Hey everyone! Welcome back! Or welcome if you are new. My name is Shauna and Im studying to be a naturopath and barre instructor. I am passionate about holistic health and using nutrition to heal my reflux and rosacea so if you like learning about realistic wellness, I am glad you are here!
Today’s topic is all about cold sores. Gross I Know, but they are very common and actually 2 of 3 people WORDLDWIDE have the virus and alot don’t even know it.
If you are one of the lucky ones that does not suffer from cold sores, I hope that you will keep reading so you can understand what your friends or family or even partner go through when they get one and how they can help prevent or heal them faster using natural remedies.
First: What are cold sores?
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus—usually HSV-1. According to the WHO World Health Organization):
“An estimated 3.8 billion people under age 50 globally have herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, the main cause of oral herpes. Herpes simplex virus (HSV), known as herpes, is a common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers. It primarily spreads by skin-to-skin contact. It is treatable but not curable. Type 1 (HSV-1) mostly spreads by oral contact and causes infections in or around the mouth (oral herpes or cold sores). It can also cause genital herpes. “
Many people may have the virus without any idea, and can pass it along to others without knowing.
Symptoms can include painful blisters or ulcers. fever, body aches and swollen lymph nodes in some cases.
I have suffered from them (yes I mean suffered because they are not fun and can be very uncomfortable) since childhood and have always wondered why I got them since only a couple of my family members do as well. I have never had any of the symptoms I just mentioned other than the blisters fortunately.
Most people are exposed to the virus as kids—usually through close skin-to-skin contact, like a kiss from a family member or someone with an active cold sore.
So chances are, I picked it up as a kid too—which sucks. But luckily I’ve found ways to reduce how often I get cold sores and also how long they stick around.
And today I’m going to walk you through the things that have made the biggest difference for me—using simple things anyone can do.
Before I share my tips, I just want to say: everything I’m about to share is based on my personal experience. I found these remedies through a lot of trial and error in my own body, and once I noticed patterns, I started researching and found that many of them are actually science-backed.But with anything—especially your health—please don’t just take the word of a girl on the internet. Do your own research, talk to your doctor or naturopath, and most of all… listen to your body.
Ok here’s the breakdown. First ill go into the tips I use to PREVENT THEM, and help them heal then we’ll move on to the possible triggers and what to avoid.
TIP# 1
Let’s talk about the first remedy that’s made a huge difference for me: broccoli sprouts.
I know, it sounds kind of random, but I’m telling you—when I started eating them regularly, I noticed I stopped getting cold sores as often.I usually would only get them when I had a very rough menstrual cycle, or when I was sick. But I noticed recently that I hadn’t had one in months. And when I did get one, it healed way faster. I had been using broccoli sprouts to help with my reflux, but I found it was really good at preventing cold sores as well.
Broccoli sprouts are rich in something called sulforaphane—which is a natural compound that helps your body fight inflammation, boost detox pathways, and support your immune system. Some studies even show it has antiviral properties, which could be why it helps keep HSV-1 from flaring up.
You can eat them fresh on salads or sandwiches, or add broccoli sprout powder to smoothies like I do. I don’t have access to fresh ones all the time, and to be honest, the ones I do find at the grocery store are hard to tell if they are still good…so I prefer the powder. But make sure if you do use a powder that it says it still contains glucoraphanin and active myrosinase enzyme, since Glucoraphanin turns into Sulforaphane when Myrosinase is present and water is added. So I use powder from Koyah as a more affordable way to get the same benefits as fresh. Also side note, broccoli sprouts have WAY more benefits to your health so it’s definitely worth a look into adding them to your diet! Just sayin. You can find Koyah in a powder or capsule form here.
TIP #2
Lysine rich foods- AKA beans! They are not just the musical fruit, beans. They are actually really rich in an amino acid called Lysine. Lysine is well known to help prevent and help heal cold sores. Many people myself included, use Lysine supplements during a flare to help speed the recovery. When lysine levels are higher, they can help slow or stop HSV replication.
There was a period of time I went sort of paleo and I didn’t consume any beans and I noticed that I was getting them more often so I was relying on adding a lysine supplement to my diet. Well, I hate buying and taking supplements…so I dug a little deeper and found that beans are such a great source of lysine naturally! I started eating them daily and I found they really do help. You can add beans to all kinds of recipes from Mexican dishes to smoothies and even brownies! My personal favorites are smashed beans in sandwiches, chickpea blondies and chickpea or lentil pasta. But if you are a cold sore sufferer, it’s worth adding beans to your diet more often unless you have gut issues that prevent you from eating them. I also use a topical lysine AND a Lysine supplement when I feel one coming up because it will stop it in its tracks if you catch it early enough. So those 2 things are always on hand for such occasions.
