Lupus: foods to eat and foods to avoid

Lupus is an autoimmune disease wherein there is misfiring of the immune system of the body. There is inflammation and pain in various tissues of the body. Medicines can control the disease. And diet can play a complementary role to mitigate the symptoms. Which foods help in control of the disease and which foods can worsen it?

Lupus and it’s symptoms

Lupus is a disease wherein the immune system is at fault. Instead of targeting only foreign germs and agents, the body immune cells start considering self antigens as foreign and mounts an immune reaction to them too.

This leads to inflammation in several parts of the body such as kidneys, joints, skin etc. And this results in painful and inflamed joints, skin lesions, kidney damage, neural system involvement and the like. Several treatment options are available that help to control the disease symptoms. But there is no cure for it.

Observations have shown that some foods can aggravate problems in these patients while other foods help to reduce swelling and pain.

Foods that help in this condition

There is no magical dietetic cure for this disease. But certain foods can reduce inflammation. Patients of lupus should take:

Omega 3 fatty acids rich foods

These foods lessen body inflammation and also improve mood and protect the heart. Examples of these foods are nuts, seeds, fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, sardines, salmon, and herring, seaweeds, algae, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and legumes.

High calcium foods

Patients of this disease are at risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D rich foods can help here. These foods include tofu, milk, cheese, beans and dark green leaves.

Foods with high antioxidants

Phytochemicals and vitamin A, B and E can mop up free radicals and prevent flare-ups. These include black and green tea, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and oats.

Foods to avoid

Certain immune boosting foods can worsen the disease. These include:

Garlic

This contains allicin, ajoene, and thiosulfinates that can boost immunity. But in these patients, the boost might lead to disease flare-ups. The patient can have small amounts of this food. But large quantities must be avoided.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa or its sprouts have the amino acid, L-canavanine in them. This amino acid is an immune stimulator. And it could lead to increase in symptoms in these patients.

Foods rich in saturated fats and cholesterol

The risk of heart attack is 50-fold in patients of lupus. Hence these patients should be extra cautious of their fat intake. The cholesterol can go and deposit in the blood vessels including that of the heart and cause heart attack and myocardial ischemia. They should reduce their intake of fried foods, red meat and milk and milk products.

Echinacea

This product is present as an ingredient in immune boosting supplements for cold, flu and such seasonal viral illnesses. These supplements can cause an increase in the autoimmune reaction of the body and trigger flare-up. Hence, it is best to avoid such supplements that have Echinacea in them.

Also, read What are Nightshade vegetables? Are they bad for arthritis, IBD, and autoimmune diseases?

Therefore, patients of this disease should opt for a healthy and balanced diet. They should take lots of foods containing calcium, omega 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. These will prevent the complications of heart and bones that is common in these patients. Also, these patients should avoid foods that boost immunity.