Alfalfa seeds may worsen an autoimmune disorder called lupus, a new study suggests. Amy Christine Brown, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, reports that certain foods and nutrients may improve lupus, while others - including those troublesome alfalfa sprouts - may exacerbate the disease. "Patients with [lupus] may benefit from a balanced diet limited in calories and fat (especially saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), containing rich sources of vitamin E, vitamin A (beta carotene), selenium and calcium," she writes in a review article in the October 2000 issue of the Journal of Renal Nutrition. Affecting what the Lupus Foundation of America estimates is 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans, lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. Future studies may look at the use of bromelain, a complex of enzymes found in pineapples, to more clearly define any potential anti-inflammatory effect. Source:HealthScout.com
