Category — Q & A

I would like to know what foods to stay away from and what foods may help people diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. What is a good diet regimen for this diagnosis? Are there any foods that are harmful or that should be totally avoided by lupus patients?

Answer
Lupus patients should avoid alfalfa sprouts. They stimulate the immune system, just the opposite of what we need.

Outside of that, here are some basic guidelines that work for me.

1. Eat lots, and I mean lots, of fresh fruits and vegetables
2. Limit or eliminate animal fat. We have a high rate of premature atherosclerosis. A healthy heart diet is essential.
3. Limit processed foods
4. Eat plenty of fiber (#1 will accomplish that)
5. Get regular mild to moderat exercise-it improves immune function, lubricates joints and elevates mood. Ask your rheumy what would be good for you.
6. Do not take echinacea or goldenseal. They also stimulate immune system.
7. Some lupus patients find wheat gluten to be inflammatory, but many of us have no problem with it.
8. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t put it in your mouth.
9. Fish oil is anti-inflammatory. You can eat cold water fish like salmon to get that. A small amount of nuts is good, too.
10. Make sure you get plenty of calcium. Our meds make us prone to osteoporosis. Exercise helps with that, too.

My mother was currently diagnosed with lupus, I have many of the same symptoms, is it possible that I might have it too?

Answer
The hereditary link hasn’t been proven yet with SLE. As Linda above states, it seems that there may be a slightly higher tendency for a first degree realtive to have some type of auto immune/connective tissue disease but even that tendancy is very slight. It seems more likely that SLE is both hereditary and environmental (although no specific enviornmental triggers have been isolated yet either). Lupus is a very elusive diseas, very misunderstood and yet is more prevailant than MS or MD combined.

As far as you having the symptoms there are three distinct possibilities. The first is that you do in fact have Lupus. An ANA test can help confirm this. The second is that you are suffering from another disease that can mimic Lupus, like arthritis. The third is that you are having what is generally considered to be ‘sympathy’ pains. That you take on the pains that your mother is describing. My wife has had lupus since 15. I often ‘feel’ her pain. Even though I don’t have Lupus, when her joints are hurting, so are mine. I can’t explain it other than the fact that we are very close and there is some type of transferance going on. It’s funny because when my knees are hurting, I’ll ask her if her Lupus is acting up. Nine times out of ten she’ll say yes. When I ask her what’s bothering her, it’s almost always the same joint that’s bothering me. It’s uncanny. Anyway, I hope this helps.