Lysine & Arginine Food Database

Browse our database of 452 foods with lysine and arginine content information.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) requires arginine — an amino acid found in many common foods — to replicate. Maintaining a diet where lysine consistently outweighs arginine is one of the most evidence-backed nutritional strategies for reducing the frequency of herpes outbreaks. This database lets you check the exact lysine-to-arginine ratio for hundreds of common foods, so you can make smarter choices at every meal.

A ratio above 1.0 (more lysine than arginine) is generally considered favourable for people managing herpes. Foods with ratios below 0.5 — particularly nuts, seeds, and chocolate — are the most likely to tip the balance in the virus's favour. Use the search and category filters below to find the foods you eat most often, then check out our guide on how to build a herpes-friendly diet for practical meal planning advice.

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Lysine and arginine content per 100g. Select a column header to sort.
Name	Category	Lysine (mg)	Arginine (mg)	Ratio
Acai Berry	Fruit	52	60	0.87
Alfalfa Sprouts	Vegetable	690	1130	0.61
All Purpose Flour	Wheat	153.51	280.81	0.55
Almond milk	Beverage	49	63	0.78
Almonds	Nuts	664	2486	0.27
Aloe vera	Herb	50	150	0.33
Amaranth	Grain	721	499	1.44
Anchovy, In Oil, Drained	Fish	1328.75	865	1.54
Ancient Nutrition Grass Fed Whey Protein	Protein Supplement	2706	733	3.69
Apple	Fruit	11.33	5.33	2.13
Apple Cider Vinegar	Condiment	0.1	0.1	1
Apple Juice	Fruit	6.7	4.6	1.46
Apple, Dried	Fruit	57.81	29.69	1.95
Applesauce, Unsweetened	Fruit	9.84	4.92	2
Apricot	Fruit	90.35	42.11	2.15
Apricot, Dried	Fruit	254.29	140	1.82
Arugula	Vegetable	40	105	0.38
Asparagus	Vegetable	144	143	1.01
Avocado	Fruit	69.44	43.75	1.59
Avocado Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Balsamic Vinegar	Condiment	8.2	18.4	0.45
Banana	Fruit	31.43	30.86	1.02
Basil, dried	Herb	90	70	1.29
Basmati Rice	Grain	630	630	1
Bass	Fish	1623.53	1061.18	1.53
Beef Bone Broth	Soup	57	147.2	0.39
Beef Flank Steak	Meat	1600	1212.39	1.32
Beef liver	Meat	1389.38	1256.64	1.11
Beef Noodle Soup	Soup	106.97	81.15	1.32
Beef Round Steak	Meat	1612.33	1223.35	1.32
Beef Smoked, Chopped	Meat	1667.86	1378.57	1.21
Beef T-Bone Steak	Meat	1394.27	1059.47	1.32
Beef, Dried	Meat	2404	1988	1.21
Beer	Alcohol	0.1	0.1	1
Beet Greens	Vegetable	53	53	1
Beets	Vegetable	52.94	22.06	2.4
Bell Peppers	Vegetable	38	42	0.91
Black Bean Soup	Soup	168.02	134.01	1.25
Black Beans	Legume	608	549	1.11
Black Pepper	Spice	244	308	0.79
Black Tea	Beverage	10	20	0.5
Blue Cheese	Dairy	1875	721.43	2.6
Blueberries	Fruit	11.7	33.8	0.35
Bluefish	Fish	1835.29	1200	1.53
Bok Choy	Leafy Green	88.57	84.29	1.05
Bologna, Beef	Meat	907.14	732.14	1.24
Bologna, Beef And Pork	Meat	892.86	707.14	1.26
