L-Lysine Benefits and Uses
Lysine is one of the most important amino acids that your body needs to build proteins. Since our bodies aren’t able to produce essential amino acids, including lysine in your diet is the only way to make sure you’re getting it. Lysine plays a very important role in supporting the immune system. It may also improve athletic performance as well. For example, people with certain health conditions, like the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and diabetes, may also benefit from consuming extra lysine. Here is more about the best ways to get lysine in your diet and what you should know about taking lysine supplements.
Uses of L-Lysine
L-lysine supplements are usually used in order to maintain overall health, since it is essential for human nutrition. It may also be used by many people with cold sores, including oral and topical applications.
1. Stress relief
Research shows that L-lysine may help relieve stress and frustration, especially for women. Some studies used wheat containing additional l-lysine in order to prove that.
2. Blood sugar level management
L-lysine may help support the body’s natural ability to manage and regulate blood sugar levels.
3. Nutritional health
L-lysine is especially important to help support the body’s natural ability to manage antibodies, enzymes and hormones. It is also extremely important for building muscle protein and absorbing calcium.
4. Diabetes
Some evidence shows that taking lysine every day for 2 months does not affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. On the other hand, other early research suggests that taking lysine twice a day for 2 months decreases blood sugar levels compared to before treatment in diabetes patients.
5. Stress
Some research suggests that eating wheat that contains added lysine reduces stress in females and anxiety in males.
Benefits
1. Helps to Clear Acne
Lysine is one of the key components of collagen, along with glycine, proline, and some other amino acids. These molecules combine together in order to form proteins throughout the body. Within the skin, collagen is one of the most abundant and important proteins, as it provide the skin with its firm and healthy structure. Because lysine not only plays an essential role in the production of collagen but also promotes healthy immune function, those who do not get enough lysine in their diets could be more prone to acne blemishes.
2. Decreases Outbreak and Frequency of Herpes Viruses
If you’ve heard of L-lysine before, it’s probably in relation with a natural cold sore remedy. While research is inconsistent on the subject, most individuals who use L-lysine to treat cold sores rate it as very effective. Some studies support that L-lysine can help to reduce the number of HSV outbreaks someone has. On the other hand, others say that outbreaks happen at the same frequency but last a shorter period of time.
3. Reduces Diabetes Complications
In diabetic patients, the high blood sugar can damage proteins or lipids by attaching glucose molecules and producing advanced glycation endproducts or AGEs. Furthermore, AGEs can cause complications such as damage to the eyes and nerve cells. Lysine prevented the glycation (addition of glucose) of blood proteins in extracted blood from 50 patients with type 2 diabetes. In a recent cell-based study, lysine prevented the glycation of fibrinogen improving its function.
4. Improves Bone Health
Studies have shown that when combined, lysine and arginine can accelerate bone healing by enhancing collagen production, increasing the blood supply and circulation, and supplementing growth factors. Lysine may also help to prevent osteoporosis because of these same characteristics.
Lysine is an essential amino acid that your body doesn’t naturally produce. Consuming more lysine may improve many health conditions. It may also improve your health overall by helping your body produce collagen, digestive enzymes, antibodies, and protein hormones.
