Lichen Sclerosus Diet- 3 Important Diet Tips (What To Eat And Avoid)

Lichen Sclerosus Diet- What To Eat and What Not To Eat!

Learning more about the Lichen sclerosus diet is extremely important as you should know what food can make the condition worse or improve it.

A lichen sclerosus diet is an in-demand subject for people dealing with this chronic skin condition. Eating and avoiding specific food might help relieve symptoms. The condition is not sufficiently understood, but it is assumed by the National Institutes of Health to be a consequence of autoimmune problems.

Here is a list of lichen sclerosis diet plans, including food to eat and food to avoid.

Lichen Sclerosus Diet- Overview

Lichen sclerosus is a severe, inflammatory skin disorder. It generates thin, patchy, white areas of the skin that can be distressing, tear easily, and starts itching. These areas can occur anywhere on your body but are typically found around the anus, on the vulva, or the foreskin of the penis in uncircumcised men.

Lichen sclerosus most typically impacts postmenopausal women but can flare up at any age. It presently has no cure. Even though this condition occurs in men and women, it’s categorized as part of a set of vaginal infections called vulvodynia.

There is a small-to-no study on the effect of diet on lichen sclerosis condition. The Vulval Pain Society delivers some research indicating the possible benefit of diet modifications, such as a low-oxalate diet, that might affect pain. Results and discoveries on the lichen sclerosus diet are not conclusive, and another study has denied a low-oxalate diet.

This scarcity of ironclad proof does not mean you must not try a low-oxalate diet, particularly if a urine test reveals you have increased levels of oxalate in the urine. Stopping high-oxalate food is helpful for some people. You can also speak to your doctor, healthcare expert, or dietitian about the low-oxalate food in the lichen sclerosus diet and its possible benefit for you.

There are also different diet plans, which may be effective. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of women suffering from lichen sclerosus have an autoimmune disease, like rheumatoid arthritis. If so, you might also wish to consult the potential advantages of the autoimmune protocol diet with the physician to decide which food plan is most suitable for you to try.

Lichen Sclerosus Diet- Food To Avoid

Not eating these foods may potentially aid in curbing the signs of lichen sclerosus.

Lichen Sclerosus Diet- Foods to Eat

As per one article from Winchester Hospital, foods and beverages low in oxalates are:

• Many fruits, for example, apples, pears, avocado, banana, citrus, sweet cherries, melons, and peaches.
• Most vegetables, for example, artichokes, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce, corn, cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers, peas, and zucchini.
• Fish
• Coffee
• Poultry
• Dry and cooked cereals without nuts or brans
• Eggs or egg noodles
• Desserts with no added chocolate or nuts
• Meat
• Rye bread
• White or wild rice

Calcium fixes to oxalates, as per one article by Cleveland Clinic, so consuming a calcium-rich diet may help decrease the number of oxalates absorbed by someone suffering from lichen sclerosus.

Foods rich in calcium are:

• Broccoli rabe
• Tofu
• Canned salmon
• Sardines
• Canned shrimp
• Ricotta cheese
• Collard greens
• Nonfat yogurt
• Parmesan cheese
• Orange juice

Additional tips on lichen sclerosus diet

Other than being mindful about the number of oxalates you are consuming, the following diet recommendations may help control symptoms of lichen sclerosus.

1. Try Adopting an Autoimmune Protocol Diet

Although there seem to be no direct suggestions for a lichen sclerosus diet, there remains a solid connection to autoimmune disorders, antibodies, and hormone imbalances, so a diet employed to control autoimmune disorders may significantly assist with lichen sclerosis symptoms.

The November 2017 subject of ​Inflammatory Bowel Diseases explains the autoimmune protocol diet comprising a six-week removal phase. During which legumes, grains, nightshades, eggs, dairy, coffee, alcohol, seeds, nuts, refined or processed sugars, oils, and food additives are eliminated from the diet.

The practitioners employ this diet for several weeks, and occasionally foods are gradually reintroduced to monitor if symptoms come back again. This will help target food you must avoid or foods that worsen lichen sclerosus condition. In different cases, people suffering from autoimmune diseases might prefer to indefinitely keep these foods away from the diet.

ALSO READ:  Earl Grey Tea: History, Benefits, Best 4 variations

This kind of elimination diet can be problematic to do on your own, so it is a good idea to enroll the help of a doctor or a dietitian to make foolproof you are still getting all the nutrition your body requires.

2. Add a Calcium Citrate Supplement

As we mentioned above, calcium attaches to oxalates in the body. If you do not receive enough high-calcium foods in the diet, you might want to start taking a calcium supplement. Calcium citrate is usually the preferred form, as per reports by the Cleveland Clinic.

3. Drink Plenty of Water

Make sure to consume plenty of water throughout the day. This will help you remain hydrated and thin out excreted urine, which can control the accumulation of chemicals that can otherwise irritate lichen sclerosus. The Cleveland Clinic suggests drinking 10-12 cups of any fluids every day suggested in the lichen sclerosus diet, with five cups among those cups being water.

Recipes

Most meals are not heightened in oxalate content, making cooking more accessible. Numerous delicious recipes can assist you in getting started. These are:

• low-oxalate chicken stir fry
• mock” garlic mashed potatoes
• fried apples
• Coconut flour chocolate chip cookies.

The Bottom Line

Very little analysis has been explicitly accomplished on the link between a diet and lichen sclerosis condition. However, some evidence suggests the potential capability of a low-oxalate diet to decrease symptoms in some suffering women. Having your urine sampled to specify if it’s high for oxalate might provide details about this food plan’s capability to work for your condition.

Other tips are drinking enough water to generate pale yellow urine and reducing refined carbohydrates while enriching healthy plant fats to lower inflammation. You can likewise talk to the doctor, or your dietitian, regarding the low-oxalate diet and additional options, such as the aforementioned autoimmune protocol diet.