L-lysine HCL 400 mg

 

Vegetable capsule shell

 

Directions (based on an average 70 kg adult)

 

 

Maintenance: 1-2 capsules daily on an empty stomach. Please note the directions on the pot say with meals, however we believe (and experts agree) that it's better taken with water on an empty stomach

 

Intensive use: For fighting viral infections 7-8 capsules daily, split into 2 or 3 doses with water on an empty stomach

 

 

Those suffering from kidney problems are advised to speak to a health care professional prior to starting supplementation with L-lysine.

L-lysine is an amino acid. Unlike some other amino acids, the human body is unable to produce L-lysine; therefore it must be obtained through the diet. Sources of L-lysine include meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and some plants such as soy and other legumes. Amino acids are protein building blocks and are essential to life. L-lysine is one of the nine essential amino acids (essential amino acids are not produced within the body and must be obtained from an external source).

L-lysine appears to have multiple functions within the human body. It's primary function is to increase the absorption of  calcium. It can relieve anxiety, promote wound healing, and is helpful for other conditions. Cholesterol is deposited in binding sites within coronary arteries. When L-lysine (and vitamin C) occupy those binding sites, cholesterol is not deposited in arteries. It further plays an important role in the formation of collagen, a substance important for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendons, and cartilage. Additionally virus growth is inhibited by L-lysine as it limits L-arginine in the body, and L-arginine is essential for the propagation of viruses. It therefore has compelling anti-viral properties.

The way in which viruses infect and replicate is not the same as bacteria. A single virus cell is unable to replicate or express genetic material without a host cell. The process of infection is as follows:

*A virion is an entire virus particle consisting of an outer protein shell called a capsid and an inner core of nucleic acid (either ribonucleic or deoxyribonucleic acid-RNA or DNA)

Virus replication is dependent on the availability of amino acids. Amino acids play an important role in virus-related infections as they are required for protein synthesis and they also regulate many metabolic pathways, including gene expression. The requirement for L-arginine in the replication cycle occurs in two stages. It is necessary before the synthesis of virus DNA and it is associated with the formation of mature virions. The yield of infective virus is dependent upon the concentration of L-arginine. L-lysine is able to inhibit L-arginine and therefore the ability of L-arginine to synthesise certain proteins. This antagonistic relationship between the two may provide protection from viruses including Covid-19, because L-arginine is needed by these viruses to reproduce, see Arginine and its effects on viral replication. A number of steps in the viral lifecycle of SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to depend on key L-arginine residues.

A recent study in the Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals here showed that D, L-L-lysine acetylsalicylate + glycine sold as "Aspirin i.v. 500mg®" (LASAG), which is an approved drug for the treatment of acute pain, migraine and fever, impairs propagation of different Covid strains including the highly-pathogenic MERS-CoV. However, due to the lower levels of L-lysine in aspirin it can be dangerous to take high enough doses to counteract L-arginine levels. 

 

The average intake of L-arginine is estimated to be 4000-6000 milligrams per day.

The recommended daily dietary intake of L-lysine is 2660 milligrams for a 154-lb (70 kilogram) adult but the average dietary intake of L-lysine in western populations ranges from 2800-12,600 milligrams for a 154 lb (70 KG) adult due to diets consisting of lots of red meat, dairy, fish and more. The issue is that a lot of foods that are rich in L-lysine are also known to increase L-arginine levels, so it can be difficult to control the L-lysine to L-arginine ratio through diet alone.

 

The supplementation of L-lysine is safe for a 70 kg person to use doses of up to 3g per day while being well tolerated; however, exceptionally higher doses (10-15g per day) can cause gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. There are rare reports of an association between L-lysine supplements and kidney problems, so those suffering from kidney problems are advised to speak to a health care professional prior to starting supplementation with L-lysine. Medical News Today offer this guidance on dosage and side effects.

For further reading, the article that led us to research and take the decision to supply this supplement can be found here