Psoriasis and Diet - How What You Eat Affects Your Psoriasis

While it is clear that diet has a great impact on how healthy we are, is diet a factor in whether or not a person has serious psoriasis? What impact does diet have on psoriasis, if any? Some healthcare practitioners are recommending a gluten-free diet for those with psoriasis. Gluten is a storage protein found in barley, wheat and rye. This means that pasta, bread and many other foods contain gluten. Some people can be allergic to gluten and can have a condition known as celiac disease, which is triggered by a component of gluten called gliadin.

It appears that most people with psoriasis have more anti-gliadin antibodies than in the normal population. This means that some people with psoriasis can have a marked improvement in their symptoms if they don't have any gluten in their diet. Still, the percentage of people with anti-gliadin antibodies and psoriasis is not that great but it may be worth pursuing in patients with refractory psoriasis. Those with palmoplantar psoriasis have a higher degree of these antibodies.

Fish oil and a diet high in fish containing omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids seems to help psoriasis. This includes cold water ocean fish like tuna and salmon. Eskimos who eat a diet high in these fatty acids have a much decreased risk of both psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Omega 3 oils have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the inflammation of the skin seen in psoriasis. On the other hand, a diet high in red meat seems to make psoriasis worse.

One study found that psoriasis was made worse by eating carrots, fresh fruit and tomatoes. Vegetables high in antioxidants, such as red peppers, beets, cauliflower and broccoli, among other brightly colored vegetables seem to be beneficial to those with psoriasis. Antioxidants get rid of toxins from your system which may be making psoriasis worse.

Other experts recommend drinking plenty of water every day - at least two quarts or two liters a day. This flushes toxins out of your system. You should also eat a lot of leafy green vegetables which contain vitamins and healthy minerals. It may not cure the condition of psoriasis but it does have a positive effect on how it looks.

There are some foods that are considered triggers for psoriasis. These include soda, red meat, red wine, food with MSG in it, junk food, oily foods or deep fried foods, hot spicy food, strawberries or other berries, acidic foods and tomatoes. The worse your diet is and the more processed foods you eat, the worse your psoriasis will be.

Diet alone will not be cure psoriasis but it will help improve the symptoms. Diets high in selenium and zinc or supplements containing these minerals are known to make psoriasis look better but nothing in the diet will affect a cure. Still, it is a good idea to remove offending foods from your diet and eat a healthy diet in its place. It can prevent flare-ups of the disease and can help the treatment of psoriasis actually work better.