Detailed list of foods that can effect blood vessels

[Froggirl]

My flushing seems to be more about blood vessel instability than inflammation, (I developed migranes and raynaurds at the same time as the facial flushing).

So for anyone else who thinks there flushing gets worse with food, below is the most comprehesive list i have found of all the foods that may effect blood vessel function.

It ia a diet for migranes but I figure anything that effects blood vessel stability in the brain would also effect the blood vessels in the rest of the body. I'm going to trial it for a month and see if it impacts on my facial flushing and Raynaurds.

Some people with migraine may be sensitive to certain chemicals that occur naturally in foods. The chemicals that most commonly trigger migraines are tyramine and other amines, including phenylethylamine and histamine. Amines can trigger migraines because they are vasoactive substances that act directly on small blood vessels to expand their capacity.

Foods that contain tannins, compounds that occur naturally in plants, can also trigger migraines. Researchers are not certain what the exact relationship is, but many agree that the neurotransmitter serotonin is involved.



Step 1: Eliminate amine foods
Tyramine is a chemical called a monoamine that is found in higher concentrations in foods that have been fermented, such as aged cheddar, red wines, and blue cheese. American and cottage cheese can be substituted. Foods containing tyramine include:
· Aged Cheeses
· Yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, dried milk
· Tofu, soy sauce, miso, tempeh
· Smoked, cured, or pickled fish or meat
· Beer, wine
· Lima beans, Italian beans, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, fava beans, broad beans
· Snow peas
· Peanuts
· Eggplant
· Sauerkraut
· Oranges, citrus fruit
· Cola drinks
· Banana
· Grapes, Raisins
· Plums, Prunes, or Figs
· Pineapple
· Avocado
· Chocolate

In addition to tyramine, foods containing the chemical phenylethylamine should also be eliminated. These foods include:
· Cheesecake
· Yellow cheeses
· Chocolate
· Citrus fruit
· Alcohol/Red Wine
· Chocolate
· Cocoa
· Berry pie filling or canned berries
· Red wine

Foods that containe histamine or cause the release of histamine should be eliminated. These include:
· Banana
· Beef, pork (can eat lamb or chicken instead, these are safe foods for most people)
· Beer
· Cheese, especially yellow ripened
· Chicken liver
· Egg Plant
· Fish, shellfish
· Processed meat, such as salami
· Sauerkraut
· Soy, tempeh, tofu, miso, tamari
· Spinach
· Strawberry
· Tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste
· Wine
· Yeast and foods containing yeast
· Pineapple
· Citrus fruit

Step 2: Eliminate food additives
Some people react to the food additives such as artificial sweeteners, flavor enhances, and food coloring found in processed and packaged fast foods. These foods include:
· Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is sometimes added as a flavor enhancer in Chinese dishes. It is also found in commercial soups, soy sauce, salad dressings, frozen dinners, soup mix, croutons, stuffing, and some chips. It is also disguised in the label as sodium caseinate, hydrolyzed proteins, or autolyzed yeast.
· Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can trigger migraines in some people.
· Food coloring, especially FD&C yellow dye #5 and red dye #40, are known to trigger migraines in some people. Check labels, as both are found in common foods such as beverages, ice cream, candy, and some cereals.
· Nitrites and nitrates are found in bacon, luncheon meats, smoked ham, and hot dogs.

Step 3: Eliminate foods that contain tannin
· Bruised fruits
· Red skinned apples and pears
· Berries, cherries
· Tea and coffee
· Alfalfa
· Barley
· Chocolate
· Nuts
· Apple Juice, Apple Cider
· Beer
· Grape Juice
· Wine
· Black and Red Beans
· Apricots, ripe bananas, unripe peaches
· Kiwi
· Persimmons, pomegranates, dates, currants, nectarines
· Eggplant
· Smoked meats
· Most herbs

Step 4: Eliminate or reduce caffeine
Although some people find that coffee helps migraines by constricting blood vessels, the blood vessels can swell beyond their original size causing an even worse rebound headache. If using a decaffeinated coffee substitute, be sure to use one that has been Swiss water processed -- the chemicals that are used in the decaffeination process can trigger headaches.

In addition to coffee, tea and sodas containing caffeine should also be avoided.

[Steve95301]

Interesting. I know from personal experience that phenylalanine (aspartame) gives me headaches (among other things).

