L-Lysine gets some support as ammo against herpes outbreaks.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Shari Rudavsky

The product: CVSs Natural L-Lysine.

The claim: On the bottle, it says this supports collagen and protein synthesis, but its fame in alternative medicine circles stems from its purported ability to combat cold sores of herpes.

Key ingredient: L-Lysine.

Price: $4.79 for 100 caplets, with a recommended dose of one caplet once or twice a day, preferably with food.

Other sources: You can find other brands of L-lysine in a health-food or drug store. You can also up your L-lysine consumption by eating protein-rich foods like soybeans, meat, eggs, poultry and milk.

How it works: An amino acid that the body cannot make, lysine works to counter the effects of arginine, an amino acid the herpes virus relies on to grow and replicate. Lysine helps prevent the virus from acquiring the arginine. Proponents of lysine recommend if youre taking it to abate herpes, you avoid arginine-rich foods like chocolate and nuts.