Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: ANCA-Associated VasculitisAmerican Heart Association: Can Processed Foods Be Part of a Healthy Diet?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune SystemsMayo Clinic: Mediterranean Diet for Heart HealthVasculitis UK: Diet and Sensible Eating for Vasculitis Patients
Canned Soups “Canned soups, chips, fast food, and restaurant meals can contain large amounts of sodium,” Johnston says. “This is especially relevant for patients with kidney disease, hypertension, or steroid-related fluid retention, where excess sodium can worsen swelling and blood pressure control.” Sodium is an essential mineral and electrolyte, but too much of it can increase these AAV complications.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bfd5a50c-5774-4998-b70e-3c480e2a3df1 The general recommendation for healthy adults is usually to consume no more than 2,300 mg per day of sodium (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt). But recommended intake varies by age, existing health conditions, and kidney function, so always check with your doctor.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293b6cb479-1973-45a3-bf14-81816cdd0cc6e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e2c041eb-9274-4ee0-a063-150b91badb9b Consider that one can of beef and vegetable soup, for instance, contains more than 1,500 mg of sodium, a large chunk of that daily recommendation for healthy adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298d171ea6-4cb1-4a02-a19d-34dab0059ceb
The Takeaway Although dietary changes alone cannot treat or cure ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), avoiding foods high in sodium and unhealthy fats can help you avoid complications from the condition and its treatment. If you are taking immunosuppressant medication, certain raw or unpasteurized foods may increase your risk of foodborne illness or infection. Consider limiting or avoiding alcohol, which can interfere with certain medications used to treat AAV. Talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian about the dietary plan that may work best for you.
Microwave Dinners Frozen meals, chips, candy, convenience foods, and pastries are highly processed or ultra-processed foods , Johnston says. This means that many of their ingredients are heavily altered from their natural state to improve flavor, texture, or shelf life. “Foods that are heavily processed tend to be high in sodium, preservatives, phosphorus additives, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats,” she says. “Regular consumption may contribute to inflammation, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease risk, which is already elevated in many patients with chronic inflammatory conditions.” AAV can involve the blood vessels in the kidneys, and eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods may increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease by nearly 25 percent.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291ec59f14-8c81-4be5-9f71-b32091144832e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762973152b5b-0c08-41a1-b68f-e1607d8fbb4c
Raw Eggs If you are taking an immunosuppressant for AAV, it’s wise to avoid raw or undercooked foods that are more likely to contain harmful bacteria or other foodborne pathogens that cooking otherwise destroys.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291d0f7895-3fa6-49c1-ad53-c2eaded94833 “Patients on rituximab (Rituxan), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), or high-dose steroids like prednisone are at increased risk for foodborne infections from organisms like listeria, salmonella, and campylobacter,” Johnston says. “This necessitates avoiding certain foods.” These foods include unpasteurized milk and juices, raw or undercooked meats, raw sprouts, raw shellfish, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, and even Caesar dressing, which can contain raw eggs.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fbf564ab-6d12-4cf3-b7ee-5bcecde4187c
White Bread White bread is made with refined flour, a simple carbohydrate that your body breaks down quickly. This can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293cbc1487-6179-458f-9211-3b95a1a40f81 If you take corticosteroids for AAV, which is a common treatment , it also can raise blood sugar levels, increasing your risk of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and type 2 diabetes.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290729f75a-7b1c-4398-b549-ffdc79bee2ba “Given that some of these patients need to take corticosteroids, I would encourage them to limit foods that are considered simple carbohydrates,” Bragagnini says. “These include items like white bread, white rice, cookies, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages.” Instead, she recommends choosing foods with complex carbohydrates , or those that digest more slowly, such as whole-grain bread, quinoa, farro, barley, legumes, and brown rice. “This will help with the management of blood sugar levels,” she says.
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA)–associated vasculitis , or AAV, is a chronic condition that can require different types of treatment . Ensuring you are eating correctly is part of the puzzle in maintaining the condition. “Diet alone cannot treat or cure ANCA-associated vasculitis, but it can play an important supportive role in helping patients manage the condition and some of the complications that come with both the disease and its treatment,” says Lily Johnston, MD, MPH , a vascular surgeon at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California. “Nutrition can be part of the overall strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk, support kidney function, maintain bone health, and help patients tolerate long-term therapies.” Working with a registered dietitian can help you determine which foods and drinks give you the nutrients you need and which you should avoid. “While recommendations should always be personalized based on your health parameters and lab values, there are some common foods that are often best limited or avoided because they are high in sodium, phosphate or potassium additives, and unhealthy fats,” Dr. Johnston says. default
Alcoholic Beverages “Alcohol can interfere with certain medications, worsen dehydration, irritate the gastrointestinal tract, worsen sleep quality, and place additional strain on the liver,” Johnston says. “The American College of Rheumatology recommends limiting alcohol to two or less servings per day for patients on glucocorticoids.”e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629894aa7e8-f864-46a7-ba74-8240a47d8304 Using alcohol while taking methotrexate, a medication used to treat AAV, also can increase your risk of liver damage.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299af995d7-6ea0-4cc0-8170-09bcfe5bfd8be60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295810a68c-bb32-48e4-8bfc-c3fdeedd82e7
Whole Milk Full-fat dairy products such as whole milk are high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase inflammation and raise the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol , often referred to as “bad” cholesterol.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762955f6fccd-e5d9-4051-8a8e-8dc8eb9f1339 High LDL cholesterol levels also can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629769202ff-7400-4645-b265-fc6c9c280984 To help you maintain your AAV, limit foods high in saturated fat in favor of those with unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and nuts, as well as fruits and vegetables, says Amy Bragagnini, RD , a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298bd789ad-c5e1-446e-b176-fd748ae56f75 Talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian about the choices that might work best for you. “I generally recommend that my patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis consume a balanced and heart-healthy diet,” Bragagnini says. “I generally have them move more towards a Mediterranean style of eating .”
Hot Dogs Hot dogs are also processed foods. Like other processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and jerky, they often are salted, cured, fermented, or smoked for flavor or to preserve them.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291b72b3a1-7727-41b2-a909-14737fe9163e As a result, they are often high in sodium and saturated fats, which can increase your risk of heart issues.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629581518c4-730b-4c36-bef7-08d548afd158e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762930741bcb-1271-4cdd-b97a-6cf6dc2b425f “For patients taking steroids or those with high blood pressure, kidney involvement, or cardiovascular disease risk factors, limiting these foods is particularly important,” says Johnston, adding that these foods can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, or high blood pressure .
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