I'm sure there's much to be researched here, but the first thing I looked up, tyramine, led me to an interesting Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyramine) article:

Metabolism

In humans, if tyramine metabolism is compromised by the use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) [Or, I assume, any other reason--Steve95301] and foods high in tyramine are ingested, a hypertensive crisis can result. The first signs of this were discovered by a neurologist who noticed his wife, who at the time was on MAOI medication, had severe headaches when eating cheese. For this reason, the crisis is still called the "cheese syndrome", even though other foods can cause the same problem.

Effects

A large dietary intake of tyramine can cause the tyramine pressor response which is defined as an increase in systolic blood pressure of 30 mmHg or more. The displacement of noradrenaline from neuronal storage vesicles by tyramine is thought to cause the vasoconstriction, and increased heart rate and blood pressure of the pressor response. The possibility that tyramine acts directly as a neurotransmitter comes from the discovery of a G protein-coupled receptor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_protein-coupled_receptor) with high affinity for tyramine called TA1. The TA1 receptor is found in the brain as well as peripheral tissues including the kidney. A receptor with high affinity for tyramine supports the hypothesis that tyramine may also act directly to affect blood pressure regulation.

A 30-mmHG spike in blood pressure is pretty big.

[Froggirl]

That is a big change. Amazing all the chemical in food that can effect us.

[Chris1982]

Some things are not worth it. If you go by that list, you will spend your whole life consuming only water.

[Froggirl]

I guess it just depends on how much rosacea or flushing or migranes effects your life.

For me my flushing is so painful that if eating nothing but rice crackers for the rest of my life would fix it it would be worth it to me!

[sarah]

hey we have very similar rosacea syptoms and i also have a very plain boring diet, Just curious do u have soya milk.? What kind of foods do you eat?Also how may ipls did you have?I had 3 and really worse off, hope hear from you soon

Sarah

[coldbliss]

If I went by that list of foods and drinks to avoid, I could make Nicole Ritchie look like a fat pig.

Not every rosacean will react to most items on that list. Most items on the food and drink list are benign to me and I am a moderate-to-severe flusher too.

[Skywolf]

Maybe a list should be posted of foods that are benificial, healthy, etc for a rosacean in addition to posting the "bad" foods. Going by that list I also have to agree, what the heck is left to eat? My applause goes out to those who can follow such a strict diet, but I need more than a bowl of air and a glass of nothing to get me through my day. :?

Just eliminating gluten seems to help me. When I'm off the gluten other foods that normally trigger me don't. But when I eat it again (holidays and parties are very bad/tempting times) the flushing and P&Ps come right back.

[coldbliss]

I think reducing glutens, sugars, and alcohol goes a long way for a rosacean.

[Mr. Red]

I agree with coldbliss -- it's an awfully broad list. Personally, I'd rather suffer with redness and flushing than abstain from all those foods & beverages. But lists of this sort can be helpful in identifying possible triggers. Don't cut all these foods from your diet just because they appear on the list -- but next time you have a banana, glass of red wine, etc., be on the lookout for a flushing response. Over time you can come up with a (hopefully shorter) list of your own trigger foods.

Fortunately red meat and bourbon aren't on my list. Living with rosacea can sometimes be a drag, but going without the occasional grilled ribeye and Knob Creek on the rocks... well, that just ain't living at all.

[Froggirl]

With all of these things it just depends how much your symptoms bother you, for me personally a restrictive diet is far less of a problem that the burning pain of flushing for hours everyday.

The idea of that diet is to follow it for a while and see what happens. It's designed for migrane suffers but it's what they call an elimination diet, so it's not meant to be followed for ever. It's similar to the rosacea diet in that you give it a go for a month to see if it makes a difference or not.

If it doesn't than you know foods not an issue and can relax. And if the diet makes a big difference than usually the idea is to see a dietican to pinpoint exactly which foods are the issue.

I've tried this (and the rosacea diet and a food intolerance diet) so know that my flushing is not triggered by what i eat. I do have food intolerances and get headaches and migranes from certain foods but luckily the main foods i have to avoid are the ones that are considered rosacea triggers anyway.

[tabbee]

I recently started a new job after a few months of being off work. Not having lots of money to eat out or even pack a really nice lunch, I settled on peanut butter sandwiches, with margarine on a multigrain bread. Every single time after lunch, my nose would flare up bright red :shock: Embarassing or what... I thought it was odd as I never had the problem before...but I had stopped eating peanut butter for a few months as well.

