What Are the Benefits of L-Lysine?
Scarlett Gray
BNutrDiet (Hons), APD, SDA
Reviewed by Scarlett Gray · About Scarlett
Accredited Practising Dietitian with Dietitians Australia (APD200526). Accredited Sports Dietitian and Credentialled Eating Disorder Clinician. First Class Honours in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Newcastle.
Reviewed by Scarlett Gray, Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD200526), BNutrDiet Hons, Sports Dietitian. @scarlett__redefiningnutrition
Reviewed: 16 September 2026
L-lysine is one of the ingredients in Kollo's marine collagen sachets, and it's there for a reason: it's an essential amino acid, meaning the body can't make it on its own, so we have to get it from food. It plays a key role in the production of collagen, the protein that gives our skin, bones and connective tissue their structure and strength. Beyond that foundational job, lysine has been studied for several specific benefits, some with better evidence than others. Here's the honest tour.
Lysine and wound healing
One benefit of L-lysine is its potential to support wound healing. Through its role in collagen production, lysine helps strengthen the network of proteins in our skin and supports the growth of new blood vessels in injured tissue, both of which are important for proper wound repair.
The clinical evidence here is genuinely interesting but specific: a clinical trial using a 15% lysine cream alongside standard care showed better healing of diabetic foot ulcers compared with standard care alone. It's worth being clear that most of the strongest wound-healing evidence is for topical lysine, applied directly to the skin, rather than oral supplements. Eating plenty of lysine-rich foods, such as meat, dairy, eggs, beans and lentils, is generally enough for everyday needs, and the research on taking extra lysine by mouth for wound healing is still limited. And it goes without saying: a wound that isn't healing needs a healthcare professional, not a supplement.
Lysine and cold sores
This is where the supplement research is strongest. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), which needs another amino acid, arginine, to multiply; lysine competes with arginine, which is the proposed mechanism behind its use.
The standout evidence is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial in which participants took 1,000mg of L-lysine three times daily for six months. Compared with placebo, they experienced significantly fewer HSV outbreaks (an average of 2.4 fewer episodes), less severe symptoms, and reduced healing time. That's a properly designed trial with a meaningful result, which is rarer in the supplement world than it should be.
Two honest caveats: that trial used a dedicated dose of 3g a day, taken specifically for this purpose, and cold sores that are frequent or severe are worth discussing with your pharmacist or GP, who can advise on proven treatment options.
Lysine and calcium absorption
Calcium strengthens teeth and bones and supports normal muscle and nerve function, and lysine appears to help the body make better use of it. Human research suggests lysine can increase calcium absorption in the gut and help the kidneys retain the mineral rather than excrete it, with a possible role in how calcium is transported around the body. It's supporting-cast evidence rather than headline evidence, but it fits lysine's wider picture as a structural team player.
Getting enough lysine
Because lysine is essential, food comes first. Good sources include meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, beans and lentils; most people eating a varied diet get what they need, though those on restrictive or low-protein diets have less margin. In Kollo's formula, l-lysine appears alongside 10,000mg of Naticol® marine collagen peptides and vitamin C (which contributes to normal collagen formation) because of its role in collagen production, supporting the job the sachet is there to do rather than acting as a high-dose lysine supplement. If you're specifically interested in lysine at the doses used in the cold sore research, that's a separate, dedicated supplement decision.
Curious about the full formula? Explore Kollo Premium Liquid Marine Collagen.
