Lyme disease patients suffer a lot, but they can improve their health by following a suitable diet that provides them with beneficial nutrients. In this article, we will discuss Lyme disease, its stages, and the best nutrients to support the immune system and improve the patient’s health.

Overview of lyme disease

Lyme disease affects the whole body. It is a type of tick-borne disease, which means it is caused by a tick, an insect, or a parasite. The disease is caused by a spirochete, a group of spiral-shaped bacteria, called Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease causes different symptoms, including:

• Dermatological symptoms (affecting the skin)
• Neurological symptoms (affecting the central nervous system)
• Rheumatological symptoms (affecting the muscles and bones)
• Cardiac abnormalities (affecting the heart)

Understanding lyme disease

Symptoms and stages

One of the most common symptoms of Lyme disease is skin lesions (erythema migrans). The characteristics of the skin lesions are:

• Erythema formation which is unusual redness of the skin
• The skin lesion starts as a macule (a discoloured lesion that is flat) or a papule (a discoloured small solid bump on the skin) which expands and gets bigger over the next days and weeks forming one big lesion
• A single lesion reaches at least 5 cm in size 
• The redness that occurs after the tick by a couple of hours is not considered erythema migrans but rather considered a hypersensitivity reaction to the tick

The stages of lyme disease

Lyme disease has 3 stages, and the symptoms differ according to each stage.

Early localised stage (stage I)

The most common symptom in this stage is erythema migrans, affecting about 80% of patients. The rash occurs during the first month of the tick bite and is usually present without any symptoms but sometimes it is associated with symptoms like fever, lymphadenopathy (inflammation of lymph nodes), and pruritus (severe itching). 

The rash takes different shapes and forms, it can be oval, circular or triangular. It also has a clear centre. The rash usually has a significant appearance, described as a ”bull’s-eye” appearance. The rash usually disappears gradually within 4 weeks.

Early disseminated stage (stage II)

In this stage, many small lesions, called “satellite lesions,” form, and neurological and cardiac disorders can also be seen.

The neurological disorders or symptoms typically start right after the lesions start to fade away but in some cases, the symptoms appear during the presence of the lesions. The most common nervous system disorder accompanied by the disease is lymphocytic meningitis (an infection to the membranes or layers surrounding the brain and the spinal cord). Symptoms that come with lymphocytic meningitis are:

• Fever
• Neck pain
• Headache
• Stiffness
• Vomiting and nausea

Sometimes, patients suffer from cranial neuropathy (when an infection affects a nerve, usually the facial nerve), causing facial nerve palsy. Studies showed that this happens to 20% of untreated patients.¹

Cardiac diseases are not as common, however, cardiac symptoms or abnormalities occur a week to 7 months after the infection. The myocardial abnormalities can be an atrioventricular block (a slowed heart pace due to an infection or abnormality in the heart). The atrioventricular block is mostly mild and resolves itself. The symptoms associated with cardiac abnormalities due to the infection are:

• Chest pain
• Fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations (irregular and rapid heartbeats)

Late disseminated stage (stage III)

The late disseminated stage comprises two main abnormalities: musculoskeletal abnormalities and neurological disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders include arthritis; where the patient suffers episodes of joint pain and swelling. The neurologic disorders include Lyme neuro-borreliosis which is a syndrome that causes severe encephalopathy (brain dysfunction) and psychiatric changes.¹

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis of Lyme disease depends on the signs and symptoms of the patient. Laboratory tests are not carried out unless the signs and symptoms indicate Lyme disease. This is because the formation of antibodies against the infection is usually delayed, so early tests would not detect them.

Conventional treatment options

Treatment of Lyme disease is based on eradicating the microorganism via antibiotics, and symptomatic treatment to treat the symptoms associated with the disease. Antibiotics are usually successful in treating patients in the first stage of the disease.

Role of nutrition in immune function

We have always been told to eat healthy food so that we can lead healthy lives. But is there a correlation between a strong immune system and a healthy diet? The simple answer is yes. 

Every system in our bodies consists of a group of cells. Each cell has a function, so the cells need energy to do their job. The immune system, being made of several types and forms of cells, needs energy to do its function properly.

Therefore, the immune system requires adequate and beneficial nutrients.

When any type of infection enters the body, the immune system gets activated to eradicate this infection and the demand for energy increases. There are two sources for this demanded energy; endogenous energy which is the energy stored in our body and exogenous energy which is the energy we get from our diets. That's why we are always advised to eat very well during an infection.

Specific nutritional strategies for lyme disease management

There are certain foods you can include that can provide you with the beneficial nutrients needed and there are also some foods to avoid that can increase or induce inflammation in your body.

Foods to include

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in several sources, such as tuna, salmon and other fish. It can also be found in seeds, like chia seeds and flaxseeds, and also in some oils like fish oil and canola oil.²

Omega-3 fatty acids have lots of benefits, including decreasing inflammation and supporting the immune system.³

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in nerve regeneration. It is found in:⁴

• Eggs
• Dairy 
• Fish 
• Meat

Vitamin D

Vitamin D cannot be found in many foods but it can be found in some fortified milk, cereals, salmon and mackerel. Our bodies have the ability to make vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun.⁵  Vitamin D has a significant role when it comes to immunity. It decreases the release of the cells responsible for inflammation and regulates the immune response.⁴

Vitamin A 

Vitamin A is found in:

• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Liver
• Fish
• Dairy

 Vitamin A supports the immune system and helps with cell division.⁶

Herbal supplements and their benefits

Including herbs in your diet can also be of great benefit. Herbs like turmeric, olive leaves and coriander can be used to boost immunity. It was found that turmeric has an anti-inflammatory property through releasing of a compound called curcuminoids.⁷

Foods to avoid

There are some types of food that we definitely need to avoid, these are the foods that can increase inflammation in the body like fast foods, foods high in salt, and the increased intake of red meat, sugars, and foods that are low in their fibre content.

Summary

Lyme disease is caused by a tick bite of a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. It has three stages which the patient can suffer from a wide range of signs and symptoms: from rash and skin lesions with fever and itching to severe neurological and cardiac disorders.

Lyme disease is treated by antibiotics but the patient can boost their immunity by having a balanced diet including different vitamins, minerals and herbs that play an important role in improving the function of the immune system.

FAQs

What foods should you not eat when you have Lyme disease?

Any food that can increase inflammation in the body should be avoided like fast foods, foods high in salt, increased intake of red meat and sugars, foods that are low in fibre content and fried food.²

How does diet affect lyme disease?

Lyme disease activates immunity which needs the energy to be able to eradicate the infection so a well-balanced diet full of suitable nutrients like omega-3, vitamin D, and Vitamin B12 can boost immunity and help the body overcome the infection 

Is omega-3 good for lyme disease?

Omega-3 can have an important role in decreasing inflammation and improving the immune system.