Rosacea Triggers
Food and Drink: Tips for Monitoring Your Diet

Numerous foods and beverages can cause a flare-up. The key to avoiding these flare-ups is to know which foods and beverages, if any, are triggers for you. Some of the most common triggers according to a survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society are alcohol (52%), spicy foods (45%), and heated beverages (36%). Here are some tips to help you control diet flare-ups:

• Keep a trigger journal. If you eat or drink something that causes a flare-up, record the experience in your journal, so you know what to avoid.
   

• At social events, avoid known triggers and do not experiment.
   

• Stick to non-alcoholic beverages if alcohol triggers a flare-up. If you would like a drink now and again, keep in mind that beer and wine are more likely to cause redness. Red wine tops the list of alcoholic drinks most likely to trigger the flushing and redness of rosacea. The drink least likely to trigger rosacea is a jigger of gin, vodka, or whiskey added to 6 ounces of very cold water. Mixing the alcohol with soda or juice instead of water increases the likelihood of a rosacea flare-up.
   

• Proceed with caution around spices. Cayenne and red pepper trigger flare-ups in many people with rosacea. Curry, chili powder, black pepper, white pepper, and salsa have also been known to cause a flare-up.
   

• Heated beverages pose a risk. Hot chocolate, cider, coffee, tea, and other thermally warm beverages can trigger a flare-up.
   

• Liver, vinegar, soy sauce, dairy products, as well as certain fruits and vegetables are triggers for some.
   

• At the grocery store, read labels before you purchase.
   

All content solely developed by the American Academy of Dermatology