Foods to avoid for herpes simplex

In the 2007 edition of “Integrative Medicine,” University of Wisconsin professor David Rakel, M.D. recommends steering clear of foods rich in the amino acid arginine, such as chocolate, peanuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and gelatin. According to Dr. Rakel, the herpes simplex virus requires arginine to reproduce. Diets high in arginine can trigger the virus to begin reproducing. Although arginine is found in many foods, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and legumes, arginine in these foods is counteracted by another amino acid, lysine, that opposes the effects of arginine on the herpes simplex virus.