What is lichen planus? It is a rare disease of an inflammatory nature that can have different causes. In general, it is considered an autoimmune pathology, caused by a reaction of the organism itself, although it is believed that allergies to some drugs or chemical elements could also trigger it.
Lichen planus manifests itself in the form of violet or whitish spots that can appear in different areas of the skin and also in the mucous membranes, in the tissues of the mouth and vaginal area. Inflammation can be accompanied by irritation or itching and in the most severe cases it can be painful.
To naturally cure lichen planus, a proper diet is necessary, which can help avoid the discomfort caused by this disease. If you want to know what are the forbidden foods for lichen planus, in. we detail the most complete list so you can avoid them.
Spicy foods
What is good for lichen planus is to avoid foods seasoned with pepper, chili peppers, chilies. In general, hot peppers can significantly worsen the condition of papules (even sores) if oral lichen planus is suffered, increasing irritation or painful sensation in the mouth.
Also, mustard or hot sauces, such as wasabi, mojo icon, or any other that includes a good number of garlic, or spicy radishes, should be avoided. The intake of spicy could not only affect the mouth, since, when absorbed by the body, its effects could be noticed in any other area with manifestations of lichen planus.
Therefore, in addition to this list of the 10 prohibited foods for lichen planus, we provide you with this other article so that you know how to remove the spicy from the food while still enjoying the food.
Nuts
In some people, healthy nuts cause allergic reactions that could aggravate the inflammation caused by lichen planus in certain areas, or even cause new spots or inflamed areas to appear, increasing the extent of the affected areas and making it difficult to treat lichen planus.
In addition, the texture of nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, is hard and can be difficult to chew for a person with oral lichen planus.
Tea and coffee
In this list of forbidden foods for lichen planus, tea and coffee could not be missing, since they contain theine and caffeine respectively. Both substances have exciting natural properties, a quality that can favor an even greater development of the inflammatory rash involved in lichen planus.
Very cured cheeses
Very cured cheeses are other foods to avoid if you have lichen planus. Its texture and strong flavor is often enhanced by the inclusion of spices such as paprika in the recipe. Therefore, it is preferable to opt for other softer dairy products such as cottage cheese, yogurts or fresh cheese.
Very hot foods
People who have lichen on the skin and especially in the mouth, should be especially careful with soups, especially when a punctual and especially aggressive episode of the disease is triggered, since they would favor, even more, inflammation and irritation.
That is, the forbidden foods for lichen planus are all those spoon dishes in general or with thick sauces that are very hot. But if you do not want to give up eating soups or purees with vegetables, we leave you the following recipes of cold dishes that can come in handy:
- How to make salmeterol
- How to make beetroot gazpacho
- How to make avocado salmeterol
- Chocolate
Chocolate, in all its varieties, including soluble cocoa, is also a forbidden food for lichen planus. Not only because, like coffee, it contains exciting substances; but because, in addition, it can suppose an extra contribution of fats and sugars, nutrients that, although the investigations continue, it is considered that in excess they can worsen the symptoms of this disease.
Citrus
Oranges, lemons, grapefruits… the degree of acidity of this type of fruit is high and, therefore, contribute to increase the irritation suffered by the mucous membranes affected by lichen planus. Fruit cannot be missing in a balanced diet but, in case of suffering from the disease, it is preferable to opt for others.
A good alternative is red fruits that, like citrus fruits, provide a good amount of vitamin C without promoting irritation or inflammation of the tissues. Check our post What are the red fruits to know exactly what fruits you can eat with lichen planus.
Alcoholic or carbonated beverages
Another of the foods to avoid for lichen planus are any type of alcoholic and/ or sparkling drinks. These are equally unfavorable in a diet designed to help relieve the discomfort caused by this disease, whether you have lichen on the skin or in your mouth. Both types of drinks are irritating to the stomach and to any mucous membrane that comes into contact with them.
Processed or pre-cooked foods
It should be borne in mind that, in many cases, it is difficult to determine which substances trigger or aggravate this exaggerated autoimmune response of the organism, which causes spots and other symptoms of lichen planus to arise.
However, within the list of prohibited foods for lichen planus, it was necessary to include processed or precooked foods, since in this type of meals the use of dyes, preservatives or food weights that could cause or increase the adverse effects of the disease is frequent. Here is a list of processed foods that are bad for health that you should avoid.
Raw hard textured vegetables
For the treatment of lichen planus, it is necessary that the person suffering from the disease can (and should) take enough vegetables that a balanced diet requires. However, it is preferable to ingest boiled or steamed vegetables.
On the other hand, special care must be taken with vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes or eggplants; at the time of eating them, they must have an optimal cooking to be healthy and not increase the inflammatory process. To do this, in this article we teach you how to cook steamed vegetables.
