Christmas turkey warning as herpes outbreak possible from tucking into festive food

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A pharmacist has warned those tucking into their Christmas dinner this year that they could potentially be spreading the herpes virus.Herpes is a common infection caused by herpes simplex viruses, which can cause painful blisters that come and go, usually around the mouth and genitals.

There are many ways that the infection can come around, such as cold weather, an unexpected illness or sun exposure - but now, Abbas Kanani - a pharmacist for Online Pharmacy Chemist Click - has suggested that certain foods could also lead to a flare-up.Some studies has show that arginine, an amino acid found in foods, may contribute to the spread of herpes.

This is due to its ability to promote viral growth, which speeds up the body's natural ability to reproduce certain viruses, including HSV-1 and HSV-2.Foods that are high in arginine include:Abbas added: "The virus requires arginine to replicate and thrive in your body." It turns out that the festive time of the year could wreak havoc for those contracting the virus, as many Christmas staples have some of the highest amount of arginine.There is small evidence including research from the National Library of Medicine, which points to restricting foods that contain a lot of arginine, as a way to reduce the duration and severity of an outbreak.

However, Abbas said that "more research is needed to determine whether lowering your intake of arginine can prevent cold sore outbreaks".Lysine is another amino acid that is thought to help counteract arginine and therefore suggested that foods that are both high in arginine and low in lysine could be the worst for an herpes outbreak."A diet high in lysine might reduce the occurrence, duration and severity of herpes sores.