Lupus.
People with this condition need to be treated by a doctor or an alternative medical therapist. The suggestions
given here could be discussed with your health professional.
Lupus is a condition which affects the immune system. Many people have a genetic weakness which predisposes them to
getting the disease, but there is usually an outside trigger of an environmental or emotional nature which causes the
immune system to become weakened dramatically, which, in turn, leads to the onset of the disease. With lupus,
the immune system literally goes hay-wire: instead of doing its job of attacking outside invaders, the immune system
begins to also attack the cells within the body.
One in every 2,000 women in the USA are thought to have lupus, either the more common systemic lupus erythematosus,
or discoid lupus erythematosus, which causes skin problems.
The most common conventional treatment is with corticosteroid drugs. Prednisone, an anti-inflammatory drug,
is commonly prescribed for lupus. Unfortunately, this drug has side effects: bone loss with eventual osteoporosis are
just two conditions which are likely to occur with continued use of prednisone.
Aspirin, another anti-inflammatory drug, is sometimes successful in treating people who have only mild symptoms of the
disease. This is less harmful than corticosteroid drugs in some respects, however, its blood-thinning capacity
can cause problems too.
The taking of anti-inflammatory drugs can cause vitamin and mineral imbalances. Over time this can affect cholesterol
levels, cause heart irregularities, which includes stroke and heart attack, give rise to hormonal imbalances,and cause
stomach,liver and kidney problems.
However, Vitamin and mineral treatment, and a diet which eliminates problematic foods, has been shown to be effective
in preventing a worsening of the disease, and in many cases, in restoring the body to a healthy condition again.
Nutritive therapy has been shown to be helpful, both for people who opt for a holistic, natural approach, as well as
for those who decide on an orthodox treatment for a lupus condition.
The essential aspects of treating lupus are through nutritional, environmental, and emotional means.
The key points are:
1 )Maintaining a nutritive diet.
2) Avoiding all dairy products, wheat, rye, and reducing sugar intake is recommended, however, some health practitioners
include dairy products in the lupus diet.
3) Avoiding all foods with additives such as chemical preservatives, colorings and flavorings.
4) Eating plenty of vegetable roughage to keep the elimination process working optimally. Roughage also helps to
regulate cholesterol in the body, which is especially important for lupus sufferers, as they tend to have a higher
incidence of heart disease than people without the condition. Roughage, roughage, and more roughage.
5) Keeping the home and work environment free of chemicals. The avoidance of insecticides, herbicides, petro-chemicals, brake fluid, paints and glues which contain formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals, is imperative in preventing a worsening of the
condition.
It is also important that no dodgy cosmetics, face creams,hair dyes,nail polish etc, are used on the body.
6) Choosing home and work environments which do not expose you to excess amounts of radiation such as that which is
emitted from high tension power lines, electricity transformers, and cell phone towers. Cell phone use should also be
minimised.
7) Getting enough sleep; Keeping the mind and body free of stress and anxiety; Maintaining a positive attitude.
The Benefits of Fish and Fish Oil for Lupus Sufferers:
Fish, and fish oil, is helpful in treating auto-immune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,Raynaud’s disease,
psoriasis, and scleroderma.
Oily fish, and fish oil supplements, have been shown to be highly effective in reducing lupus-related inflammation
within the body.
Fish oil was found to benefit some people who were also taking aspirin supplements to suppress lupus-related
inflammation. However, it might be worth a try to do without the aspirin whilst you pull out hammer and tongs to
strengthen the immune system naturally with a diet rich in fish.
Eating some oily fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, and sardines every day is recommended for people with lupus.
VITAMINS and MINERALS for LUPUS
The anti-oxidants Vitamins C, E, and Selenium are important for lupus sufferers.Talk to your medical adviser about
these supplements.
Vitamins C and E, whilst helping the body to rid itself of toxins, are helpful in reducing inflammation. These two
vitamins also help prevent heart disease, which is an important consideration for the lupus sufferer.
Vitamin C:
At least 1,000 mg daily of calcium ascorbate, or Ester C, are recommended.Up to 4,000 mg of Vitamin C can be taken in
divided doses throughout the day. 1000 mg daily is a reasonable, moderately high dose for most people.
This could be taken in two separate doses of 500 mg. Vitamin C is not retained in the body, so it is a safe one to
take in larger amounts.
Vitamin A, or Beta-carotene:
25,000 international units daily of Vitamin A can be helpful in treating lupus.Much of this amount can be gotten from
your foods:
Eating plenty of Vitamin A rich foods like carrots, pumpkin, apricots, mangoes, in fact, any orange or yellow-
colored fruit or vegetable, supplies you with Vitamin A. A daily glass of carrot juice, obtained from organically grown
carrots, will provide you with ample Vitamin A.
Vitamin E:
NOTE: Do not take ANY Vitamin E if you are taking blood thinning drugs such as aspirin, or any other anti-coagulant.
It is dangerous to combine Vitamin E with anti-coagulants.
Up to 1,000 international units of Vitamin E can be taken daily if you are not on any medications already, however,
600 international units daily is a more reasonable, moderate dose. Ask your doctor if you should increase your Vitamin
E intake.
Vitamin D
400 international units of Vitamin D daily can be helpful for lupus sufferers. Extra Vitamin D will help your
assimilation of calcium, which is an important consideration for the maintenance of bone density.
Egg yolks, milk,butter and fatty fish such as salmon, are the best sources of Vitamin D.
Calcium
Lupus sufferers need to keep high levels of calcium and Vitamin D in their diets in order to prevent bone loss.
1,000 mg of Calcium is recommended for lupus sufferers. This can easily be gained from stirring a half teaspoon of
dolomite powder into your carrot juice, or adding it to some other nutritious drink, or sprinkling it over your
cooked vegetables.
Zinc.
15 milligrams daily is recommended. Much of this can be gotten from onions and garlic. A zinc tonic can be made by
stewing the outer skins of two onions in two cups of water for an hour. Take off the stove and leave overnight before
straining off the liquid and putting it in the fridge. Take two teaspoonsful before food once or twice a day.
Selenium
Take care with selenium.
Up to 50 micrograms of selenium, taken daily, is considered therapeutic for the lupus sufferer. If you think you might
consider taking a selenium supplement, then ask your naturopath or doctor for advice. Selenium is great for putting
oxygen into the blood, and it is vital for our health. However, since we need such minute amounts of it, one can
easily over-do selenium.
