Lysine Rich Foods | Benefits of Lysine

Lysine

Benefits of Lysine

Lysine is one of the 20 amino acids (building blocks of protein) the body requires. It is an essential amino acid, meaning the body does not make it (or store it) so it must be included in the daily diet from lysine rich foods.

Lysine has many important roles. Besides being required for proper growth, it helps with the conversion of fatty acids into energy, the absorption of calcium, the formation of collagen, and the production of hormones, antibodies, and enzymes.

Lysine maintains healthy blood vessels and helps prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis. It can play an important part in the treatment of herpes when the diet includes foods rich in lysine and low in arginine (another amino acid) and it can benefit people who are recovering from injuries.

A deficiency in lysine can lead to many problems, including fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, agitation, dizziness, nausea, poor concentration, hair loss, bloodshot eyes, anemia, kidney stones, and reproductive disorders.

Lysine Rich Foods

Foods rich in protein are good sources of lysine. This includes meat (beef, pork, poultry, fish), eggs, dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, string beans, lima beans, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, fenugreek seeds, corn, peas, winter squash, spinach, watercress, spirulina, apples, apricots, and pears.

A healthy diet including lysine rich foods is sufficient in meeting daily requirements. However, to get the benefits of lysine when treating herpes, a deficiency, or an injury, higher doses may be needed (and a lysine supplement may be necessary). Athletes, surgical patients, and the elderly may require higher amounts. You can buy lysine in tablets, capsules, liquids, and creams.

Do not give lysine supplements to children under the age of two (unless advised by a health care provider).

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