I came across this article, it has a lot of good information, if you think your MM is caused by the HSV. Diet and Nutrition with Herpes http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/diet_and_nutrition_with_herpes.htm "By paying attention to what we eat we can help to minimize the chance of a herpes recurrence. Here are some expert tips to help keep herpes symptoms away and to put you in control." One tip he mentions I haven't heard of: "Tip #.5 Eat lots of broccoli and other “cruciferous” vegetables Vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family (including brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale) may help to stop herpes in its tracks, this is due to a naturally high amount of a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Clinical studies show that this compound has the potential to interfere with the way the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) reproduces. The preliminary trial results are very promising, so eat up on these nutritious vegetables whenever you can." Top Ten Herpes Diet Tips TIP #.1 Avoid supplements or foods that contain excessive Arginine One theory is that foods which contain high amounts of the amino acid Arginine can provoke or bring on a herpes episode for some people. This is related to the fact that the herpes virus requires this amino acid to grow, replicate and to become active. This is why limiting foods which are very high in Arginine can be helpful for those who are trying to reduce herpes breakouts. Foods which are high in Arginine and can commonly trigger an outbreak are: Chocolate Nuts, including peanut butter Protein shakes and drinks that contain Arginine Oats, including porridge Muscle building formulas and multivitamins that contain Arginine Reducing some of these foods can be helpful but it is important not to make this the main focus of your diet. The human body naturally produces Arginine so it can never be eliminated completely. Simply being mindful of foods that are excessively high in this amino acid, and not taking it in supplement form, is sufficient when trying to reduce herpes symptoms. Tip #.2 Balance Arginine rich foods with Lysine Lysine helps to stop the virus which causes herpes. If you get ample amounts of this amino acid in your diet it can help to reduce the frequency of the symptoms and make healing faster. This is why it is recommended to eat foods that are high in Lysine, or take a Lysine supplement. See the Supplements section for advice on what to look for in a Lysine supplement. Foods that contain high amounts of Lysine are: Most vegetables and fruits particularly beets, avocados, mangoes, tomatoes, apples, apricots, pears, figs and papaya Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheeses Eggs Brewer’s yeast Fish, particularly sardines and cod Chicken, beef and lamb Sprouts Tip #.3 Eat foods which are good for your skin Lysine is beneficial but it is not the only nutrient that the body requires to ward off herpes. The skin should also be nourished with essential nutrients that are needed to resist an infection, as well as to regenerate and repair itself. Make sure that you are getting plenty of zinc, vitamin C and bioflavonoids in your diet to help protect, nourish and strengthen your skin. This will help your skin to heal more quickly during breakouts, and will also help make your body more resistant to the symptoms surfacing in the first place. Foods that contain high amounts of Vitamin C: Fresh fruits (especially citrus, such as oranges) Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, bok choy and spinach Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cauliflower Bell peppers Strawberries Papaya (papaw) Parsley Foods that contain high amounts of Bioflavonoids: Most citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, mandarins and others. Many bright colored fruits and vegetables, including cherries, cranberries, grapes, peppers, apricots and prunes Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach Black tea (such as Earl Gray, etc) Broccoli, brussel sprouts and eggplant (aubergine or egg fruit) Wine and juice made from berries or grapes Some varieties of red clover Rosehips Foods that contain high amounts of Zinc: Seafood Pumpkin seeds Most dairy products Beans and lentils Wholegrain cereals Legumes Tip #.4 Avoid or reduce these foods to help prevent outbreaks - Artificial sweeteners Anecdotal evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners can trigger a herpes outbreak for some people. They are commonly found in food and drinks that are “diet” or “sugar free” including diet sodas, many toothpastes and sugar substitutes. Check the label to see if it contains the word ‘sweetener’ followed by a reference number, or any one of these ingredient names: - Saccharin (Sweet’N Low) - Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) - Sucralose (Splenda, Altern), or - Sorbitol - Protein shakes or muscle building formulas that contain the amino acid Arginine - White bread – replace with wholemeal, rye or brown bread where possible - Cut back on coffee, caffeine and soda , especially if you feel you have too much of these in your diet - If you are going to drink alcohol or take recreational drugs… try to do so in moderation. If you have a late night or do not get adequate sleep, try taking Panax or Korean Ginseng (before, during and