Lysine: Herpes, Chocolate, and Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is here and so is our desire to eat massive amounts of chocolate. Allow me to confess…. I LOVE CHOCOLATE… In fact, my favorite dessert in the whole wide world is a Flour less Chocolate Torte- (Martha Stewart’s recipe to be exact). But…I don’t like to get herpes outbreaks.
When I work with women with herpes one-on-one and in groups, they are often surprised to hear that I am able to eat chocolate, despite the fact that it is a known trigger for herpes outbreaks. Their surprise reminds me of how I felt when I discovered that one of my favorite “gurus”, Cealo, is still known to smoke a cigar from time to time. So…how I am able to eat chocolate and not get herpes outbreaks? (Before I disclose my one word secret in person, women’s eyes widen and they lean in)
LYSINE
When I consume large amounts of chocolate, nuts, nut butters or coffee, I take lysine. You see, the problem with the above foods is that they are high in arginine, a known trigger for herpes outbreaks. Lysine, on the other hand, is proven to counteract high levels of arginine. In fact, lysine has been shown to decrease the frequency and severity of herpes outbreaks.
In the past, if I was stressed out or if I consumed large amounts of these dietary triggers, I would get a genital outbreak within days. Now, I can use lysine as part of my defense and STILL eat my chocolate torte. Hallelujah! I often use lysine proactively when I’ve consumed too much arginine in my diet and use a dosage that would be therapeutic for an active herpes infection. Typically this would be about 3000mg per day for a few days. During an active herpes outbreak, it is therapeutic to take anywhere between 3000mg-9000mg/day for several days. Some people with herpes take lysine supplements daily, while others use them only at the onset of an outbreak.
Whether you are with a partner or not this Valentine’s Day, I wanted to let you in on my little secret. Life it too short to NOT eat chocolate.
Want to learn more about my natural remedies for herpes? Check out my newest online course for women with herpes. 
LIVE MORE and LOVE MORE!
Live. Love. Thrive.
Dr. Kelly- Amazon Bestselling Author of Live, Love, and Thrive with Herpes: A Holistic Guide For Women P.S. Want more support? Join our FREE herpes forum for Women Supporting Women With Herpes
Thank you for this secret! I was dreading leading a chocolate-less life… will Lysine supplements also help counteract caffeine as well (I need to cut back my coffee intake, so maybe now is the time!)
Yes, lysine can help to counter act your coffee intake. However, there are some people that are so sensitive to arginine (the component in coffee that triggers outbreaks) that this may not be enough to counter an outbreak. I do encourage you to cut back on coffee. For most, moderation is key!
my friend has shingles for 3 years inside her arm she has pain all the time try all kind of ointment cost a fortune it burn 24 hrs a day nothing can help her she tried everything on the market it cost her a fortune she takes 1 cup of home made coffee a day eat fairly well she has that constant pain like if she was burn can u help me ???????
My bf has herpes and I was wondering, how much lysine should he take as a preventative measure to keep the outbreaks from haoppening? Like how many should he take a day?
I used to take about 1000mg a day as a preventative measure and worked really well. I researched online and saw that this dosage was fairly common among people with HSV who wanted to limit their outbreaks homeopathically.