Is arginine causing your cold sore outbreak?
By: Faith Sosa | Thea Boatswain, RDN
Effect of Arginine on Cold Sores? Is my coconut water working against me?
Does drinking coconut water have an effect on the common cold sore?
I have found that if one person has a question, oftentimes others do as well. It is my desire that this space can be used to address some of our client’s questions or concerns in greater detail. The question of today pertains to coconut water’s potential effect on a cold sore.
Cold sores are caused by the Herpes simplex virus.1 While this might sound scary, this form of herpes is quite common globally and besides the cold sore, is often asymptomatic.1
This being said, certain foods can actually have an effect on how the body is able to heal from this infection.1 In order for this virus to prosper and replicate in the body, it requires arginine.1
Arginine is an amino acid responsible for aiding the body’s ability to create protein.2 It is also a vasodilator meaning that it dilates or opens blood vessels. This gives blood more space to flow through, so it can flow more easily. The minimum recommended dose of this supplement is 6 grams.3 It can be found in high quantities in many foods high in protein such as fish, red meat, soy, whole grains, coconut, and dairy products.2,4
While coconut meat contains a relatively large amount of protein, coconut water does not contain proteins nor its building blocks, amino acids. Thus, it should have no effect on the herpes virus or the cold sore.
In a bit of encouraging news, some foods that could have a positive effect on the healing of a cold sore include vegetables, legumes, milk, cheese and fish.5 This is because they contain an amino acid known as Lysine.5 Lysine blocks the function of arginine which prevents it from helping the herpes virus replicate and thrive.
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