
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness and flushing, particularly on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It can be triggered by various factors, including certain foods, drinks, activities, temperatures, and even emotions. While the specific triggers vary from person to person, some common dietary triggers include alcohol, spicy food, hot beverages, and histamine-rich foods. This leads us to the question: is cheese bad for rosacea?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese bad for rosacea | Yes, especially aged cheese |
| Reason | Contains histamines, which cause dilation of blood vessels and lead to outbreaks |
| Other foods to avoid | Spicy food, tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolate, hot drinks, wine, processed meats, liver, yogurt, cream, eggplant, spinach, lime, white beans, peas, avocados, bananas, plums, raisins, figs, vanilla, soy sauce, vinegar, yeast products, poultry, tuna, peanuts, crustaceans, tea, fatty foods |
| Foods that may help | Omega-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, kefir |
| Other triggers | Sun exposure, extreme temperatures, alcohol, hot beverages, emotions |
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What You'll Learn
- Dairy products, including cheese, can cause rosacea flare-ups
- Histamine-rich foods, like aged cheese, can trigger rosacea
- Alcohol, hot drinks and spicy foods can cause facial flushing
- Cinnamaldehyde-containing foods, including tomatoes, can cause rosacea
- Fatty foods, including cheese, may be linked to rosacea

Dairy products, including cheese, can cause rosacea flare-ups
A variety of foods have been identified as potential triggers for rosacea flare-ups, and these can vary from person to person. Dairy products, including cheese, milk, butter, and yoghurt, are among the foods that have been linked to rosacea outbreaks in some individuals. Histamine, a naturally occurring chemical found in some dairy products, can cause the dilation of red blood vessels, leading to rosacea flare-ups.
Aged cheese, in particular, is considered a histamine-rich food that may act as a trigger for rosacea. Other histamine-rich foods include wine, processed meats, sauerkraut, and some legumes. Additionally, chocolate, which often contains dairy, can be a trigger for rosacea due to its histamine-releasing properties.
If you suspect that dairy products are triggering your rosacea flare-ups, it is recommended to try eliminating them from your diet for a few weeks or reducing your consumption. You can also try cutting down on specific dairy items one at a time to identify any particular dairy triggers. Keeping a food diary or journal can be helpful in tracking your triggers and managing your symptoms effectively.
While dietary changes are important, it is worth noting that other factors, such as sun exposure, extreme temperatures, and emotional triggers, can also influence rosacea flare-ups. Therefore, a comprehensive approach that considers various triggers, in addition to dietary modifications, is essential for managing rosacea effectively.
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Histamine-rich foods, like aged cheese, can trigger rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness and flushing on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It can also cause acne-like bumps and pimples, as well as skin sensitivity and tenderness. While the condition is incurable, it can be managed through lifestyle changes and dermatological treatments.
Food is known to play a role in triggering rosacea flare-ups. Dairy products, including cheese, have been identified as a common trigger. Histamine, a naturally occurring chemical, is believed to be a key factor in this regard. When ingested, histamine can cause the dilation of red blood vessels, leading to an outbreak.
Aged cheese, in particular, is considered a histamine-rich food. It contains higher levels of histamine compared to other types of cheese. This is due to the ageing process, during which bacteria break down the proteins in the cheese, releasing histamine as a byproduct. When consumed, the histamine in aged cheese can trigger a rosacea flare-up, resulting in redness, inflammation, and skin sensitivity.
It is important to note that the impact of histamine-rich foods like aged cheese may vary from person to person. While some individuals with rosacea may find that eliminating aged cheese improves their symptoms, others may still experience flare-ups despite avoiding it. This variability underscores the need for a personalised approach to managing rosacea.
To identify specific food triggers, individuals with rosacea are advised to maintain a food diary or journal. By systematically eliminating suspected trigger foods and monitoring their symptoms, they can establish their unique dietary triggers. In addition to aged cheese, other histamine-rich foods to look out for include wine, processed meats, tomatoes, citrus fruits, legumes, chocolate, and nuts.
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Alcohol, hot drinks and spicy foods can cause facial flushing
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that mainly affects the face, causing redness and flushing. It can be triggered by certain foods and drinks, activities, temperatures, or even emotions.
Alcohol is a common trigger for rosacea flare-ups. It causes dilation of the blood vessels, making it more likely for those with rosacea to experience facial redness. Red wine and hard liquor are the main culprits, but any alcohol can cause flare-ups. Alcohol can also worsen flushing and trigger facial redness in susceptible individuals.
