Are There Certain Foods To Avoid With Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a common, with 20 million new cases diagnosed each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, or HSV. Herpes simplex virus type 2 affects the genital region, and type 1often manifests as cold sores around the mouth. After infection, the virus retreats into the nervous system, where it lies dormant between episodes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Outbreaks are often triggered by some sort of stressor, including illness, emotional pressure or menses. Diet may also have an effect on the severity and frequency of outbreaks. Always consult your physician to determine the correct therapy for you.
To minimize herpes outbreaks, reduce the incidence of viral replication. The herpes simplex virus requires the amino acid arginine to metabolize and multiply. According to Murray & Pizzorno’s “Textbook of Natural Medicine,” another amino acid, lysine, inhibits the action of arginine. Maintaining proper ratios between these amino acids can be an important aspect of managing this condition. Most foods contain some amount of both lysine and arginine. Maximizing lysine intake while minimizing arginine is the goal of dietary treatment of herpes.
Genital Herpes Is Spread By Skin
The virus can be spread when someone with HSV has an episode or an outbreak characterised by having a sore, blister, ulcer or skin split . It can also be spread between episodes, when there is no sore, blister, ulcer or skin split present called asymptomatic viral shedding.
During viral shedding the virus is on the skin surface and can be spread through genital skin-to-skin contact, or from the mouth or face to genital skin during contact.
How Is Genital Herpes Treated
Genital herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus . The virus causes an outbreak of blisters which are common herpes symptoms. Treatment is with antiviral medication to help prevent and control outbreaks.
If youre unsure if you have herpes, you can take a genital herpes test at home.
There are 3 main types of treatment for genital herpes:
Aciclovir tablets are used for outbreaks of genital herpes or cold sores to treat the symptoms. They can also be used to prevent outbreaks from happening if you get them often. How much you take and how long you take them for can vary depending on what youre using it for whether youre using it to treat an outbreak or to prevent future outbreaks.
Valaciclovir tablets are known as a pro-drug, which means your body converts it into aciclovir after you take them. Like aciclovir tablets, they can be used to treat symptoms or to prevent outbreaks.
A doctor may prescribe famciclovir tablets if you find that aciclovir or valaciclovir havent worked for you.
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What About Diet And Herpes
It’s important to look after yourself when managing herpes. A healthy diet is certainly part of that.
Some people with herpes have found that avoiding foods high in the amino acid Arginine, may reduce recurrences. Higher levels of Arginine are found in foods such as chocolate and many types of nuts. Excessive coffee , red wine and smoking are also triggers for some people. Of course, when anything is done in excess it can be detrimental to our health, but it’s important not to get into majorly restrictive eating. Some people have problematic symptoms even when they seem to be doing all the right things – so don’t beat yourself up.
Maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle makes a difference, but only to a degree. The virus reacts differently in different people’s bodies and some people, even with a great deal of attention to wellbeing, continue to have more recurrences than other people. You may want to consult with a registered dietician, nutritionist or naturopath to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet.
When it comes to complementary medicines, Lysine is the most commonly mentioned in relation to treating the herpes simplex virus. Lysine is one of the essential amino acids that the body uses to build proteins. While many people living with herpes find taking Lysine helpful, the consensus in the scientific community is that Lysine supplements do not contribute to reducing the number of recurrences of genital herpes.
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What Triggers A Genital Herpes Outbreak
To understand how genital herpes outbreaks can be prevented, you must first identify your triggers. Everyone experiences genital herpes differently, and what triggers outbreaks for you may differ from other people:
Initial Transmission
Most people experience their worst herpes outbreak one to two weeks after transmission. This outbreak tends to be the longest as the body hasnt had time to build up any immune response to the viral load. Remember, herpes outbreaks on the genitals occur most frequently within the first year of infection, and should slow down over time.
UV Light
Excessive sun exposure can increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation your body is exposed to. UV radiation can negatively affect the immune system, which makes viral activity more difficult to control, sometimes causing outbreaks of sores.
Stress & Grief
Long-term stress and low moods can have a huge effect on your overall health and have a negative impact on your immune system. A weakened immune system is a common factor in many genital herpes outbreaks, which in turn allows viral activity to thrive and cause outbreaks.
Tip: To better understand your genital herpes outbreak triggers, keep a note of what is going on in your life when outbreaks do happen and see if you can spot any trends. Avoiding these risk factors can help to reduce the number of outbreaks.
Living With Genital Herpes: How To Prevent & Manage Outbreaks
13 September 2022Dr Bani
Many sexually active people in the UK carry some form of the herpes simplex virus. If youve recently found out you have HSV-2 , there are a few steps you can take to minimise the impact of the virus on your everyday life. In this article, our sexual health team outlines the best ways to prevent and manage HSV-2 outbreaks.