Bratwurst	Meat	1154	957	1.21
Brazil Nuts	Nuts	539	2386	0.23
Brewers Yeast (dry)	Yeast	4541.2	2740.8	1.66
Brie Cheese	Dairy	1875	742.86	2.52
Broccoli	Vegetable	124	128	0.97
Brussels Sprouts	Vegetable	147.73	202.27	0.73
Buckwheat	Grain	672	982	0.68
Butter	Fat	64	29	2.25
Buttermilk	Dairy	243	111	2.2
Cabbage	Vegetable	40	48	0.83
Cabbage, Common	Vegetable	57.14	68.57	0.83
Camembert Cheese	Dairy	1785.71	709.29	2.52
Canadian Bacon	Meat	1625.6	1123.4	1.45
Cannellini Beans	Legume	166	197	0.84
Canola Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Cantaloupe	Fruit	30	51	0.59
Carob Flour	Vegetable	196	130	1.51
Carob Seeds	Seeds	15	27.8	0.54
Carp	Fish	1635.29	1067.06	1.53
Carrots	Vegetable	44	48	0.92
Cashews	Nuts	154	294	0.52
Cassava	Vegetable	29.73	92.57	0.32
Catfish	Fish	1670.59	1088.24	1.54
Cauliflower	Vegetable	108	96	1.13
Caviar, Black And Red	Seafood	183.13	158.75	1.15
Celery	Vegetable	26.67	20	1.33
Chamomile Tea	Beverage	100	100	1
Cheddar Cheese	Dairy	2104	954	2.2
Cheerios	Cereal	370	820	0.45
Cherries	Fruit	110	90	1.2
Cheshire Cheese	Dairy	1969	894	2.2
Chestnuts	Nuts	154	294	0.52
Chia seeds	Seeds	970	2140	0.45
Chicken Bone Broth	Soup	96.4	189	0.51
Chicken Breast	Poultry	1379.5	1034.1	1.33
Chicken Canned, Boned	Poultry	1760.56	1352.11	1.3
Chicken Drumstick	Poultry	105.45	79.09	1.33
Chicken Gumbo	Soup	66.07	50	1.32
Chicken Leg	Poultry	1069.26	817.75	1.31
Chicken Liver	Poultry	109.38	1100	1.24
Chicken Noodle Soup	Soup	90.87	68.88	1.32
Chicken Rice Soup	Soup	104.15	97.1	1.07
Chicken Thigh	Poultry	1091.67	850	1.28
Chicken Wing	Poultry	775.56	650	1.19
Chicken, Dark Meat	Poultry	1343.75	1050	1.28
Chicken, Dark, W/O Sauce	Poultry	1706.4	1211	1.41
Chicken, Light Meat	Poultry	1655.17	1267.24	1.31
Chickpeas	Legume	486	1300	0.37
Chili Powder	Spice	7.53	9.82	0.77
Chocolate Milk	Dairy	225	103	2.19
Cinnamon	Spice	240	170	1.41
Clam Chowder	Soup	102.9	93.9	1.1
Clams	Seafood	955.56	933.33	1.02
Coca-Cola (Soda)	Beverage	0	0	0
Cocoa Powder	Chocolate	983	1111	0.88
Coconut	Fruit	147	546	0.27
Coconut Cream	Fruit	133.33	600	0.22
Coconut Flour	Fruit	200.48	641.96	0.31
Coconut Meat	Fruit	147	546	0.27
Coconut Milk	Beverage	100	374	0.27
Coconut Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Coconut Water	Beverage	32	118	0.27
Cod	Fish	1635.29	1065.88	1.53
Coffee	Beverage	1	6	0.17
Coffee Cream	Dairy	213.33	100	2.13
Cold Brew Coffee	Beverage	1	6	0.17
Collards	Leafy Green	140	72	1.94
Condensed Milk, Sweetened	Dairy	688	314	2.19
Corn	Corn	136.36	129.87	1.05
Corn Grits	Corn	68	114	0.6
Corn Tortilla Chips	Snack	200	300	0.67
Corn, Puffed	Corn	229	395	0.58
Corned Beef, Brisket	Meat	1123.36	903.08	1.24
Cottage Cheese, Creamed	Dairy	1009.52	566.67	1.78
Cottage Cheese, Dry	Dairy	1393.1	786.21	1.77
Cottage Cheese, Lowfat 2%	Dairy	1111.5	624.12	1.78
Crab	Seafood	1588	1600	0.99
Crabapple, Slices	Fruit	25.45	12.73	2