Tip #3
Keeping the area clean. Did you know cold sores can in fact get infected and make them worse? I found this out the hard way. When I was younger, I had one that was really bad and I was worried so I went to the doctor. The nurse told me that it had gotten infected and that I needed to make sure to wash the area with antibacterial soap. Well that was news to me so I started doing that from then on. But ya know, I don’t like using antibacterial soap on my face. So one day I decided to try my unscented Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap and IT HEALED SO MUCH FASTER! Now do I have any scientific evidence saying this will make it heal faster? No I don’t but what I do have is years of self proof with my own body to know that for me personally YES it does. It just dries it up or something magical. Plus you can use this soap to wash your fresh tattoos which is also what I do and you know it makes them heal faster as well. Also their magic balm- not the arnica one. The baby one.
Ok now that we know how to prevent or lessen the severity, let’s talk about the possible triggers. You may know some of these- or all of them, or these may all be new to you. Either way let’s talk about them.
This one may be a surprise to hear but COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS. Yes the one that everyone tries to shove down your throat. We are told to use them by every fitness professional or influencer online…but are they good for EVERYONE?
I had never heard anyone mention this before, but years ago I was taking a collagen supplement daily in my smoothies or coffee because I read it was good for joints and skin health and I started getting cold sores ALOT. Im talking as soon as one would go away, id get another one. To combat that I started adding powdered lysine to my smoothies as well. Well like I said, I don’t like taking a lot of supplements so I started googling it and do you know what I found? Collagen is super high in a particular amino acid called arginine- and HSV-1 actually needs arginine to replicate!! MIND BLOWN.
I immediately stopped taking collagen and the frequency of outbreaks stopped. I thought I could never take collagen again and I still haven’t to this day. BUT recently I decided to do a deep dive back into the topic and find out more about it. I found that a brand called Bub’s Naturals actually has an article about the importance of lysine in collagen! You can read that here. Theirs has over 600 mg of lysine instead of the lower levels in most brands. I got exited to see someone actually mentioning this because it’s not something widely known. SO my point is, you can take collagen, just make sure to add more lysine rich foods to your diet as well. Along with vitamin c these three are a powerhouse for collagen building and healthy lips as well as cold sore prevention.
Chocolate is also another potential trigger for people due to its levels of arginine as well. I saw some articles saying that peanuts and chickpeas are also high in arginine…but I never had any issues with those but if you are having alot of these foods and get cold sores often, try cutting them out for a while and see if it helps. Everyone is different so my triggers may not be the same as yours.
Other triggers:
The thing about HSV-1, is that it lays dormant in your nerves waiting for a chance to pop up. When you get sick, or your immune system is weak, your body is busy fighting off other viruses and HSV-1 is an opportunist. It takes this opportunity to come out and party, causing an outbreak. Hormonal fluctuations can also be an opportunity for it to come out as well. Which is why I noticed I get them on my period at times when it’s really bad.
Sunlight can also cause them. I notice in summer if I am in full direct sunlight for prolonged periods I can get them. So it’s important to prevent that by staying in the shade and wearing lip sunscreen.
ALSO, have you ever had really chapped lips then all of a sudden boom you get one? Well damage to the lips such as chapped or cracked lips can be triggers!
So the takeaways from this video are to keep your immune system functioning properly with a healthy lifestyle and eating lots of nutritious foods. Stay hydrated to prevent chapped lips, and keep your detox pathways ( hello liver) functioning properly, and avoid potential triggers. I really hope this was helpful to any of you that may suffer from cold sores, or even if you don’t I hope it was informative and helpful to someone you may know who does.
I’ll see you next time.
Shauna
LINKS:
https://www.bubsnaturals.com/blogs/blog/lysine-and-collagen
📚 Recommended Resources:
- World Health Organization (WHO) on Herpes Simplex Virus:
- An estimated 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 (67%) are infected with HSV-1 globally.
- WHO Fact Sheet on Herpes Simplex Virus
- Sulforaphane’s Antiviral Properties:
- Research indicates that sulforaphane, found in broccoli sprouts, may reduce neurotoxicity associated with HSV-1.
- Study on Sulforaphane and HSV-1PMC+1ResearchGate+1
- Lysine and Arginine Balance in HSV Management:
- Studies suggest that lysine can antagonize the effects of arginine, potentially suppressing HSV replication.
- Relation of Arginine-Lysine Antagonism to Herpes Simplex GrowthWikipedia+3PubMed+3PMC+3
- Lysine Supplementation for Cold Sores:
- Clinical research supports the use of lysine supplements to reduce the recurrence and severity of HSV outbreaks.
- Lysine for Herpes Simplex Prophylaxis: A ReviewMDPI
Cold sores: Learn More – Can cold sore outbreaks be prevented?
Realistic Wellness by Shauna 
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