Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States, affecting about 2.2 percent of the population, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Sixty percent of psoriasis suffers report that the disease has a negative impact on their everyday life. Detoxification diets are available for managing psoriasis symptoms. Consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes to treat psoriasis.
Dietary Approach
Diet is the most effective approach for healing psoriasis, according to chiropractor John Pagano, D.C., author of the book "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative." Pagano advises eating exclusively organic foods whenever possible to minimize exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, preservatives and hormones. Aim for an alkaline pH to decrease skin problems and arthritis symptoms and reduce stress on internal organs. To achieve this, follow the 80 percent rule, in which 80 percent of your food choices are from alkaline-forming foods. Alkaline-forming foods include lecithin, lemon and most fruits, most vegetables, and the grains amaranth, millet and quinoa. Processed carbohydrates, sugar, meats and alcohol are acid-forming.
Nightshades and Shellfish
Avoid nightshade plants, including tomatoes, potatoes and peppers as these foods contain substances that are toxic for psoriasis patients, advises Pagano. However, you may want to monitor your reaction to nightshades to determine if these foods cause a problem for you. One study found an inverse relationship between psoriasis symptoms and tomato consumption in 316 newly diagnosed psoriasis patients. Also avoid shellfish, which contains high amounts of purines which your body breaks down to uric acid, a compound that can promote inflammation and arthritis. Purines can also trigger an allergic-like response in psoriasis patients.
Raw Foods
Consider a raw foods diet for treatment of psoriasis and other skin disorders, advises certified clinical nutritionist Natalia Rose, author of the book "The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss." Rose allows some cooked foods at first, as a transition to a total raw diet, if you choose to pursue that goal. Doing so allows for an easier transition in terms of detoxification effects, emotional attachments to a certain way of eating and as a way to ease your digestive system into being able to process a greater amount of raw foods.
Fasting
Intermittent periods of short fasting may help clear up psoriasis symptoms by helping to expel toxins from the body, according to naturopath Bruce Fife, author of the book "The Detox Book: How to Detoxify Your Body to Improve Your Health, Stop Disease and Reverse Aging." A fast can take place over the course of 24 hours or up to a couple of weeks. Frequent short fasts of once per month have a cumulative effect that clears out toxins and wastes. Consult your doctor about the use of fasting to treat psoriasis and only fast with your doctor's consent and supervision.
References
- "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative"; John Pagano; 2008
- "British Journal of Dermatology"; Dietary Factors and the Risk of Psoriasis. Results of an Italian Case-control Study; L. Naldi, et al.; January 1996
- "The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum ...; Natalia Rose; 2006
- "The Detox Book: How to Detoxify Your Body to Improve Your Health, Stop ..."; Bruce Fife; 1997
- National Psoriasis Foundation: Statistics
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