Cold Sores and NO2: What You Should Know

Cold Sores and NO2 are generally not a good mix, and you may want to weight the consequences before embarking on nitric oxide supplements for body building or other uses. While a large proportion of individuals carry the herpes simplex 1 virus that causes cold sores, not everyone manifests symptoms and the virus may lie dormant for a long time.

Once symptoms have manifested, there is a fairly high rate of reoccurance in the tissues originally affected. That is why cold sores tend to appear in the same place every time. The virus attaches itself to a nerve cell, which is why many individuals report a tingling sensation just before a break out of cold sores. Stress and diet are key components in mitigating cold sore appearance. Nitrogen balance also appears to be an important factor in whether or not cold sores appear.

Nitric Oxide

Nitrogen is nearly everywhere in our environment. It makes up a large portion of the air we breathe, and is a key element in many amino acids and active molecules in the body. You may be familiar with nitrous oxide, or N2O, commonly called laughing gas. This is used in a lot of dental procedures. Do not confuse this gas with NO2, or nitric oxide. NO2, linked to cold sores, is a common pollutant.

It is also used by those wishing to increase performance in their exercise and bodybuilding regimen. The link between NO2 and cold sores is one that is currently being explored, but it is established enough that producers of NO2 products often feature a warning on their labels that advises against use for individuals who are susceptible to cold sores. Cold sores, NO2, all these factors are things to consider when embarking on a new plan for improving your appearance.

A Possible Option: Lysine

There is some evidence that lysine may be an effective way to counterbalance the effects of NO2 on cold sores. Lysine is an essential amino acid, but is not produced by the body. We must take it in through what we eat, such as soybeans, legumes, spinach and lentils. Because the doses effective for cold sores can run to 1000 mg a dose, it can be difficult to get enough to treat cold sores. The active ingredient in many cold sore medications is in fact lysine for this reason. If you choose to utilize NO2 as a supplement, you may want to explore lysine as a way to regulate the levels of nitrogen in your body.