Cranberries	Fruit	15.5	32.3	0.48
Cranberries Juice	Fruit	23	47.9	0.48
Cream Cheese	Dairy	686	289	2.37
Cream Of Asparagus Soup	Soup	45.9	34.84	1.32
Cream Of Chicken Soup	Soup	88.11	68.03	1.3
Cream Of Mushroom Soup	Soup	52	39	1.33
Cream Of Wheat	Wheat	39	66	0.59
Crimini mushrooms (raw)	Fungi	250	86	2.91
Cucumber	Vegetable	22	36	0.61
Curry Powder	Spice	700	890	0.79
Dandelion Greens	Vegetable	134	168	0.8
Dark chocolate	Chocolate	200	1100	0.18
Dates	Fruit	50	55	0.91
Dill	Herb	246	142	1.73
Duck Liver	Poultry	1418.18	1147.73	1.24
Edam Cheese	Dairy	2692.86	975	2.76
Edamame	Soy	745	724	1.03
Eel	Fish	1694.12	1103.53	1.54
Egg Noodles	Wheat	240	280	0.86
Egg White	Egg	624.24	590.91	1.06
Egg Yolk	Egg	1112	1135	0.98
Egg, Whole, Raw	Egg	582	474	1.23
Eggnog	Dairy	298.43	148.82	2.01
Eggplant	Vegetable	51.22	60.98	0.84
Elderberries	Fruit	26	47	0.6
Endive	Vegetable	64	64	1
Enoki mushrooms (raw)	Fungi	130	76	1.71
Espresso Coffee	Beverage	1	6	0.17
Evaporated Milk	Dairy	244	111	2.19
Ezekiel Bread	Grain	205.45	496.36	0.41
Falafel	Legume	856	1280	0.67
Fava Beans	Legume	486	702	0.69
Fennel Seeds	Seeds	758	680	1.11
Fenugreek Seeds	Seeds	1130	710	1.59
Feta Cheese	Dairy	1219	470	2.59
Fig	Fruit	29.23	16.92	1.73
Fig, dried	Fruit	120.63	69.31	1.74
Flat Fish, Flounder	Fish	1730.59	1128.24	1.53
Flax Seeds	Seeds	862	1925	0.44
Flaxseed Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Flour Tortilla Chips	Snack	250	400	0.63
Frankfurter, Beef	Meat	864.44	697.78	1.24
Frankfurter, Beef And Pork	Sausage	904.44	848.89	1.07
French Fries	Vegetable	147	145	1.01
Fruit Yogurt, Lowfat	Dairy	356.83	119.82	2.98
Garlic	Vegetable	266.7	633.3	0.42
Gatorade (Sports Drink)	Beverage	0	0	0
Gin	Alcohol	0	0	0
Ginger	Spice	57	10	5.7
Ginger Ale	Beverage	0	0	0
Ginger Beer	Beverage	0	0	0
Goat Cheese	Dairy	1540	639	2.41
Goat Meat	Meat	2016	1989	1.01
Goat Milk	Dairy	289.75	119.26	2.43
Goji Berries	Fruit	232.14	721.43	0.32
Goose Meat	Poultry	1253.1	984.4	1.27
Gouda Cheese	Dairy	2685.71	973.21	2.76
Granola Bar, Peanut Butter	Snack	376	977	0.38
Granola Bar, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip	Snack	357	1046	0.34
Granola Bar, Plain	Snack	400	674	0.59
Grape Juice	Fruit	10	47	0.21
Grapefruit	Fruit	16	70	0.23
Grapes, Slip Skin	Fruit	8.5	27.4	0.31
Greek Yogurt	Dairy	471	158	2.98
Green Beans	Vegetable	88.18	72.73	1.21
Green Onions	Vegetable	4	6	0.67
Green Peas	Vegetable	317.12	427.4	0.74
Green Tea	Beverage	9	8	1.13
Ground Beef, Lean	Meat	1477.88	1194.69	1.24
Ground Beef, Regular	Meat	1380.53	1115.04	1.24
Gruyere Cheese	Dairy	2742.86	985.71	2.78
Guava	Fruit	18.75	16.92	1.11
Haddock	Fish	1741.18	1130.59	1.54
Halibut	Fish	1905.88	1247.06	1.53
Ham, Boneless	Meat	1486.78	1138.77	1.31
Hazelnuts	Nuts	340	1704	0.2
Hearts of Palm	Vegetable	97	178	0.55
Hemp Seeds	Seeds	861.08	3070.27	0.28
Hempseed Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Herring	Fish	1647.06	1075.29	1.53