after) to help reduce the negative impact it can have on your body. This in turn can help reduce the chance of a breakout. White and refined sugars - Be mindful of excess sweets in your diet and opt for a natural sweetener instead of sugar where possible, such as agave syrup or stevia Eat chocolate, nuts and oats in moderation , not every day or to excess Tip #.5 Eat lots of broccoli and other “cruciferous” vegetables Vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family (including brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale) may help to stop herpes in its tracks, this is due to a naturally high amount of a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Clinical studies show that this compound has the potential to interfere with the way the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) reproduces. The preliminary trial results are very promising, so eat up on these nutritious vegetables whenever you can. Tip #.6 Ditch processed and junk food The occasional treat is no problem, but where possible try to avoid deep fried foods, sugary treats, white bread, junk foods and any processed or packet foods. Foods with artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives fit into this category too. Try to reduce the amount of saturated animal fat consumed (which is found in all animal products, and especially fatty cuts of meat) and particularly avoid trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are commonly found in: Margarine Fast food restaurant food Packet or snack foods, such as crisps Frozen dinners Some simple adjustments to your kitchen cupboard can help you live a healthier life and therefore help to prevent herpes outbreaks: Use real butter in place of margarine Use a quality, high smoking point oil when you cook your meals such as olive, coconut, rice bran or grapeseed oil Use raw sugar or a natural sweetener, instead of white sugar or artificial sweeteners Tip #.7 Increase the amount of fresh “raw” foods in your diet This could be the single most important diet tip of this entire guide because what you eat and therefore how your body functions all begins from here. There are a number of reasons why we might neglect to eat raw fruits and vegetables, including convenience, family tradition and how we are raised. The truth is, eating fresh raw foods everyday should not be a “diet”, it should be a way of life. It will help you to maintain a healthy weight, have more energy and vitality, more youthful skin and… less outbreaks. Some simple suggestions to get started: Include fresh, raw fruits and vegetables as a side to your breakfast, lunch or dinner When you have a snack try munching on vegetable sticks made of celery, beets or carrot, with a nice dip such as hummus to go with it Make a salad for lunch that has as many raw vegetables as you can find, including fresh greens and sprouts, and top with your choice of oil such as coconut, olive, grapeseed, flaxseed, etc. Finish with a decent pinch of salt and a very small splash of apple cider vinegar Drink a freshly made fruit or vegetable juice each day (within minutes of making it) from whatever is in season in your area. Some nice mixes are: - Apples, carrots and celery - Apples, pineapples, mint and lime - Tomatoes, beets, carrots, salt and pepper - Berries, apples and watermelon - Whatever yummy fruits you have access to, be creative - Add a dash of fresh ginger or bee pollen to your fruit juices, if you desire Tip #.8 Eat foods which help you to de-stress and relax Stress has a profoundly negative effect on the body and may contribute to the length and frequency of herpes breakouts. Try to avoid or reduce the stress in your life however you can. You can improve your diet to assist your body in weathering the stress by eating a diet rich in B vitamins and magnesium. Vitamin B5 has long been considered the “anti-stress” vitamin, and when taken along with vitamin B6 and magnesium your body has a better chance to recover from stressful situations. If taken in a supplement form, B vitamins should always be taken together in a “complex” to prevent causing an imbalance because some B vitamins are codependent on one another. The Vitamin B complex is comprised of the following; B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid) and B12 (cobalamin). The B group of vitamins are also important for a healthy nervous system and for the body’s production of serotonin, a hormone released in our brain which helps us to feel happy, relaxed and at ease. Foods that contain high amounts of B group vitamins: Bananas Wholegrain foods and brown rice Green leafy vegetables Brewer’s Yeast Barley Soy Products Turkey Tuna & Salmon Other Meats and eggs Dairy Products Mushrooms Tip #.9 Indulge in antioxidant-rich foods, such as berries and prunes There are lots of foods that nature has given us that possess the potential to ward off diseases and infections including herpes, and some of the most powerful of these are called ‘antioxidants’. An antioxidant is something that helps to neutralize and stop the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are caused by many things, including chemicals and toxins in our food and environment, and they are responsible for aging, tissue damage and deterioration of the body. These foods are on top of the antioxidant rich list: Berries Apricots, prunes and dates Broccoli, brussel