Fever blisters and diet

Fever blisters

There are not that many people who have never heard of fever blisters. Fever blisters are also known as cold sores and they are considered to be a pretty common health problem. People need to know that the main cause of cold sores is a certain virus called herpes simplex virus 1 or HSV-1. The virus is highly contagious and a lot of people are affected with it during their childhood. The virus is usually transmitted via kisses from a person who has it or by drinking from the same glass after a person who has the virus. There are some cases where a person does not experience a single outbreak of fever blisters but these cases are rare. It is much more common for people to suffer from occasional outbreaks of cold sores. Even though there is no cure for the virus, people need to know that there are some things that they can do in order to prevent the outbreaks. Reducing stress and following a proper diet are two very important factors in that process.

The importance of diet in treating fever blisters

Immune system is very important not just when fever blisters are considered but for various other ailments. In order to have a healthy immune system, people need to follow a proper and balanced diet.

Foods to consume

Just like with any other ailment and diet, there are some foods that people should consume and there are some that people should avoid consuming or at least limit their consumption. When fever blisters are considered, experts agree that a person should consume more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. It is very important to consume fruits and vegetables which are high in vitamin C. The main reason why that is so, is because this vitamin checks the growth of the virus that is responsible for cold sores.

Foods to avoid

A person who often suffers from the outbreak of fever blisters needs to exclude refined sugar and chocolate from his or her diet. Chocolate is especially dangerous because it stimulates the reproduction of herpes simplex virus because it contains large amounts of arginine. Apart from these two, people should also avoid eating foods that contain preservatives, artificial colors, hormones and pesticides or herbicides.

Foods to limit

Even though people should not totally exclude fat, salt and alcohol intake, they should limit their consumption. Apart from these, people should also limit the consumption of nuts and seeds as well.