Diet can’t cure rosacea, but the right foods can minimize symptoms. Find out what to eat and avoid for this skin condition.
Despite its pretty, floral-sounding name, rosacea is no walk in the park. Dealing with the facial redness, flushing, and lil’ bitty bumps of rosacea can make you feel self-conscious — not to mention uncomfortable.
Fortunately, some folks find that dietary changes make a meaningful difference torosacea symptoms. If you live with this skin condition, here’s how what you put in your mouth might affect your face.
What foods trigger rosacea?
Different people may experience different rosacea triggers, but in general, spicy foods, dairy, and foods that contain a compound called cinnamaldehyde are some common culprits. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about the possibility of limiting or removing the following:
Foods containing histamine
The list of potential rosacea-aggravating foods continues with high-histamine foods. The reason these can contribute to flares?Histaminescause the blood vessels to dilate, allowing greater blood flow. In people with rosacea, this can cause extra redness and flushing.
Some high-histamine foodsinclude:
What drinks trigger rosacea?
While you’re taking a look at your diet for rosacea, don’t forget to consider drinks as well as foods. A few that might trigger a flare include:
What foods are good for rosacea?
Good news: We’re not here to tell you what youcan’teat for rosacea. We’ve also added the skinny on helpful foods to your diet.
Healthy fats
What dosalmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts have in common? They’re all excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids — AKA healthy fats that may help decrease rosacea symptoms. These fats quell inflammation, potentially calming flares on the face.
In a2016 study, for example, people with dry eyes due to rosacea received omega-3 supplements for six months. After this period, they reported reduced eye dryness.
Probiotics and prebiotics
Science is still teasing apart the link between the gut microbiome and the skin, but it’s possible that healthy belly bacteria could have apositive effect on rosacea.
Beneficial bacteria found in probiotic supplements and fermented foods (like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso) could reduce the inflammatory process behind rosacea. Be sure to talk to your doctor or dermatologist before starting a probiotic — some strains may be more effective than others.
While focusing on the gut health route to healthier skin, don’t forget that you’re able to always feed your happy gut bugs by eating foods rich in prebiotic fiber. These include garlic, onions,bananas, artichokes, asparagus, and chicory root.
Iced coffee
Hold up… coffee might be good for rosacea?Yassss!Though it may sound counterintuitive, given that hot drinks aggravate flushing and redness, research has linked coffee consumption to reduced rosacea symptoms.
In astudythat lasted over 14 years and followed over 82,000 people, those who drank more caffeinated coffee had lower rosacea risk.
To be clear, nothing you eat or drink will cause or curerosacea — it’ll only make it better or worse. To track your triggers, try keeping a food-and-symptoms diary. Once you’ve identified which foods and drinks increase your symptoms (or — hooray! — give you relief), you can make a rosacea diet plan that works for you.
