How could diet affect rosacea?

    Written by:
    Katie Jantz

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Marina Shkayeva, Tyler Long
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Although well-designed trials on diet's effect on rosacea are lacking, certain foods like spicy items, marinated meats, and specific fruits and vegetables are commonly reported triggers for flare-ups. Additionally, a study suggests that adherence to a Mediterranean diet may reduce the incidence of rosacea in people with normal weights

    Well-designed trials assessing the impacts of diet on rosacea are lacking. However, certain foods are frequently reported to trigger flares of rosacea symptoms. Common trigger foods include spicy foods, marinated meats, certain fruits and vegetables (e.g., avocado, banana, tomatoes, citrus fruits), and cheese. Some researchers propose these effects may be due to certain compounds in these foods, such as histamine, capsaicin, and cinnamaldehyde.[1][2][3]

    A prospective cohort study in China found that higher adherence to dietary patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet (in this study, higher intake of plants, fish, and monounsaturated fats, and lower intake of animal products and saturated fats) was associated with a reduced incidence of rosacea in non-overweight people (BMI <24.5 kg/m2).[4] Otherwise, the potentially protective effect of diet on rosacea is largely unexplored.