Eat lots of fruits and vegetables — try to make half your plate fruits and veggies. Choose whole grains — like whole-wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, and brown rice. Get a mix of healthy proteins — like lean meats, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts, and eggs.
Recommended food choices for a healthy diet include low-fat milk, low-fat / low-sodium cheese, lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish, fresh or frozen vegetables, fresh fruit and high-fiber / low-sugar cereals.
Eating cocoa-rich dark chocolate that contains flavanols may help reduce inflammation, which people with lupus experience. However, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that eating chocolate benefits people with this condition. Instead, experts advise people with lupus to eat a balanced diet.
Whole grains: People with lupus should aim to eat whole grains instead of refined ones. 6 Whole-grain options to include in a lupus-friendly diet include rice, barley, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, quinoa, and whole-grain breads, pasta, and/or cereals.
Foods to consider avoiding
Evidence suggests that eating a whole foods diet that limits added sugar and saturated fat can reduce inflammation. A 2020 review also indicates that consuming sugar may negatively affect SLE. Therefore, limiting high fat and high sugar foods may be beneficial for lupus symptoms.
Protein should be reduced to just 6 to 8 oz/day, sodium should be limited to 2-3 g/day, and potassium should be reduced to 2000mg/day. Foods that are high in potassium include bananas, oranges, dairy, cheese, legumes, and chocolate. Additionally, phosphorus in the diet should also be reduced.
Foods to avoid are 2% and whole milk, which contain a large amount of fat and cholesterol. If you do not or cannot consume milk, choose lactose-free milk, soy milk, and almond milk that are fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. Aim for three or more servings a day.
If you have lupus, here are some things to keep in mind: First, it is a good idea to reduce your consumption of refined sugars as much as possible. Sugar is inflammatory and contributes to a number of health problems that can add to your lupus symptoms.
Can any foods make lupus worse? You may have heard to avoid “nightshade vegetables,” which include white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), and eggplant. While there isn't any scientific evidence that directly links them to inflammation, you may find they trigger symptoms for you.
Keep snacks handy for nibbling. Make it easy to snack at any time. Carry a snack pack of easy-to-eat nibbles in your pocket or purse. Ideas for your snack pack include granola, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, or home-made trail mix.
People with lupus tend to suffer from recurring infections, so it's important to add lots of fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, cherries, oranges and pineapples into your lupus diet. Fruits that are rich in antioxidants can strengthen your immune system and help your body fight off the harmful ...
It is important that you also try to eat foods rich in calcium, such as milk, light ice cream/frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, almonds, broccoli, fortified cereal, oranges, yogurt, hard cheese, soybeans and soymilk, navy beans, oysters, sardines, and spinach.
Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are autoantibodies to the nuclei of your cells. 98% of all people with systemic lupus have a positive ANA test, making it the most sensitive diagnostic test for confirming diagnosis of the disease.
Eating foods like fish, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, and eggs may be helpful. You may also have some new food challenges because of the medication your doctor has prescribed. A corticosteroid, for instance, can cause weight gain and high blood sugar.
While there is no lupus-specific diet, being mindful of what you put in your body, eating healthy and staying hydrated is very important for lupus warriors to feel their best.
Good foods
Antioxidant foods: Berries, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables (kale, cabbage, etc.), beans, tomatoes and beets.
Summary: A new study from Virginia Tech reveals a healthy bacteria found in yogurt could reduce some lupus symptoms. The study expands on earlier work from the researchers, noting a lack of Lactobacillus in both mice and humans with lupus. Source: Virginia Tech.
Coffee and other caffeine-containing foods are a mixed bag – both good and bad – for people with lupus. Fatigue is a common symptom of , and it can come along with brain fog and . These feelings of malaise and tiredness are some of the neuropsychiatric symptoms of lupus. You can read more about these symptoms here.
Fresh vegetables should be consumed daily, as well as at least one fruit per day. Fresh fish also play a beneficial role in SLE patient's diet and should be added to the personalized diet, as well as cold pressed oil. Patients can supplement the diet with flaxseeds, pumpkins, carrots, nuts, oranges or apples.