Hickory Nuts	Nuts	33	211	0.16
Hominy	Grain	30	68	0.44
Honey	Sweetener	0.1	0.1	1
Hot Chili Pepper	Vegetable	59.93	64.86	0.92
Hummus	Legume	290	750	0.39
Ice Cream	Dessert	136	62	2.19
Ice Cream, Rich	Dairy	221.62	101.35	2.19
Ice Milk	Dessert	146	67	2.19
Iced Coffee	Beverage	1	6	0.17
Italian Sausage, Cooked	Meat	1522.39	1182.09	1.29
Jackfruit	Fruit	70	140	0.5
Jalapeño Peppers	Vegetable	100	70	1.43
Jasmine Rice	Grain	170	130	1.31
Jerusalem Artichoke	Vegetable	286.6	1031	0.28
Jicama	Vegetable	26	37	0.7
Kale	Leafy Green	132	123	1.07
Kefir	Dairy	929	700	1.33
Kelp	Algae	82	65	1.26
Kielbasa	Sausage	1021.43	953.57	1.07
Kimchi	Vegetable	27.73	45.4	0.61
Kiwi	Fruit	61	82	0.74
Kombucha	Beverage	302.4	192	1.57
Lamb Sirloin	Meat	2504	1684	1.49
Leeks	Vegetable	78	78	1
Lemon	Fruit	39	30	1.3
Lemon Juice	Fruit	23	25.6	0.9
Lentil Sprouts	Legume	711	610	1.17
Lentils	Legume	711	610	1.17
Lettuce, Iceberg	Vegetable	80	69.33	1.15
Lettuce, Romaine	Vegetable	103.57	89.29	1.16
Lima Beans, Cooked	Legume	450	454	0.99
Limburger Cheese	Dairy	1696.43	707.14	2.4
Lime	Fruit	39	36	1.08
Lobster	Seafood	1426	1753	0.81
Lowfat Milk	Dairy	231	105	2.19
Maca Powder	Vegetable	180	170	1.06
Macadamia Nuts	Nuts	323.9	895.5	0.36
Mackerel	Fish	1705.88	1112.94	1.53
Mango	Fruit	28.33	13	2.18
Maple Syrup	Sweetener	0.1	0.1	1
Margarine	Fat	6.38	2.13	3
Matcha Green Tea	Beverage	12.6	39.2	0.32
Mayonnaise	Condiment	757	757	1
Milk chocolate	Chocolate	210	540	0.39
Millet	Grain	210	382	0.55
Minestrone Soup	Soup	183	198	0.92
Miso	Soup	478	785	0.61
Monterey Jack Cheese	Dairy	2066	937	2.21
Moringa	Vegetable	570	120	4.75
Mozzarella Cheese	Dairy	1996	843	2.37
Mozzarella Cheese, Pt Skim	Dairy	2496	1054	2.37
Muenster Cheese	Dairy	2585.71	1064.29	2.42
Mung Bean Sprouts	Vegetable	166	197	0.84
Mung Beans	Legume	490	492	1
Mushrooms	Fungi	107	79	1.35
Mussels	Seafood	1779	1737	1.02
Mustard Greens	Vegetable	159	165	0.96
Mustard Seeds	Condiment	1840	1930	0.95
Natreve MOOLESS Animal-Free Whey Protein Powder	Protein Supplement	7410	1480	5.01
Nectarine	Fruit	60	30	2
Neufchatel Cheese	Dairy	904	382	2.36
Nonfat Milk, Dry	Dairy	1232	563	2.19
Nonfat Milk, Dry, Instant	Dairy	676	309	2.19
Noodles	Wheat	170	250	0.68
Nori Sheets	Algae	200	300	0.67
Nutritional Yeast	Yeast	4590	2550	1.8
Oat Flakes	Grain	1213	1204	1.01
Oat milk	Beverage	44	75	0.59
Oatmeal	Cereal	333	626	0.53
Octopus	Seafood	2228	2176	1.02
Okra	Vegetable	82	84	0.98
Olive Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Olives	Fruit	35.71	71.43	0.5
Onions	Vegetable	56.3	163.8	0.34
Orange	Fruit	34.44	47.22	0.73
Orange Juice	Fruit	20.3	40.4	0.5
Oregano	Herb	500	449	1.11
Oregano Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Oyster mushrooms (raw)	Fungi	130	84	1.55
Oysters	Seafood	528.57	515.48	1.02
Pacific Sea Moss	Algae	9.15	12.45	0.73
Papaya	Fruit	50.33	19.87	2.53
Paprika	Spice	59.93	62.16	0.96