How can you prevent genital herpes outbreaks? The most effective way of reducing the frequency of Herpes outbreaks is by taking daily antiviral medication. You can also minimise outbreaks by looking after your body, eating vitamin-rich foods, and getting enough sleep. Reducing daily stress can also help to minimise herpes outbreaks.
Read on to learn what steps you can take to minimise the risk of outbreaks and transmission to others.
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Foods That Fight Genital Herpes
Unfortunately, no single food can fight genital herpes and prevent outbreaks on its own. Instead, your immune system as a whole works to keep herpes outbreaks at bay.
Your primary objective, then, should be maintaining a healthy immune system.
Many factors contribute to a healthy immune system sleep, exercise, dietary supplementation, stress level and a healthy diet curated with the herpes virus in mind is an excellent place to begin.
Symptoms Of Genital Herpes
Many people who have genital herpes may not be aware they have the infection, because they may not have any symptoms.
The first episode of herpes can cause considerable pain and distress. Symptoms of the first episode may include:
- flu-like symptoms such as feeling unwell, headaches and pains in the back and legs, with or without enlarged glands in the groin
- small blisters around the genitals these break open to form shallow, painful ulcers, which scab over and heal after one to two weeks
- small cracks in the skin with or without an itch or tingling
- redness or a distinct rash
- some people also have considerable pain and swelling in the genital area, and hence may have additional pain and difficulty passing urine.
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What Else Should I Know
Genital herpes is a lifelong condition, but there are ways to manage it. If you have genital herpes:
- Take medicines to stop outbreaks or make them less frequent and less severe.
- Help reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to others by taking medicines, always using a condom during sex, and avoiding sex during outbreaks.
Diet High In Lysine And Low In Arginine
In previous sessions I told you about the relationship between herpes and lysine and also between herpes and arginine.
You already know that lysine intake helps to prevent herpes outbreaks and arginine intake contributes to their appearance and increases their intensity and duration.
For this reason, your diet should be rich in lysine and poor in arginine.
You will achieve this purpose if you consume foods high in lysine and low in arginine such as milk and its derivatives.
A classic combination is to eat brown rice with cooked dried beans. While brown rice is rich in arginine, dried beans contain an excess of lysine that overcomes the lack of this amino acid in brown rice.
Popcorn contains more arginine than lysine, but people infected with the herpes virus can enjoy popcorn if they sprinkle it with nutritional yeast that adds a cheesy flavor.
Arginine is neutralized because one tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 190 mg more lysine than arginine.
Fish, meats and dairy products are rich in lysine. However, eating too much of these protein-rich foods can raise your bodys acidity and cause a herpes outbreak. Moderation is the key.
If you cant get the foods you like to make up a diet high in lysine and low in arginine, you can use a lysine supplement.
Lysine supplement.
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Diet Immunity And Cold Sores
If you get cold sores, eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet to support your immune system is important. The herpes simplex virus causes cold sores.1 Symptoms of the virus, such as painful blisters around the mouth, may reappear throughout the years. This is because the virus lies dormant in nerve cells in your skin, even if you dont see any cold sores when you look in the mirror.
Viral infections and fevers are a common cause of cold sores.2 In addition, people with weakened immune systems from certain conditions are most at risk for complications from the herpes simplex virus.3 Taking steps to support immunity, such as eating a healthy diet, is important for your lip health and overall health.
Although dietary recommendations vary from person to person, there are some dos and donts on foods to eat to support immune health:4
How To Prevent An Outbreak
Some people only take their medications if they feel the itching and tingling that means an outbreak is coming on — or when sores show up — to stop it from getting worse. Your doctor may suggest you take an antiviral every day if you:
- Have lots of outbreaks
- Want to prevent more outbreaks
- Want to lower the risk of spreading it to your partner
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Additional Dietary Tips For Herpes
1. Eat Foods Good for Skin
- Wholegrain cereals
2. Eat Plenty of Cruciferous Vegetables
There are plenty of foods to avoid with herpes but cruciferous vegetables are not one of them. High in indole-3-carbinol , foods with this compound may hinder the virus by interfering with its reproduction. Studies are showing significant evidence supporting this finding. Foods include:
3. Eat Stress-Relieving Foods
Research has found that stress weakens the bodys immune system, making it more susceptible to illness. It is important to de-stress and relax whenever possible. Certain foods and nutrients can help your body fight tension and anxiety, thus warding off a herpes outbreak. Foods and drinks high in vitamin B and magnesium can help your body bounce back from stressful situations quicker. If you decide to take a supplement, make sure it is in the form of a vitamin B complex so you keep the nutrients in balance. The complex includes B1, B2, B6, B9 and B12. They help your body produce serotonin, which is the hormone that relaxes you and puts you at ease. Foods that can help you de-stress include:
- Green leafy vegetables
4. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
5. Drink Purified and Alkaline Water
Upgrade Your Eating Habits
Are you eating a standard American diet, or SAD? That means eating lots of meat, fast foods, and processed foods, and few fresh fruits and vegetables. Such habits not only work against living comfortably with herpes, they also raise your risk for many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Consider upgrading your eating habits through a few, not-so-hard-to-make changes.