Hot drinks, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or any heated beverage, can also trigger rosacea. The trigger is likely related to the temperature of the drink rather than its ingredients. Drinking hot beverages too quickly or even at all can cause the blood vessels in the face to dilate, leading to a rosacea flare-up.
Spicy foods are another common trigger for rosacea. Spices create a type of heat that can cause the skin to heat up and bring on rosacea symptoms. The compound cinnamaldehyde, found in spices like cinnamon, tomatoes, chocolate, and citrus fruits, can cause a warming sensation that leads to flushing. Additionally, some people with rosacea experience outbreaks after consuming dairy products, including cheese.
It is important to note that triggers can vary from person to person, and a personalized approach is necessary to identify specific dietary triggers. Keeping a rosacea diary can be helpful in tracking foods, drinks, and other factors that may affect the condition.
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Cinnamaldehyde-containing foods, including tomatoes, can cause rosacea
Rosacea is a skin disease that causes inflammation and red patches on the cheeks, nose, and sometimes the chin and forehead. Certain foods and beverages are known to trigger rosacea flare-ups. These triggers can be categorised as heat-related, alcohol-related, capsaicin-related, and cinnamaldehyde-related. Cinnamaldehyde is an organic compound that gives cinnamon its flavour and causes a warming sensation that leads to flushing, which is associated with rosacea.
Cinnamaldehyde-containing foods include tomatoes, citrus fruits, cinnamon, and chocolate. In a survey, 30% of respondents reported tomatoes as a trigger, 23% reported chocolate, and 22% reported citrus fruits. These foods can worsen rosacea due to vasodilation (blood vessel dilation), which increases skin redness and inflammation.
Tomatoes, as a cinnamaldehyde-containing food, can therefore be a trigger for rosacea flare-ups. However, it is important to note that triggers can vary from person to person. While some individuals may experience flare-ups from consuming tomatoes, others may not. To identify specific triggers, it is recommended to keep a food diary and note any personal triggers.
In addition to cinnamaldehyde-containing foods, other dietary triggers for rosacea include alcohol, spicy foods, hot beverages, and histamine-rich foods such as aged cheese, wine, and processed meats. These foods can increase the risk of rosacea flare-ups and worsen symptoms. It is suggested that individuals with rosacea make lifestyle changes and seek dermatological treatment to manage their condition effectively.
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Fatty foods, including cheese, may be linked to rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that mainly affects the face, causing redness and flushing over the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It can also cause acne-like bumps and skin sensitivity or tenderness. The condition is manageable through lifestyle changes and dermatological treatments.
There are several dietary triggers that can cause rosacea flare-ups. These include alcohol, hot drinks, spicy food, chocolate, and dairy products. Dairy products, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, and milk, are known to be problematic for some people with rosacea.
A study by Dr. Vivian Shi, an associate professor of dermatology, found that cold beverages and formaldehyde-containing foods—along with hot drinks, chocolate, spicy food, and alcohol—can exacerbate rosacea. Formaldehyde occurs naturally in small amounts in many fruits and vegetables, such as papayas, oranges, and bananas, as well as in fish, meat, poultry, and milk.
Additionally, there is initial evidence that fatty foods might trigger rosacea. Fatty foods, including cheese, are high in histamines, which can act as triggers for rosacea. Histamine intolerance can cause vascular hyper-permeability, tissue swelling, increased blood flow, and endothelial barrier dysfunction, leading to rosacea flare-ups.
It is important to note that triggers can vary from person to person, and a personalized approach is necessary to identify specific dietary triggers. Keeping a rosacea diary can be helpful in identifying triggers and managing symptoms effectively.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, cheese, especially aged cheese, is bad for rosacea due to its high histamine content. Histamine can cause the dilation of blood vessels, leading to redness and rosacea flare-ups.
Common dietary triggers for rosacea include alcohol, spicy food, tomatoes, citrus fruits, chocolate, hot drinks, and processed meats.
Keeping a food journal can help identify specific dietary triggers. Eliminating or limiting these foods from your diet may help clear your skin and manage rosacea flare-ups. Additionally, seeking advice from a dermatologist can provide personalized treatment options, such as laser therapies, topical creams, and antibiotics.

























