Which Food is Good for Lipoma?

Lipomas are benign lumps of fatty tissue that are usually painless and soft in consistency. The most common site for lipoma formation includes the forehead, arms, neck, back, shoulder, thighs, buttocks, and legs. These are fatty lumps of unknown etiology (cause); however, it is believed lipomas are inherited (passed down through generations). These are painless lumps present between your skin and the muscle layer, rarely need any treatment, and go unnoticed most of the time. Unless the lipoma is painful, infected, growing in size or unaesthetic, affecting your appearance.

Removal of lipomas usually involves surgical excision since the recurrence rate is minimized in this treatment method; however, other treatments include steroid injections and liposuction. Recovery after lipoma removal takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the size, location, and content of the lipoma and any pre-existing medical conditions. 

Diet plays an important role in limiting lipoma or sometimes helps reduce the size. Certain foods, when consumed or applied topically over a period of time, can either help in preventing them or help to curb the further growth.

Let us explore what foods are good for lipoma and how they help prevent their formation.

What Foods are Good for Lipoma?

A healthy and nutritious diet helps to cure many diseases and health problems. Since lipomas are lumps containing fat cells, it is important to reduce the fat content in your body. Once the fat is reduced there is a reduced risk of lipomas. Include the following foods in your diet to limit the growth of lipomas:

• Fruits and Vegetables

• • • Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants that help to reduce fat from your blood. 
    • The antioxidants cleanse your body of the excess fat and other toxins and boost up your immune system.
    • Fresh juices made of fruits and vegetables aid in flushing out the toxins from your body. 
    • Include fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and plums.
    • Include green leafy vegetables, squash, bell peppers etc, that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

• Fish

• • • Fish consists of high quality proteins and omega-3 fatty acids that help to get rid of lipomas.
    • These fatty acids reduce the inflammation in your body and limit the growth of fatty tissues under your skin.
    • Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the secretion of leptin, a hormone that decreases appetite and promotes burning of fat.
    • Salmon and tuna fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 that help burn fat.

• Lean meat and eggs

• • • These are packed with muscle-building high quality proteins. 
    • Proteins reduce the hunger hormone thereby controlling the body’s metabolism and aids in fat reduction. 

• Whole grains

• • • Consuming whole grains like barley, brown rice, quinoa, finger millet (ragi) help increase the loss of calories by reducing calories retained during digestion and speeds up metabolism.

• Green tea 

• • • Antioxidants present in green tea promote burning of fat by improving your body’s metabolism. 
    • You can consume green tea at least twice daily to burn out fat effectively and limit the growth of lipomas. 
    • Green tea is also known to prevent the lipoma formation and to shrink the already existing lipomas. 

• Caffeine

• • • Caffeine acts as an effective stimulant in your body that aims to burn fat.
    • It reduces energy intake and boosts metabolism.  

• Water 

• • • Water improves your overall health and helps flush out excess toxins from your body.
    • Water increases your resting energy expenditure, the number of fat cells burnt while resting.
    • Drink at least 1 to 2 liters of water everyday to reap the benefits.

• Dried sage with neem or flaxseed oil

• • This is a known Chinese method that helps to dissolve the fat cells. 
  • Sage is rich in plant-based antioxidants that burn the fat cells.
  • You can coat your lipoma with this mixture and cover it with a bandage. 

Obesity is a prime risk factor for developing lipoma since the fat content increases if you are obese, an increase in fat content puts you at a greater risk of lipoma formation. 

What Foods Should be Avoided?

Certain foods can sometimes have an adverse effect on your health, when consumed in a large quantity. Such foods increase the likelihood of developing certain health issues. In case of lipomas, foods that increase the fat content of your body put you at a higher risk for developing them. Risk factors like diabetes (high blood sugar levels), alcohol abuse, etc, increase the development of lipomas in your body. The following foods should be avoided to reduce the risks of lipomas:

• Dairy products

• • • Dairy products like butter, and cheese when consumed in large (excess) quantities can lead to the accumulation of fat cells that may lead to lipomas. 

• High sugar intake 

• • • High sugar intake can predispose you to developing diabetes which is a prime risk factor for developing lipomas. 
    • Excess sugar in your bloodstream is converted into fats and stored below your skin, transforming it into a lipoma.

• Alcohol 

• • • Alcohol is considered as “empty” calories with little nutrients, leading to unnecessary fat accumulation.
    • When you consume excess alcohol, the excess glucose and lipids end up as adipose tissue, or fat. 

• Packed foods and preservatives

• • Packed foods and preservatives put an increased load on your liver, losing its ability to flush out toxins and sugar.
  • These excess toxins and sugar are stored as fat between your skin and muscle layer, forming fatty lumps.

Takeaway

Diet plays an important role in causing and preventing certain diseases. The nutrients we consume help regulate our body’s metabolism and digestion. Lipomas are lumps that contain fat cells, hence to prevent the formation of lipomas or to reduce their size, you need to reduce the fat content in your body. Include foods beneficial to reducing fat, like fruits, vegetables, protein, and omega-3-rich foods like eggs, lean meat, fish, etc. The antioxidants are important components of your diet that effectively reduce or burn out fat. 

For further queries and details, contact our dietitians and nutritionists at Medfin.

Disclaimer: 

The content on this site is the copyright of Medfin and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered as a substitute for medical and surgical expertise. Results from any treatments or surgeries are subjective to an individual patient and the type of procedure/ surgery performed. Please seek professional help regarding any medical concerns. Medfin will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.