Vegeterian Diets --Let Me Count The Ways There are several types of vegeterians: Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat plant foods, milk, milk products and eggs, but avoid flesh foods (meat, poultry and fish). Lacto-vegetarians eat plant foods, milk and milk products, but avoid eggs and flesh foods. Ovo-vegetarians eat plant foods and eggs, but avoid milk, milk products and flesh foods. Pesco/pollo-vegetarians eat meats like seafood and chicken, but do not eat other meats, such as beef, lamb, and pork. Total vegetarians, also called vegans, eat plant foods only. Read the Source Article |
Lupus Diet Recommendations--
Comprehensive Review
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July 7, 2009
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Lupus diet recommendations have emerged from many studies over the
years. Some of the foods recommended to decrease the inflammation and
pain of lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) are generally agreed upon
by medical authorities and researchers. Others are the subject of intense
debate.
In making our recommendations, we have excluded informal and
anecdotal evidence that certain foods decrease lupus inflammation or
pain. For example, some informal anecdotes from arthritis and lupus
sufferers indicate that coconut oil decreases lupus and arthritis
inflammation, citing evidence that Polynesian populations suffer less from
lupus than European populations. However, in our survey of research
studies, the opposite is true. Polynesian people suffer far more from lupus
than white people in all countries where the question has been studied.
Drawn from university research studies and hospital research studies,
below are the current diet recommendations for decreasing the
inflammation and pain of lupus. Based upon these recommendations, we
have compiled an ideal breakfast for lupus and ideal dinners for lupus.
Top 10 Foods That Reduce Lupus Inflammation and Lupus Pain
1. Flaxseed. Several studies have found that flaxseeds decrease the
symptoms of lupus. A 2001 study from researchers at the University of
Western Ontario found that participants who ate flaxseeds suffered less
kidney damage from lupus. In the study, 23 patients with lupus nephritis
ate 30 grams of ground flaxseeds every day for a year. After a year,
these patients had experienced no additional kidney damage, while
patients who had not eaten flaxseeds suffered additional kidney damage.
2. Fish Oil. Fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids has been found to
reduce the symptoms of lupus. A 1994 study by doctors at Victoria
Hospital in Toronto found that omega-3 fatty acids even at low doses (6
grams a day) inhibited inflammation of lupus. At higher doses (18 grams),
it inhibited inflammation and decreased plaque in arteries. In fairness,
the evidence that fish oil counteracts inflammation in lupus is mixed.
Some studies which have examined patients who took fish oil over a
longer period, such as 2 years, found no appreciable effect on reduction of
lupus inflammation and pain. Still, the recommendation to eat more fish
with omega-3 fatty acids is supported by the greater weight of medical
research.
How much omega-3 is best? A 1993 study by researchers at
Massachusetts General Hospital found that you reduce inflammation
optimally if you eat a diet that balances the certain omega-3 acids in a 3
to 1 ratio. Two diets containing approximately 3:1 mixtures of EPA-E and
DHA-E alleviated the kidney disease in lupus patients more than any other
combination. So, you really have to read the labels of any omega-3
supplement carefully. Use an omega-3 supplement that contains 3 times
more EPA than DHA for best results in reducing lupus pain and
inflammmation.
3. DHEA. Several studies have found that DHEA greatly reduces the
inflammation and pain of lupus. A 1996 study from Stanford University
Medical Center’s Division of Immunology and Rheumatology found that
DHEA reduces specific lupus symptoms, such as inflammation and pain,
reduces lupus flares, and reduces reliance on steroids for the treatment of
lupus. DHA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a natural hormone produced by
your body’s adrenal glands and to a lesser degree by the ovaries in
women and the testes in men. Inside your body, DHEA is something of a
chameleon, general-purpose hormone, which the body can convert into
other steroid hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. DHEA
appears to play a key role in how we age. Your body’s natural levels of
DHEA peak at age 25 and then steadily decline with age. By the time you
are 70 years old, your natural DHEA level is 80% lower than it was when
you were 20.
There are no good dietary sources of DHEA, although trace amounts are
found in animal meats such as chicken, turkey, steak and pork. All of the
studies which have found a beneficial effect with DHEA have used DHEA
supplements. To add DHEA to your diet, you have to therefore rely
principally on supplements. Under your doctor’s supervision, you may
wish to add DHEA in doses recommended by the University of Maryland
Medical Center---start at 5 mg three times a day and work up to 100 to
200 mg per day for 7 to 12 months.
4. Green, Leafy Vegetables. Spinach, collard greens, broccoli, kale,
cabbage. These contain high concentrations of phytochemicals which act
as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the body.
5. Blueberries. Rich in anti-oxidants and inflammatory agents.
6. Pomegranates. One of the world’s highest concentrations of anti-
oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
7. Beans. Beans are rich in calcium which of course is needed for bone
health. Osteoporosis is common among lupus sufferers. The big caveat
however, is for alfalfa, which is technically a legume but which increases
inflammation, as we discuss below.
8. Olive Oil. Olive oil and other unsaturated oils such as canola oil
contain anti-oxidants which have been found beneficial in reducing the
inflammation of lupus.
9. Cherries. Among fruits, third only to blueberries and pomegranates in
concentrations of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
10. Canola Oil and Grapeseed Oil. Second to olive oil in anti-inflammatory
agents.
Foods to Avoid for Lupus Sufferers
Here is a list of foods you should avoid if you have lupus:
1. Alfalfa Sprouts. Studies have found that eating alfalfa produces lupus-
like effects. These lupus-like effects include development of antinuclear
antibodies in the blood, muscle pains, fatigue, abnormal immune system
function, and kidney abnormalities. For this reason, you should avoid
alfalfa and alfalfa supplements, if you have lupus or a family history of
lupus. According to the National Institutes for Health, alfafa is known by
several other common names, including arc, al-fac-facah, alfalfa weevil,
buffalo herb, Chilean clover, California clover, Spanish clover, Fabaceae ,
feuille de luzerne , isoflavone, jatt, kaba yonca, , lucerne, medicago,
mielga, mu su, purple medic, purple medick or purple medicle, sai pi li
ka, saranac, team, weevelchek, and yonja.
2. Onions. Studies have identified the compound in alfalfa which makes
lupus symptoms worse. It is the amino acid L-canavanine . Onions,
soybeans, clover and alfalfa are exceptionally rich sources of L-
canavanine.
3.Milks and Dairy. If your health care provider suspects allergies, you
may want to eliminate all suspected food allergens, including dairy, wheat
(gluten), soy, chocolate, corn, preservatives, and food additives. People
who do not eat dairy products and take corticosteroids should make sure
to get enough calcium in their diet.
4. Gluten and Wheat. These have been linked to flares of lupus, especially
among those who are gluten sensitive.
4. Coffee
5. Alcohol
6. Smoking
7. Red Fatty Meats
8. Sugar and All White Foods. Refined foods carbohydrates should be
avoided. These include white table sugar, white flour, white bread, white
rice, white potatoes and white pasta.
Find out more anti-inflammatory foods to improve your general health:
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