More on Arginine Benefits and Risks
The Cardiovascular Benefits of Arginine Supplementation
Effects of the amino acid L-Arginine on cardio function
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This is a follow up to earlier posts on the high-arginine nutritional supplement I’m taking and on arginine and herpes. It may be helpful to read those earlier posts before continuing with this one.
Before, I had talked about the promise of arginine in helping the body heal itself of heart disease, atherioschlerosis and arteriosclerosis due to the nitric oxide that arginine produces. A nobel prize in medicine was awarded in 1998 for research showing how important a factor nitric oxide is in cardiovascular health.
L-Arginine is a potent anticoagulant, antioxidant and vascodilator. It relaxes arteries, which can help with high blood pressure, increases blood flow to the brain and helps improve insulin sensitivity among many, many other health benefits.
I’m taking the cardiococktail and am in my forth day. I’m going to take it for at least two months and then post my results and feelings about this supplement.
But what about herpes and arginine?
The research on arginine is truly impressive but the concerns about those with herpes virus in their system are still with me. I had a fever blister on my lip after 3 days on the product so I’m concerned that certain people with herpes, such as those with compromised immune systems, might have outbreaks if they take the cocktail….
However, an even bigger concern is whether or not avoiding arginine because of herpes might be a bigger mistake, since arginine seems so very instrumental in healthy heart function; so instrumental that I’d love to give this supplement to my mom but she has shingles and, as anyone with shingles will tell you, the pain of shingles can be almost unbearable.
Since shingles is caused by a strain of herpes virus (herpes zoster), I just can’t take the chance that the formula might trigger an outbreak, even though the only warning on the bottle is referencing ocular or brain herpes. I don’t have either of those but still had a fever blister after not having any for years so I’m not sure it wouldn’t pose a risk for shingles
too.
I am pondering the idea of whether adding a potent antiviral to the blend could kill herpes virus if it is triggered by the arginine…..in my last post I suggested maybe adding lemon balm but, on second thought, lemon balm inhibits viruses but I’m not sure it kills them. I wonder if oregano oil could be safely added? That’s one of the most potent anti-virals I know.
My theory is that, maybe repeatedly suppressing herpes viruses is not the best way to address them and that, by repeatedly killing the virus as soon as it emerges from it’s hiding places within the body might, over time, destroy it’s ability to replicate at all.
I hope the company that makes this product will look seriously at ways they may be able to fortify this formula with some sort of anti-viral that will successfully provide the body with the ammunition it needs to win the internal battle with herpes simplex virus. Then, it would truly be a miracle product.