), lysine increases the toxicity of aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as gentamicin, neomycin, and streptomycin.
CAUTIONS
Supplemental combinations of amino acids are not recommended to build muscle. Excessive build-up of protein in the body can cause kidney and liver problems.
For a severe initial outbreak of genital herpes or shingles, see your healthcare provider to confirm that you have the condition and you may be prescribed antiviral drugs such as acyclovir.
Do not drink milk at the same time you take lysine.
Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, as well as patients with liver or kidney problems, must first consult a health professional or midwife before taking lysine supplements.
LYSINE / L-LYSINE SUPPLEMENTS & PRODUCTS
L-Lysine HCl Powder, Vegetarian Formula, NOW Foods, 552 mg, 1 lb
L-Lysine is an essential amino acid, which means your body cannot manufacture it - it must be obtained through the diet or by L-Lysine supplements.
L-Lysine, Highest Potency, Pharmaceutical Grade, NOW Foods, 1000 mg, 100 Tabs
Lysine is one of the most well known amino acids and is an essential component of all proteins.
L-Lysine, Pharmaceutical Grade, Stable Tartrate Form, NOW Foods, 500 mg, 100 Caps
L-Lysine is one of the 8 essential amino acids, helpful in the production of antibodies to fight disease and enzymes necessary for tissue repair. Commonly used to treat symptoms caused by the Herpes Simplex-1 virus. Helps symptoms of herpes infection, cold sores, tissue repair, collagen formation, helps promote bone growth & healthy skin, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and acts as a precursor for L-Carnitine which improves stress tolerance & fat metabolism. L-Lysine is proving effective in helping to reduce the incidence of and or prevent painful cold sores and fever blisters. Lysine is also crucial for the formation of collagen, the fibrous protein which makes up bone, cartilage, connective tissue and supports the outer layer of skin. It supports calcium absorption, may be an important supplement in preventing osteoporosis, and is being researched for use as a treatment for angina.
NutriBiotic Skin Ointment, w/ Grapefruit Seed Extract & Lysine, 0.5 oz.
NutriBiotic Skin Ointment with GSE, Grapefruit Seed Extract & Lysine is a natural formulation created to promote healthy skin tissue and provide protection from unwanted skin conditions. NutriBiotic Skin Ointment with GSE can be used topically for such things as scrapes, scratches and cuts. NutriBiotic Skin Ointment with GSE can also be used on the lips and in the mouth on cold sores and canker sores. Great for fever blisters. The Grapefruit Seed Extract skin ointment does not contain a single ingredient that cannot be eaten. It can be used for certain conditions in the nose, mouth and ears. The skin ointment is pH neutral, so it won't sting. The antiseptic ingredients are all commonly used in preparations to treat a number of delicate conditions, including vaginal yeast infections and other genital infections. Apply the product to the affected area with a cotton swab to prevent contamination of the tube. The ointment is excellent for infants & children. GSE Skin Ointment is safe and gentle for the whole family to use. It works great during cold season to help heal the chafing and rawness caused by runny noses and abrasive tissues. It also is a fabulous remedy for windburn and sunburn. And because of its antiseptic properties, it makes a terrific first aid cream that won't sting upon application. Lysine is in the ointment, because Lysine has been clinically shown to inhibit the life cycle of the herpes virus. Lysine is one of the 9 essential amino acids that the body doesn't produce on its own which also has soothing and reparative qualities that make it perfect for use in a topical ointment.
Herbal Remedies: Lysine / L-Lysine Supplements & Products
Herbal Remedies: Lysine / L-Lysine Information
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