Psoriatic arthritis affects about 5 percent of people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis, a common and chronic skin condition that can cause itchy red patches on the body, according to the National Library of Medicine. If you've been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, you can use your diet as an important tool to help yourself feel better.
Causes/Symptoms
It's not clear what causes psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, but your genes may play some role, according to the National Library of Medicine. People who suffer from the skin condition psoriasis generally seem to have a higher rate of arthritis generally. Psoriatic arthritis causes pain and stiffness in your joints. If you have psoriatic arthritis, you may have symptoms in only a few joints, especially in your fingers and toes. People with a more severe form of the disease may have burning and stiffness in their spine as well as in many joints.
Diet Basics
Because no cure exists for psoriatric arthritis, your physician may emphasize diet and other lifestyle changes to you as a way to control your symptoms, according to the MayoClinic.com. If you maintain a healthy weight, you'll potentially put less of a strain on your joints and be able to function better. There's no one diet recommended for the majority of psoriatic arthritis patients. Instead, you should focus on eating a wide variety of foods, with particular emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which can help you lose weight as well as stay healthy.
Foods to Avoid
Psoriatic arthritis patients should consider avoiding foods in your diet that are known to trigger allergies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. These foods include citrus, milk, corn and eggs. In addition, you should stay away from alcohol, foods high in simple sugars, such as pastries and soda, and foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat.
Possible Diet
Some patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis seem to benefit from a gluten-free diet, which eliminates all foods containing the grains wheat, barley and rye, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If your doctor recommends you try a gluten-free diet to treat your psoriatic arthritis, you may need to consult with a nutritionist to make sure you eliminate these grains while still maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Considerations
Even if you are eating a healthy diet, you may want to consider nutritional supplements to make up for any nutritional deficiencies you may have, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fish oil might help with some symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and supplements including folic acid can help correct any deficiency brought on by medication for psoriatic arthritis. You should always check with your doctor before consuming any supplements, since they potentially can interfere with your medications.
