Try an elimination diet! Its way cheaper. What did really help me was doing an elimination diet. You try not eating one food group at a time for a few weeks at a time each. When you reintroduce that food group, your body will respond with a flare up if its a trigger. The main food group I discovered that I have to avoid is nightshades which includes tomatoes, potatoes, peppers (including bell), and eggplant.

There are lots of posts on this website as to why or what foods can cause HS. Dairy is a big issue for many because the growth hormones that naturally occur in dairy for growing babies raises aldosterone a hormone. HS can be treated in some people with spirolactone to lower aldosterone. Many things raise aldonsterone, excess sugar, because insulin raises aldosterone, and excess progesterone raises aldosterone. So birth control pills for women, menopause and child birth changes if get too much progesterone they can get flares. All people have these hormones in their body but lifestyles, health issues and foods can make them out of balance. There aren’t very many conclusive research on diets and disease causes and it is hard to prove because everyone’s hormones are not exactly alike. It can’t be standardized. But they can feed rats or have people do diets and see increases of hormones and increase of various diseases. But because of inconsistencies in human body chemistry there may never be solid hard core proof only antidotal. There are studies that have specifically been done on aldosterone because of HS and cancer and what the drivers are for aldosterone. But there are other possible causes as well. Studies on bowel diseases and HS connection etc. Not a one size fits all solution. What works for one doesn’t work for another.

Did some research, there doesn't appear to be any scientific work done on diet and HS. There is some speculation that diery and carbohydrates may be linked to inflammation... But if this were proven true I would be stuck between a rock and a hard place. I am underweight as is and the VAST majority of my calories comes from carbs and diery. Trying to gain weight without these food groups would be extremely difficult and potentially damaging to my health.

Are there any double blind studies on the effectiveness of changing diet to control HS? I think I would have a very hard time figuring out what effect, if any, a specific change in my diet would have without sticking to the diet for a very protracted period of time. Especially if the effect of the diet is minimal.

All my favorite foods. I rather live with this than give up those veggies and fruit.