Rosacea is a complicated condition, with all sorts of triggers and treatments, but what’s the deal with bananas?! We look at the pros and cons of bananas when you’ve got rosacea.
If you’re living with rosacea, you’ll already know that there are many different things that can cause flare-ups, and that food and ingredients are a significant factor for many people. Common and well-known triggers include spicy foods, alcohol, citrus, tomatoes, to name but a few.
Working out exactly which foods trigger your rosacea and avoiding them as much as possible is key to an effective rosacea management strategy, but do remember that everyone’s rosacea is different! What may cause a huge flare in one person may just be a mild and temporary discomfort in others, so you will need to make your own risk assessments for any problematic food or drink. It can help to keep a trigger diary for a few weeks, noting down everything you eat and every symptom you show.
Of course, rosacea isn’t just about dietary triggers; it’s a condition that is affected by all sorts of things, from wind chill to anxiety; to manage these triggers takes a more holistic approach than simply avoiding problematic food. It’s much more about building resilience, providing your body with the things it needs to resist triggers, so that flares become less frequent and less severe.
A good diet is an important part of this approach. There are certain nutrients that can support the healthy functioning of the body, and in turn the skin, which can lower inflammatory reactions and build strength, so that when flares happen the body is better equipped to deal with them.
Food recommended for a rosacea-friendly diet include some nuts, seeds and berries, leafy greens, whole grains, pulses, some fruit and vegetables, and omega-rich fish.
So where do bananas fit into this regime? They’re usually seen as highly nutritious fruits, packed full of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, manganese, vitamins C and B6, dietary fibre and energy! But perhaps surprisingly, the National Rosacea Society includes bananas on their list of Factors That May Trigger Rosacea Flare-Ups.
Why are they counted as off-limits? That’s because they are thought to belong to a group of foods that trigger the release of histamine, an inflammatory chemical that could aggravate or trigger a rosacea flare. Other histamine-release culprits include citrus fruits, tomatoes, and some nuts and beans.
But do remember that people have different sensitivity to histamine, so while a single banana might provoke a flare-up in one rosacea-sufferer, a whole bowlful might have no effect at all on another. So the answer to the question posed by the blog’s title is: it’s complicated! They may be good for the body in several important ways, but their positive attributes could be wiped out by their potential to trigger a rosacea flare.
In the end, it’s your body and your risk assessment to make. It’s certainly worth testing out your tolerance to bananas with a careful trigger diary before totally giving up on a fruit that is otherwise a healthy treat.
For more information about rosacea and how to manage it, see our blogs on Rosacea Awareness, and What Foods Trigger Rosacea?
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