Two types of chemicals in foods are believed to trigger urticaria in some people:
- Vasoactive amines: Foods that contain vasoactive amines, or cause histamine release, including shellfish, strawberries, tomatoes, fish, chocolate, pineapple, etc.
- Salicylates: Salicylates are naturally occurring aspirin-like compounds that are found in a wide variety of foods of plant origin. Foods that contain salicylates include tomatoes, spices, orange juice, raspberries, tea, etc.
Avoidance or reducing the intake of these foods can help reduce the outbreaks of urticaria.
Some of the additional measures include:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat a generally healthy diet, including vegetables every day, brown rice, millet, oily fish and a little fruit should also be part of the meal (avoid oranges).
- Consuming a diet rich in vitamin A helps in regeneration of the skin. These include fish liver oils, egg, milk and milk products, yellow or orange-colored fruits (avoid oranges) and vegetables and green leafy vegetables.
- Increase intake of vitamin C as it helps maintain healthy skin. Have more of fresh citrus fruits and green vegetables.
- Have coriander leaves frequently as they are high in vitamin C and help to maintain healthy skin.
- Basil leaves (tulsi) are said to be helpful in skin ailments. Eat 3-4 fresh leaves daily.
