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.
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.”
Hot Dogs
“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.
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.”
Whole Milk
“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.”
White Bread
“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.
Raw Eggs
“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.”
Alcoholic Beverages
Beth Biggee, MD
Medical Reviewer
Beth Biggee, MD, is owner and practitioner of Lifestyle and Integrative Rheumatology, a holistic direct specialty care practice in North Andover, Massachusetts. She offers whole-pe...
Roxanne Nelson, RN
Author
Roxanne Nelson is a registered nurse (RN) and a medical and health writer. Her work has been published by a range of outlets for both healthcare professionals and the general publi...