Changed the bread over to a no-flour sprouted wheat bread, with peanut butter ( I was sure it was the wheat in the bread..).. no change, nose still flaring. Decided that maybe it could be the pb and switched to jam.... like night and day, the flaring stopped!! No more problem.

I was diagnosed with rosacea over 15 years ago, and the worst for me has become the nose, gets red in very hot or cold weather...

Never thought something I have eaten all my life could cause such a reaction.. live and learn :?

[Bonnie]

I think that peanut butter causes problems for me too. I used to eat a tablespoon before I left the house for work. I started getting a big red spot above one of my eyebrows. It would be about the size of a dime and very red and really itch.

I never had problems eating peanut butter before so I kept thinking it was something else causing the problem. But no peanut butter, no problems. Correction, that would be less problems, haha.

[scarlett]

I can identify with each and every one of your posts-
i too get flares all over my face- sometimes the cheeks or the nose
which is embarrasing enough. I did a test at work- I ate healthy foods
for lunch but noticed a HUGE flare that not even a walk around the
block during the winter could cure. This happened exactly 1 1/2 hrs
after eating. It was so tricky that even if I went for the walk BEFORE
the flare thinking I can prevent it- as soon as I came back to work
it began all over again. I would be stuck in the B.R. trying to cover
it up with makeup which does not help. It was awful. I have not
eaten since. I eat at the end of my shift- true it's a couple of hours
later but I have not flared at work since doing this. As soon as I
enter my apt, however, even with fans blowing and I start eating
watch out. The flare comes knocking loud and clear. At least I
solved the work situation. Funny thing that I eat a high fiber cereal
in the morning and nothing happens.
scarlett

[Froggirl]

Scarlett, is it only while your at work that these foods make you flair? If not it might be worth checking that you don't have food allergies or intolerance going on too, as both can cause symptoms very much like rosacea, especially flushing.

There's so good info on here that it might be worth having a look at:

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/index.htm#buttons

[moomy]

Thanks for this info.

I have found that I have an intense reaction to any grape products... grapes, wine, mince pies, fruit cake, muslei with sultanas... it's amazing just how many products contain grapes.

even a small amount of grape products causes a bumpy facial rash.

very annoying, esp at christmas when the mulled wine and mince pies come out.

[tkaufman]

I just read about your Migraine diet. I have to wonder what you eat. No wonder my rosacea is getting worse. I eat red apples and bananas and a grape fruit every day. Or oranges. I love lemon, red wine a little chocolate, beef shell fish. Anyway my whole body is going to be red soon. :shock: Have you read about alkalizing diets. My rosacea has just come on stong. Now that I am researching this I have many of the symptoms and have had them a while. I have some work to do. Thanks for the info :D

[Michelle7]

I can also relate to all these comments. I went on a strict allergy elimination diet a couple of years ago for 4 months. Christmas hit and I gave in. Then I started all over again. After many trials, and falls off the wagon, I did gain some very valuable information for myself. Dairy and sugar are particularly bad for me no matter how little a serving I have. Wheat, eggs, bananas, citris, peanut butter, red wine, avacado, etc. are culprits but if I have a serving once every 4 or 5 days I get away with it. I find I get away with more in the summer too.

I still fall off the wagon at times but at least now I know how to manage it and I only cheat when I am going to really enjoy it. Funnily enough though...with all the health food recommendations out there I have no problem with saturated fats. Go figure. My ancestors must have been very big meat eaters!!

M

[Lauren 007]

I started getting migraines when I was 14. I'm 17 now and developed Rosacea over the past two or so months. Not all these foods will aggravate... For me, being lactose intolerant, I find that cheeses and most other dairy aggravates all my symptoms. Chocolate, however, doesn't really cause that much of a problem when used in moderation. Citrus has always bugged me, but beans and other foods on the list don't. I think it'd be more realistic to be aware of the foods on the list and test each one to see what kind of reaction you have. Usually for me, I'll start feeling hot, flushy, and will start seeing the lights associated with migraines within an hour of eating the food.

For me, though, my Rosacea and migraines seem unrelated. My Rosacea isn't treated yet, so it's a constant, while I've only had one migraine in the past two years. I did however get my first migraine in years around the time my Rosacea started getting bad. I wonder if that's just coincidence?