Parmesan Cheese	Dairy	3346.43	1332.14	2.51
Parmesan Cheese, Grated	Dairy	3840	1540	2.49
Parsley	Herb	300	122	2.46
Parsnip	Vegetable	58.6	64	0.92
Pasta	Grain	300	470	0.64
Pastrami	Meat	1339.29	1078.57	1.24
Peach	Fruit	17.39	13.91	1.25
Peach, Dried	Fruit	116.15	92.31	1.26
Peanut Butter	Nuts	1222	4252	0.29
Peanuts	Nuts	1006	3503	0.29
Pear	Fruit	12.78	6.67	1.92
Pear, Dried	Fruit	66.29	31.86	2.08
Pecans	Nuts	292	1104	0.27
Perch	Fish	1705.88	1114.12	1.53
Persimmon	Fruit	27.5	21	1.31
Pheasant	Poultry	1283	1580	0.81
Pickles	Vegetable	26	40	0.65
Pigeon	Poultry	1083	1256	0.86
Pike	Fish	1764.71	1151.76	1.53
Pine Nuts	Nuts	91	474	0.19
Pineapple	Fruit	25.2	18.1	1.39
Pineapple Juice	Fruit	14.9	15.5	0.96
Pistachios	Nuts	1281	2178	0.59
Pitaya (Dragon Fruit)	Fruit	72.8	149	0.49
Pizza	Wheat	690	450	1.53
Plain Yogurt	Dairy	311.02	104.41	2.98
Plain Yogurt, Lowfat	Dairy	466.52	157.93	2.95
Plain Yogurt, Skim	Dairy	510.57	172.25	2.97
Plantain	Fruit	37	66	0.6
Plum	Fruit	163.64	134.55	1.22
Polish Sausage	Meat	1125	936	1.2
Pomegranate	Fruit	110	90	1.22
Pomegranate Juice	Fruit	64.8	77	0.84
Popcorn	Corn	240	430	0.56
Poppy seeds	Seeds	952	1945	0.49
Pork And Beef Sausage	Meat	1084.62	853.85	1.27
Pork Bacon	Meat	638	529	1.21
Pork Leg	Meat	1663	1218.1	1.37
Pork Loin Chop	Meat	1291.4	946.4	1.36
Pork Sausage	Meat	900	700	1.29
Pork Shoulder	Meat	1573.6	1155	1.36
Pork Spareribs	Meat	1041.4	736.4	1.42
Port Du Salut Cheese	Dairy	2010.71	837.5	2.4
Porterhouse Steak	Meat	1444.93	1096.92	1.32
Potato	Vegetable	126.7	93.3	1.36
Potato Chips	Snack	424	321	1.32
Potato, Baking	Vegetable	139.6	105.45	1.32
Prawn	Seafood	1730	1740	0.99
Processed American Cheese	Dairy	2225	939	2.37
Processed Swiss Cheese	Dairy	2485.71	1046.43	2.38
Protein Powder (Soy Based)	Protein Supplement	3551	4273	0.83
Provolone Cheese	Dairy	2678.57	1035.71	2.59
Prunes	Fruit	50	40	1.25
Prunes Juice	Fruit	29.4	23.5	1.25
Psyllium Husk	Seeds	0.1	0.1	1
Pumpkin	Vegetable	39	39	1
Pumpkin Seeds and Squash	Vegetable	1807.1	3978.6	0.45
Pure Label Nutrition Vanilla 100% Grass Fed Whey Isolate	Protein Supplement	8254	1529	5.39
Quail	Poultry	1644.44	1279.01	1.29
Quinoa	Grain	239	340	0.7
Radish	Vegetable	16	18	0.89
Red Kidney Beans	Legume	607	475	1.28
Red Wine	Alcohol	0.01	0.01	1
Rice Cake	Snack	311	618	0.5
Rice Noodles	Rice	170	300	0.57
Rice, Puffed	Cereal	271	522	0.52
Ricotta Cheese	Dairy	1336.59	629.27	2.12
Ricotta Cheese, Part Skim	Dairy	1349.59	637.8	2.12
Salami, Hard	Meat	1820	1520	1.2
Salmon	Fish	1823.53	1176.47	1.55
Salt	Condiment	0	0	0
Sapodilla	Fruit	39	17	2.3
Sardines, In Oil, Drained	Fish	1129.17	737.5	1.53
Scallops	Seafood	1247	1224	1.02
Seitan	Wheat	430	861	0.5
Sesame Seeds	Seeds	827	3327	0.25
Sherbet	Dessert	61	28	2.19
Shiitake mushrooms (dried)	Fungi	340	770	0.44
Shredded Wheat	Wheat	334	564	0.59
Shrimp	Seafood	1765	1776	0.99
Skim Milk	Dairy	237	108	2.19
