What vitamins should I take for Lipedema?

Lipedema is a loose connective tissue disorder that afflicts mainly women.

Vitamins and Lipedema

First, if you think that you are deficient in a vitamin or mineral, you should see your doctor to have your vitamin and mineral levels tested. Determining the accurate level of each of these in your body helps the doctor prescribe the proper dose to combat the deficiency. If not, you will be taking an over the counter supplement that may not give you the desired results. Of note, you may also take too much of a vitamin or mineral and potentially cause harm from an increase in these substances in your blood stream. The adage, "too much of a good thing is bad," rings true in this instance.

These are the most common deficiencies cited by various sources: Vitamin D and Selenium. Fortunately, most supplements that are sold as multivitamins tend to have these two components.

Diet Alternatives to Selenium

Selenium is contained in meat, poultry, seafood, grains, and nuts. A handy list of common food that contain this mineral can be found on the NIH website: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/#h3.

You might be surprised that many items in your kitchen including spinach, yogurt, peanut butter, and oatmeal contain Selenium. The quantity of the mineral may vary in each type of food, so create a daily log of your intake to ensure accuracy in the amount of Selenium in your diet.

Anti-Inflammatory Food Benefits

Although not robust in the amount of data collected in Lipedema specific patient groups, antioxidants tend to be encouraged due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Since inflammation is an underlying dilemma of Lipedema, food that combat inflammation would be beneficial. This is a handy list published by the Veterans Administration to act as a guide for food preparation: https://www.va.gov/files/2023-09/Anti-Inflammatory%20Herbs%2C%20Spices%20and%20Condiments.pdf.

Lipedema Pain Control with Food

Consider including citrus based food in your daily meals. Flavonoids contained in citrus fruit are thought to help with Lipedema associated pain. Not a lot of research is present to firmly prove this hypothesis but supplements such as Diosmin that are flavonoid based have been recommended by some studies.