Navigating Tick-Borne Conditions by Food Avoidance

Ah, spring is finally here! Blooming flowers, rising temps, and lingering daylight make it a favorite time of the year. While we’re coming out of hibernation, especially if we live in chillier climates, so, too, is nature. Birds, bees, frogs—and ticks. These tiny parasites can be concerning, particularly if you spend time in woodsy and grassy areas, where risks of getting bitten are heightened. Tick bites can result in Lyme Disease and Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), a potentially serious food allergy.

Lyme disease is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the U.S. Currently, 1.5 million people have Lyme, with 300,000 newly diagnosed each year. The incidence of AGS is also on the rise, increasing from 24 cases in the U.S. in 2009, to 5,000 in 2020.

While treatment for both conditions is multi-dimensional, experts agree: dietary changes can help make a powerful difference. Although diet cannot cure or prevent either condition, research shows good nutrition is essential for recovery—namely in easing symptoms, complementing treatment protocols, accelerating healing, and improving wellbeing overall.

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Tick type matters

If you’ve ever hiked in the woods or walked your pet in the park, you know how ticks work. They latch onto hard-to-see areas of your skin (e.g., groin, armpits, and scalp) and do their damage by feasting on your blood if you don’t catch and remove them in time. Unfortunately, most tick bites come from smaller, less mature, and hard-to-see “nymph” ticks, which are easy to miss. And if they’re deer ticks, depending on which kind, their bites can lead to Lyme Disease or AGS.

Lyme disease comes from black-legged ticks that are found across the U.S. and transmit “Borrelia” bacteria that is shown to wreak havoc on the body. Symptoms can range from suppressed immune function, to increased inflammation, joint pain and degeneration, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and depression. While it can be cured with a short course of antibiotics, these symptoms can linger for many months.

AGS, on the other hand, comes from the Lone Star tick found predominantly in the southeast, along with the majority of AGS cases. While not everybody who gets bitten will come down with this syndrome, those who do will typically feel its effects three to six hours after exposure. This comes in the form of an allergy to red meat and other mammal products. Symptoms range from hives, swelling, stomach upset, headaches, and sneezing to anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening response that can result in difficulty breathing, vomiting, fainting, and worse. In fact, AGS has been identified as the leading cause of anaphylaxis in a southeastern patient registry.

Eating for impact

If you’ve experienced or are experiencing either Lyme disease or AGS, you know that it can have a serious impact on your lifestyle. The good news is there’s a way to minimize this impact by adopting certain condition-specific eating habits.

Since Lyme increases inflammation in the body, nutrition experts recommend a diet reducing inflammation, made up of the following foods:

Quality proteins. Grassfed, organic beef and poultry, and wild-caught seafood not only contain the full spectrum of vitamins and amino acids required for healthy physiological function, but support the glutathione system, well-known for its role in detoxification and managing the immune response to Lyme-causing bacteria. (Note: While a vegan diet is not ideal for people with Lyme, it’s critical for people with AGS.)
Non-starchy vegetables. Foods like asparagus and leafy greens, for example, have fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help decrease inflammation and support gut health. Add cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower for more glutathione production. Have at least three to four servings a day.
Starchy vegetables and fruit. Enjoy these foods in moderation since they can be high in sugar. Dark berries are best.
Healthy fats. Eat raw nuts and seeds, olive, coconut and avocado oils, and oily fishes like salmon and mackerel to help strengthen immunity.
Supplements. While you can find a lot of good stuff in food, additional supplements provide an insurance of reaching recommended amounts of vitamins A, B6, B12, D, DHA, and K2, and minerals like selenium and magnesium. These can all be powerful supporting a healthy immunity. If you’re not sure how to use them to complement your diet, reach out to a dietitian for guidance.
Fermented carbohydrates. To reduce the bacteria in the gut, try fermented sweet potatoes, artichokes, and onions. Buy at the store or ferment them yourself.
Antimicrobial herbs and spices. Cinnamon, oregano, and garlic have all been shown to inhibit the production of the bacteria that causes disease.
Meet with a medical health professional and registered dietitian nutritionist to set up your goals for success.

For AGS, the prescription here is clear: Stay away from red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb; organ meats; and products made from mammals like gelatins or dairy products. To do so effectively, you’ll need to be vigilant about reading labels on store-bought foods, asking about food ingredients at restaurants and social occasions, and keeping an epi-pen at the ready in case of emergency.

Getting bitten by a tick doesn’t have to require you to avoid the outdoors. Taking preventive measures (e.g., cover up in wooded or grassy areas, wear shoes, use insect repellents, check yourself for ticks, shower as soon as you come indoors, etc.), and knowing what to eat for optimal wellness, can help offer comfort and freedom. Always check yourself thoroughly after every outing and make spring the wonderful experience it’s meant to be.

updated April 2023

Additional Resources

CDC: Lyme Disease Transmission
Mayo Clinic: Alpha-gal syndrome
U.S. Dept of HHS: Alpha-Gal Syndrome Subcommittee Report to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
CDC: Lyme Disease Frequently Asked Questions
Lyme Disease Association Website
Help Clients Recover from Lyme Disease with Diet and Nutrition