Snails	Seafood	1471	2471	0.6
Snapper	Fish	1882.35	1223.53	1.54
Snow Peas	Legume	127	84	1.51
Sour Cream	Dairy	275	117	2.35
Sourdough Bread	Wheat	270	360	0.75
Soy milk	Beverage	222	400	0.9
Soy Sauce	Condiment	381	463	0.82
Soybean Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Soybean Sprouts	Soy	551.4	380	1.45
Spaghetti Squash	Vegetable	22	33	0.67
Spearmint	Herb	141	151	0.93
Spelt	Grain	409	687	0.6
Spinach	Leafy Green	178	164	1.09
Spirulina	Algae	3030	4150	0.73
Split Peas	Legume	1180	1458	0.81
Squid	Seafood	1310	1290	1.01
Starfruit (Carambola)	Fruit	77	21	3.6
Steel Cut Oats	Grain	200	1100	0.18
Strawberries	Fruit	37	39	0.95
Sugar	Condiment	0	0	0
Sugar Snap Peas	Legume	127	85	1.49
Summer Sausage	Meat	1382.6	991.3	1.4
Summer Squash	Vegetable	65.38	50	1.31
Sunflower Oil	Oil	0	0	1
Sunflower Seeds	Seeds	937	2403	0.39
Sweet Potato	Vegetable	80.77	76.92	1.05
Swiss Chard	Leafy Green	36	42	0.86
Swiss Cheese	Dairy	2614.29	939.29	2.79
Swordfish	Fish	1823.53	1176.47	1.55
Tahini	Seeds	55	253	0.22
Tamarind	Fruit	140	112	1.25
Tangerine	Fruit	27	37	0.73
Tangerine Juice	Fruit	7	34	0.21
Tequila	Alcohol	0	0	0
Tiger Nuts	Nuts	343.2	512.6	0.67
Tilsit Cheese	Dairy	2064.29	860.71	2.4
Tofu	Soy	1113	1725	0.65
Tomato	Vegetable	33.3	21.9	1.52
Tomato Juice	Vegetable	22.2	14.8	1.5
Tomato Ketchup	Condiment	23	16	1.44
Tomato Paste	Vegetable	107.6	76.3	1.41
Tomato Soup	Soup	51	61	0.84
Trout	Fish	2446	1592	1.54
Tuna	Fish	2715.15	1769.7	1.53
Turkey Liver	Poultry	1509.8	1225.49	1.23
Turkey Noodle Soup	Soup	86.9	65.2	1.33
Turkey, Dark Meat	Poultry	1726.32	1330.26	1.3
Turkey, Light Meat	Poultry	1966.67	1522.22	1.29
Turmeric	Spice	11	16	0.69
Turnip Greens	Vegetable	98.18	94.55	1.04
Turnips	Vegetable	36.2	23.8	1.52
Vegetable and Beef Soup	Soup	140.98	106.97	1.32
Vegetarian Vegetable Soup	Soup	41	41	1
Venison	Meat	2639	2175	1.21
Vodka	Alcohol	0	0	0
Wakame	Algae	112	92	1.22
Walnuts	Nuts	329	1416	0.23
Watercress	Leafy Green	172	200	0.86
Watermelon	Fruit	61.88	58.75	1.05
Wheat Flakes	Wheat	305	516	0.59
Wheat Germ	Grain	738.89	994.44	0.74
Wheat Granules	Wheat	101	169	0.6
Wheat, Puffed	Wheat	408	708	0.58
Whey, Dry, Sweet	Dairy	1026.67	373.33	2.75
Whipped Cream, Pressurized	Dairy	253.33	116.67	2.17
Whipping Cream, Heavy	Dairy	138	63	2.19
White Bread	Wheat	250	350	0.71
White button mushrooms (raw)	Fungi	110	73	1.51
White Rice	Grain	240	550	0.44
White Wine	Alcohol	0.01	0.01	1
Whitefish	Fish	1752.94	1142.35	1.54
Whole Egg, Dried	Egg	3100	2940	1.05
Whole Grain Sorghum Flour	Grain	174	330	0.53
Whole Milk	Dairy	228	104	2.19
Whole Milk, Dry	Dairy	1140	519	2.19
Whole Wheat Bread	Wheat	240	320	0.75
Wholewheat Rice	Grain	300	550	0.55
Wild Pheasant	Poultry	2013.5	1411.6	1.43
Wild Rice	Grain	170	308	0.55
Wild Whey Protein	Protein Supplement	10489	2840	3.69
Yams	Vegetable	44.5	95.5	0.47
Yellow Mustard	Condiment	264	252	1.05
Zucchini	Vegetable	35	27	1.3