sprouts and artichokes Kale and spinach Chilli, peppers, red cabbage and beets Parsley Lemon Ginger Tomatoes Red grapes Garlic Tea (especially green tea) Carrots Soy Wholegrains Other highly beneficial superfoods for herpes are: Reishi mushrooms Coconuts, particularly coconut oil Barley grass Spirulina Shitaki mushrooms Goji berries These are just a few. Look for other foods that are antiviral, contain anti-oxidants or have immune enhancing benefits. Tip #.10 Drink purified, alkaline water Not only is the amount of water you drink important, but the quality of your water can make a difference too. Some chemicals such as chlorine are necessary to filter germs from our water, but this chemical is also extremely toxic to our health and ideally should be removed from the water before drinking. Carbon filters are available which filter chlorine from your water and can be fitted either to the house or just to a particular tap or fosset. A reverse-osmosis filter is another type of filter which will remove all heavy metals and chemicals from your water. However, this process removes a lot of the beneficial minerals too, so it is important to find a filter that also replaces these minerals, such as through the use of a coral or mineral cartridge. Very importantly, it is preferable to drink water that is alkaline. By alkalizing the body you help your entire system fight off “free radicals” which can cause deterioration of the cells. Many scientists claim miraculous benefits for a wide range of health conditions through the regular consumption of alkalizing water. If you don’t have access to alkaline or filtered water, try having a glass of water with freshly squeeze lemon or lime juice each morning and night. This is highly alkalizing and will help provide you with a good start.
Fresh lemon juice is very cool. People think it's acidic, but it's effect in your body is alkaline. It must be fresh--no bottled stuff.
In the summer I buy lots of fresh lemons and squeeze them myself and make the most delicious lemonade, tastes so different and much better than store bought.
I need to look up indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and how it interferes with how the HSV reproduces...and see what this is all about and find those clinical studies, I wonder if JOH knows anything about it
Great article, thanks for posting! Just one point I personally have experienced: maybe be careful with brussels sprouts-high arginine:lysine ratio-I was eating a lot of them for a couple days and I think they could have contributed (along with other things that were increasing my arginine load) to some vertigo.
It's so intersting how different foods affect different people. I eat Brussels' sprouts on a regular basis and they do nothing but good for me.
BTW, I (and many nutritionists) disagree about "replacing" minerals in water that's been filtered. It's been shown that minerals in water are very "hard" and are not well-absorbed, thus leading to calcium deposits, kidney stones, all kinds of bad stuff. Distilled water is best. Pure H20. You get plenty of minerals from eating right. Distilled water also draws impurities from the bloodstream and organs. It does not leach minerals from your bones, as some have suggested. That was disproven years ago. Bless all Ron
Well-balanced article except the part about alkaline water. Everything we eat or drink passes through the very acidic environment of the stomach first. Little water, and no nutrient, absorption takes place in the stomach. The stomach contents then pass into the duodenum where the pancreas secretes bicarbonate into the intestinal lumen to neutralize the acidic chyme (food + acidic gastric juices). Again, whatever water is in the intestine stays in the intestine and the neutralized nutrients are absorbed across various locations throughout the small intestine, depending on the nutrient. For the most part water, as well as sodium and potassium, are not absorbed into the blood stream until they reach the colon. What we eat does affect the acidity of the stool passing through the colon by way of what microbiotic strains are being fed. Diets high in animal protein result in some of these proteins reaching the colon and feeding acid-producing bacteria, while fiber feeds bacteria that tend to maintain a less acidic colonic environment. It's important to remember that there are different types of acids and not all are bad, i.e. lactic-acid producing bacteria in the colon are good and these are promoted by certain types of dietary fibers. So the bottom line is that alkaline water is a bunch of hooey, but the "alkaline" diet is mostly promoting foods that are healthy for us for many reasons, including promotion of good gut bacteria, but doesn't have any direct effect on the pH level of the blood. The body regulates serum pH very tightly regardless of what we eat. Imagine if what we ate or drank could directly affect the acidity of our blood. Considering that all enzymatic reactions that occur in the body will work only in a very slightly basic environment, this would be fatal. Any variation from this will result in very serious illness and potentially death - think diabetic ketoacidosis, renal failure, respiratory failure as each of these result in a significant change in the pH of the blood. pH tests of the urine and saliva are just that - and do not reflect the pH of the blood.