Eat more veggies. Try to prepare home-cooked food more often. Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed, says LeeAnn Weintraub, RD, MPH, a registered dietitian based in Los Angeles. She considers those three tips to be the first steps to follow for anyone who wants to eat more healthfully.
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How Has My Partner Caught Genital Herpes
If your partner has only just been diagnosed with genital herpes, this does not necessarily mean that they have been unfaithful to you or sexually promiscuous in the past.
- Your partner may have caught genital herpes from you. You can carry the virus without knowing you have it as some people have no symptoms.
- It is also possible that your partner caught the virus from a cold sore on your mouth or face during oral sex. You can pass the virus on even if you dont have a cold sore at the time of contact.
- Your partner may have contracted the virus from a previous sexual partner, even several years ago. The virus can remain inactive in your body for long periods.
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Best And Worst Foods For Herpes
Beverly Meyer, Clinical Nutritionist, MBA
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As I write and speak about in this post and Podcast on Herpes or Shingles, the ratio of the amino acids Arginine to Lysine is the key. Arginine feeds all Herpes viruses . Arginine is balanced by Lysine. Reducing high Arginine foods, handling your stress, and taking a small dose of Lysine daily can be a big help. I also take a few Monolaurin every week as a preventative. My Olive Leaf is whole leaf I take it daily.
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Diet For Healthy Weight To Prevent Herpes Flare
A research study claims that obesity can work as a trigger for patients who are suffering from this infection. So check your BMI often and if you notice that youre in the overweight or obese category, try to maintain a healthy weight by watching your calorie intake and eating healthy meals that are high in protein and fiber. For high-protein and high-fiber meals, add lentils, eggs, milk, milk products, lean meat and all colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Activitiesto Avoid During A Herpes Outbreak
If there isan active Herpes Simplex Virus outbreak, there are a few activities thateveryone needs to avoid. Some of the activities to avoid during a HerpesSimplex Virus include:
Kissing: Because HerpesSimplex Virus 1 is triggered by directly contacting saliva or open sores,people should avoid kissing. This can lead to the transmission of the virusfrom person to person.
SexualActivity: Herpes Simplex Virus 2 is transmitted almost exclusively by sexual contact.Contact with genital herpes spreads this virus from person to person. Those whodo have sex during an active outbreak need to make sure they wear a condom.
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Try Taking The Supplement Lysine
In terms of taking supplements to prevent breakouts, I especially recommend L-lysine. This is the primary supplement for herpes, Gade says. L-lysine is an amino acid, a building block of protein. When you have an outbreak, it can be taken orally to shorten the outbreak in conjunction with an antiviral medication.
Lysine appears to be useful in reducing the number and the severity of outbreaks. The usual daily dose is between 1 and 3 milligrams.
Some studies suggest that taking lysine regularly may help prevent outbreaks of both cold sores and herpes sores. In Gades experience, patients have had no side effects using lysine. In some people, though, there have been reports of the supplement causing abdominal pain and diarrhea, so discuss with your doctor before taking long-term.
Herbal Remedies May Also Offer Relief
There is some research of varying quality that provides support for using certain botanical remedies for herpes. You may want to try one or more of these:
Long Dan Xie Gan Tan This Chinese herbal formula has been used to quell symptoms and reduce herpes outbreaks. Its English name is clear liver fire pills. In at least one study, the formulawas shown to inhibit the activity of HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Lemon Balm This herb, which is related to mint, has traditionally been used to improve brain function and also has antiviral properties. Records concerning the medicinal use of lemon balm date back more than 2,000 years.
Lemon balm can be prepared and drunk as a tea. It can also be applied to the skin to both prevent herpes to prevent outbreaks and reduce symptoms. Research has shown that lemon balm oil directly counteracts herpesviruses.
Ashwagandha Known to botanists as Withania somnifera, this plant plays a big role in traditional Indian medicine as a general health tonic. It goes by many names, including Ayurvedic ginseng, Indian ginseng, and winter cherry. Ashwagandha helps to support general well-being and reduce anxiety, as well as relieving herpes symptoms, says Gade.
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