low carb diet and lupus

[moyo]

Have there been any studies about the effect of low carb diet and lupus? also what are the experiences of members here?

last year i went on the south beach diet for 6 months. it was the first time in years that i was free of joint pain. amazing.

i have been off the diet several months now and recently had a horrible flare. i am not sure what to think if there is a connection to diet or not. so, i am on the fence about back to the diet or take the leap to serious medications.

appreciate hearing others experiences or information about studies on lupus and the diet.
thanks. glad to have a place to ask these questions that have been on my mind so much.
Lilly

[raggedyann1]

Moyo,

I don't think the results of the recent diet research in the UK are written up as of yet. I know that the extreme low carb diet is not good for someone with kidney involvement as protein is hard on the kidneys.

Lupus patients are also known to be more allergy prone and this can involve foods and beverages. Some people find eliminating processed sugar helps, others have luck with avoiding the night shade vegetables. The info on the night shade vegetables is found at the athritis foundation website.

My question to you is what did you do differently on the south beach diet? Did your beverages change as well? Were you drinking more water? Diet certainly affects our health. The better our diets are the better we can help our body fight the lupus. If I was able to live with just plaquenil and a super healthy diet I would be there in a heartbeat. Look at the post in this section that I just posted this week on broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower and their possible help to fighting lupus.

For me I have no choice but to take the medications. My diet can affect how I feel to some degree but i am so sick that the medications are necessary. With my GI complications from my scleroderma I couldn't handle a low carb diet as protein is the hardest to digest.

Are you taking plaquenil? That is not what I would call a serious medication. The other thing to remember is that a flare is a warning that the lupus is active in your body. This can mean that it is also active with your internal organs.

Take care,
Karen