Also when you're having an outbreak then be conscious of the L-Arginine to L-Lysine ratio in your weight loss program you'll be able to look on-line for charts with the ratio of L-Lysine to L-Arginine in several foods. I do know that I have not had a cold sore since taking these. I've been taking a different lysine product (a thousand mg daily). That is THE ONLY lysine product I use frequently