No specific research supports L-lysine supplements as an effective treatment for psoriasis. But eating a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients like lysine may help you manage psoriasis symptoms and flare-ups.

The amino acid lysine plays an essential role in body processes like calcium absorption and bone and muscle growth. But since your body can’t produce lysine itself, you need to get it from food or supplements.

You may have come across some anecdotal evidence suggesting L-lysine supplements can relieve the symptoms of skin conditions like psoriasis. But research findings have yet to support these claims.

“There’s currently no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming L-lysine can effectively help treat psoriasis,” says dermatologist and laser skin surgeon Dr. Cameron Rokhsar. For that reason, he doesn’t recommend people with psoriasis take L-lysine supplements to relieve their symptoms.

Here’s what to know about taking L-lysine for psoriasis.

The amino acid lysine promotes skin health by supporting collagen production, which helps your skin and bones stay healthy and strong. It can also help support your body’s natural recovery by speeding up the wound-healing process.

Due to these abilities, it may stand to reason that L-lysine supplements could also help with psoriasis symptoms — and this is certainly a possibility.

Yet according to Rokhsar, research on L-lysine as a remedy for psoriasis remains limited, and more studies are needed to determine its effectiveness and safety.

Some limited evidence suggests L-lysine supplements may help keep some viruses from replicating in the body. Researchers believe lysine lowers the production of arginine, another amino acid that’s essential for viruses to multiply.

Researchers have found a strong link between viral or fungal infections and psoriasis outbreaks. And while L-lysine isn’t an antiviral medication, it may still have the potential to help slow or halt virus growth and indirectly prevent a psoriasis flare.

Does L-lysine have other benefits?

Other suggested benefits of L-lysine include:

But again, scientific research has yet to find conclusive support for these benefits in humans.

Research on L-lysine for psoriasis remains very limited

One 2015 case study explored a potential link between L-lysine supplements and psoriasis symptoms.

Study authors followed a female in their 30s with severe psoriasis, asking them to:

  • eat plenty of vegetables and limit meat
  • avoid junk food and sugar
  • take various nutritional supplements that included B vitamins, vitamin C, L-lysine, and proline

After 6 months of following this regimen, her psoriasis patches completely resolved.

Still, since L-lysine wasn’t the only supplement involved, no conclusive evidence supports its benefits for psoriasis. That said, the benefits of a nutritious diet supplemented with essential vitamins may be worth investigating further.

Researchers also noted that vitamin C, lysine, and proline all play an important role in collagen health, which in turn supports the health of your skin.

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Although Rokhsar doesn’t recommend taking L-lysine supplements to ease psoriasis symptoms, he does say adding more lysine-rich foods to a balanced diet can be a good choice when you live with psoriasis.

Foods rich in lysine include:

  • meats like beef, chicken, and pork
  • fish, particularly cod and sardines
  • dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and milk
  • legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans

Adding some or all of these foods to your psoriasis-friendly diet may help to reduce psoriasis outbreaks.

He also suggests eating whole grains, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables and limiting or avoiding foods that may trigger psoriasis.

Examples of trigger foods can include:

That said, psoriasis triggers vary from person to person, so these foods and beverages may not affect everyone in the same way.

If you do opt to take L-lysine supplements, it’s wise to talk with your healthcare team first to make sure they won’t interfere with any existing health conditions or medications or supplements you’re currently taking.

For instance, L-lysine can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium, so you’ll want to ask a healthcare professional about using L-lysine if you take calcium supplements.

Keep in mind, too, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t evaluate the quality or ingredients in supplements. That’s another reason why it’s best to check with a healthcare professional before trying any supplements, especially if you’re pregnant or nursing.

Even though you’ll find L-lysine in many dietary supplements, there’s not a lot of safety information regarding excess L-lysine consumption. This supplement seems fairly safe to consume in small doses. But if you take larger quantities, you may experience side effects, like:

When supplement shopping, opt for third-party tested products with good reviews that contain safe quantities of the vitamin or mineral. For example, L-lysine seems to be safe when consumed at doses up to 300-500 mg per day.

Get more tips on choosing quality supplements.

While many supplements may offer some benefits for managing psoriasis, Rokshar specifically recommends people living with psoriasis consider taking:

An older 2014 review of studies looking at the benefits of certain supplements for psoriasis notes that vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids have the most evidence to support their use. A 2022 clinical trial found that people with psoriasis taking a probiotic supplement experienced a signitificant increase in quality of life and decrease in the severity of their symptoms.

L-lysine helps aid in wound healing and collagen production, but existing evidence doesn’t support this supplement as an effective treatment for psoriasis.

Since safety information on L-lysine supplementation also remains limited, the safest option may lie in getting your dose of this amino acid from food sources like meat, dairy, fish, or legumes.

A balanced, nourishing diet rich in vitamins in minerals can help reduce psoriasis outbreaks.