Psoriasis is a autoimmune disorder that causes red, itchy skin and silver-white scaly skin patches. It is caused when your immune system attacks healthy skin cells and causes your skin to replace itself faster than normal. You can't catch psoriasis from another person, and there is nothing you can do to cure or prevent it. However, you can take steps to treat the symptoms and limit attacks where your psoriasis gets worse. Certain foods may make psoriasis more likely to flare up in some people.
Beneficial Diet
Although there is no special diet that helps everyone with psoriasis, eating a healthy diet consisting of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish and low-fat dairy products is recommended by MayoClinic.com. Foods containing omega-3 fats or folic acid may help minimize symptoms.
Foods to Limit
Different foods may trigger psoriasis symptoms for different people. Keep a food diary to track foods that trigger your symptoms. Foods that may be linked to psoriasis symptoms in some people include milk, cheese, red meat, gluten, beer and alcohol. However, if consuming these foods does not increase your symptoms there is no need to eliminate them from your diet.
Weight Loss
Any diet that leads to weight loss, including low-fat diets or low-carb diets, can help limit attacks of psoriasis, as obesity may make psoriasis medications and treatments less effective. Following a diet that helps you lose weight makes it so your symptoms may clear up with fewer treatments, according to an article on WSOCTV.com.
Considerations
Although dietary changes and weight loss can help some people with psoriasis, they don't help everyone. Even if they do help you, you should still stick with your prescribed treatment because diet alone cannot treat psoriasis. It may be worth keeping track of what you eat and your symptoms to see if eliminating any foods helps, however, since this is not dangerous and may provide some benefit. Note everything you eat for about a week and note any psoriasis symptoms that occur to see if you can find a pattern where your symptoms increase after consuming a particular type of food. If you think a food may increase your symptoms, try eliminating it for at least a week and see if your symptoms lessen.
References
- PubMed Health; Psoriasis; Kevin Berman, M.D., et al.; November 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Psoriasis Diet: Can Changing Your Diet Treat Psoriasis?; Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.; February 2011
- WSOC TV: Psoriasis Diet
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Psoriasis - Phototherapy; David Zieve, M.D., et al.; April 2009
Member Comments