Diet for Rosacea

Diet for rosacea mainly includes alkaline foods that provide nutrition and lessen burden of digestion. To know more about this skin-friendly diet read on…

Dietary changes can work wonders to manage rosacea, a chronic skin problem that is typically marked by flushing and formation of small bumps on the facial area. People affected with rosacea distinctly show broken capillaries on the cheeks, nose and the chin. It is observed that excessive acidic environment in the body (low blood pH) is the main culprit behind the development of rosacea. So, eating alkaline foods that raise blood pH value can actually help to control rosacea effectively.

Foods To Avoid – High Acidic Foods

Improving pH level of the body is the first step to take care of skin having a history of rosacea. For that, one has to distance oneself from foods high in acid content. Highly acidic foods are the ones that bring down body pH, thereby encouraging the inflammation of the skin. Here are some of the following high acidic food items and beverages:

Beverages
All alcoholic beverages including beer, vodka, champagne, whiskey and red wine are categorized as rosacea triggers because of their high acidic content and hence their exclusion from this form of diet is a must. Acidic beverages that include coffee and tea are vascular dilators (they expand the blood vessels). These beverages under any circumstances should not be consumed as they can wreak havoc on the skin affected with rosacea.

Sugary Products
Foods high in sugar such as pastries, chocolates and cakes are lip smacking but unfortunately are troublesome to rosacea patients. The reason is simple; Sugar is notorious for making the body acidic and hence sugary products are found to be most acidic. So, even though you might be having a sweet tooth, compulsorily avoiding these foods should be your top priority.

Meat
Meat, be it beef, pork, lamb, chicken, shellfish or turkey, all come in the list of acidic foods. Therefore, considering their acidic nature, one should avoid or eat meat sparingly.

Fruits
High levels of acid is found in certain fruits, which means they are unsuitable for patients diagnosed with rosacea. These high acid content fruits are cranberries, prunes, oranges, plums and blackberries.

Vegetables
Few vegetables come under acid forming foods and considering this fact their inclusion in the diet would defeat the purpose of reducing rosacea symptoms. Some of the vegetables that produce acidifying effect in the body are given below:

• Tomatoes
• Pinto beans
• Lima beans
• Winter squash

Nuts
Certain nuts (except almonds) can drive your rosacea into the ‘serious zone’. So, which are those? Peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts and pecans can give rosacea patients a hell of time due to their high acidic nature. The body’s pH can significantly go below the normal range, if these nuts are included in the diet. This in turn will contribute in aggravating rosacea.

Foods To Include – High Alkaline Foods

As aforementioned, rosacea diet propagates alkaline foods as they help to improve body’s pH, necessary to minimize symptoms of rosacea. In order to regain the body’s lost pH balance, one has to concentrate more on eating alkaline foods. Alkaline foods play a crucial role in neutralizing acids, which contributes in alleviating rosacea. Some of the alkaline foods are given below:

Vegetables
Talking about alkaline based diet and one simply cannot forget to mention about vegetables. Almost all vegetables are alkaline forming foods that assist to maintain acid alkaline balance. Moreover, sugar content in these foods is very less as compared to fruits. Hence, alkalizing qualities of vegetables are far higher than the fruits. Also, vegetables are major source of skin friendly nutrients like vitamin C, omega 3 essential fatty foods, vitamin K and vitamin A. Some of the most alkaline vegetables are given below:

• Green asparagus
• Rocket leaves
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Baby spinach
• Lentils
• Onions
• Sweet potato
• Green beans
• Cucumber
• Mustard greens
• Kale

Make sure to have spinach in raw form whereas other vegetables can be steamed or stir fried in olive oil or flax-seed oil. Deep-fried vegetables may lose their alkalinity and so such methods of cooking have to be avoided.

Whole Grain Products
Don’t want blood to turn more acidic? Well, you need to include whole grain products as they form an inseparable part of alkaline diet. Whole grains like brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal and whole wheat bread can definitely help to correct the acid alkaline balance.

Beverages
Drinking the right beverage can contribute immensely to reduce the acidic environment in the body. Vegetable broth, juices of green vegetables and even fig juice also seems to have a great deal of alkalizing qualities. Mineral water contains a high amount of oxygen and helps in improving the blood pH. However, along with water, having a special diet, recommended for rosacea, is equally important to combat this unusual skin condition. When it comes to rosacea diet, it is essential to avoid foods that do not heal the patient. They are certain foods that need to be avoided as they can aggravate the condition. These include spicy foods, cheese, hot beverages and alcohol.

Fruits
Alkalizing properties of fruits is also commendable and hence can also do a great job in restoring the body’s pH balance. Although fructose (a type of sugar) found in fruits can slightly minimize the impact of the alkalinity, nevertheless they form an inseparable part of this diet. Some of the fruits that can be included in the diet are mentioned below:

• Pears
• Lime
• Raspberry
• Watermelon
• Mango
• Papaya
• Raisins

Herbs
Adding certain herbs to the diet can also work in favor of patients wanting to reduce rosacea. Herbs like garlic and parsley display excellent alkalizing properties and so their inclusion in the diet is certainly advisable. Even herbal teas and of course green tea can help in your endeavor to follow this diet.

Dairy Products
Amongst the dairy products, one can eat buttermilk, yogurt and cottage cheese in moderation as they have lowest acidic content. On the other hand, raw or homogenized milk and even ice cream are significantly acidic and therefore have no place in this diet.