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How to Use the Lysine-Arginine Ratio

The ratio shown in the database is calculated as lysine ÷ arginine per 100g of food. Higher is better for people with herpes. Here is a quick guide to interpreting the numbers:

Ratio > 2.0: Excellent — strongly favours lysine. Examples: most fish, poultry, and dairy.
Ratio 1.0–2.0: Good — more lysine than arginine. Safe to eat freely.
Ratio 0.5–1.0: Moderate — roughly balanced. Eat in moderation alongside high-lysine foods.
Ratio < 0.5: Unfavourable — significantly more arginine than lysine. Limit these foods, especially during or before an outbreak.

All values in the database are per 100g of food unless stated otherwise. Portion size matters: a small amount of a high-arginine food may still be fine in the context of an otherwise lysine-rich meal. Focus on your overall daily ratio rather than avoiding individual foods entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which foods have the highest lysine-to-arginine ratio?

Fish consistently top the database — particularly flounder, cod, halibut, and sole — with ratios of 3.0 or higher. Poultry (chicken and turkey breast) and most dairy products (cottage cheese, ricotta, Greek yogurt) also score very favourably. Among plant foods, mangoes and papayas have unusually high lysine-to-arginine ratios compared to most fruits.

Which common foods are highest in arginine and worst for herpes?

Nuts are the biggest concern — particularly peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts, which have arginine-to-lysine ratios of 3:1 or higher. Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) are similarly high in arginine. Chocolate and cocoa are notorious for their high arginine content. Among grains, oats and wheat germ have higher arginine relative to refined grains. These foods are not forbidden, but they are best eaten alongside high-lysine proteins to offset the arginine load.

How much lysine per day is recommended for herpes management?

Clinical studies on lysine for herpes have used doses ranging from 1,000mg to 3,000mg daily. For maintenance (outbreak prevention), 1,000–1,500mg per day is the most commonly studied dose. For acute outbreak treatment, 3,000mg per day for 5–7 days is sometimes used. These amounts are achievable through diet alone only if you are eating substantial portions of lysine-rich proteins at multiple meals — supplementation fills the gap for most people. Always discuss supplementation doses with your healthcare provider, as high-dose lysine can cause gastrointestinal side effects.

Can I use this database to plan a herpes-friendly meal plan?

Yes. Search for the protein sources you eat most regularly and confirm they have ratios above 1.0. Then check snack foods, nuts, and any protein supplements you use — these are the most likely sources of hidden arginine in a typical diet. Building meals around fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy as your primary proteins, with vegetables and fruits as sides, will naturally produce a lysine-favourable diet for most people. Our guide to the best foods for cold sores provides a practical meal planning framework using this data.