Lupus diet

April 22nd, 2010

lupus_dietIn general, people with lupus should try to eat a nutritious, well-balanced, and varied diet that contains plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, moderate amounts of meats, whole grains, poultry, and oily fish, since fish oil has been proved on reduce the inflammation. There is no special diet for lupus patient, despite there are many claims on the media including internet, in various books and other publications.

Omega-3 fatty acids that found in oily fish are important for women with lupus, who are at a 5-10-fold higher risk for heart disease than the general population. It appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease and may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure.

In other side, the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine appear may aggravate lupus disease, apparently due to a specific intermediary block in their metabolism. Knowing from both human and animal studies have confirmed the efficacy of removing these amino acids from the diet. Since beef and dairy products are rich in phenylalanine and tyrosine, moderate amount of beef and dairy intake are strongly recommended.

Also, studies using an animal model of SLE have found that lupus diets high in fat may promote the onset and progression of the disease by weakening immune responses, suggesting that a low fat diet could be beneficial.

Besides tyrosine and phenylalanine the food that must be avoids is alfalfa. Alfalfa tablets have been related with reports of a lupus flares or lupus-like syndrome. The lupus-like effects may include fatigue, muscle pain, abnormal blood test results, kidney problems and changes in how the immune system functions. These conditions may be due to the amino acid L-canavanine which found in alfalfa sprouts and seeds. The amino acid can activate the immune system and increase inflammation.

A vegan diet may be ideal for people with lupus. When a woman with SLE and typical skin lesions started a vegan diet generally, within one week, 95% of her facial lesions had disappeared and at the end of 2 weeks, her face was entirely clear. Most showed considerable resolution of skin lesions within 2 weeks.


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10 Responses to “Lupus diet”

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  3. Hipolito M. Wiseman Says:

    This was a very good post, I found it to not only be very helpful infomation but also touched on what I was researching in good detail. Keep up the work!

  4. Carroll B. Merriman Says:

    This was a very good post, I found it to not only be very helpful infomation but also touched on what I was researching in good detail. Keep up the work!

  5. Kay | Print Posters Says:

    It’s nice to know that there is a possible diet for people that has lupus, because this means that it can give them hope despite the disease and it will make them feel better.

  6. Rick Says:

    With lupus, your digestive system is extra sensitive. Pamper it and you’ll feel better. If you wish help implementing a healing diet.

  7. Paul Says:

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  8. Zach Says:

    You are right Tracy. However, maybe to an extreme. People with Lupus are at a less margin of error on their diets.

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    Could it be possible if I link up to this webpage, from my web site? I’m planning to gather as many sources of info as I am able.

  10. Daniel Says:

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