We are often asked about psoriasis diets. There are a couple of diets that are sometimes recommended for people with psoriasis, including a gluten-free diet and an anti-inflammatory diet. Some people feel that following one of these diets reduces their symptoms of psoriasis. Certainly, if you feel specific foods cause your symptoms to worsen, you should avoid them if possible. If you want to try a special diet for psoriasis, it won’t hurt you. You should be aware, however, that there has not been much research done so far on psoriasis and diet and it’s not known if a special diet is likely to help.
Gluten-Free Diet
Popular psoriasis diets include a gluten-free diet. Gluten is a protein found in some grains, like wheat, rye, and barley. The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that about 25 percent of all people with psoriasis are also sensitive to gluten and for them, eliminating gluten from their diets may lead to an improvement in psoriasis symptoms. Keep in mind that it may take a few weeks or longer of sticking to a gluten-free diet to really tell if eliminating gluten will help you or not.
Bread, other baked goods, cereals, crackers, and pasta often contain gluten, but many other foods such as candy, snack foods like chips and pretzels, processed lunch meats, seasoned rice dishes, French fries, gravies, salad dressings, other sauces, many soups, and other processed foods may also contain small amounts of gluten. Therefore avoiding gluten completely can be a bit of a challenge.
If you find that eating foods with gluten make your symptoms worse, then you might choose to avoid it. It certainly won’t hurt you to eliminate gluten from your diet, although you may find it difficult to do. It does entail reading food labels carefully. If gluten doesn’t make your psoriasis worse, though, gluten-free foods are not necessarily more healthful than foods with gluten and for most people, there’s really no point in avoiding it.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Some foods are known, or believed, to cause inflammation in the body. Since inflammation is a large part of psoriasis, following an anti-inflammatory diet may help reduce inflammation and other symptoms like redness and swelling. This is another of the frequently suggested psoriasis diets.
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, foods to avoid on an anti-inflammatory diet include red meat, dairy products, refined sugars, and maybe vegetables from the nightshade family (including tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, and genetically modified soybeans). Not everyone agrees that nightshade veggies lead to inflammation, however. This is another area in which more research on psoriasis and diet is needed so that people dealing with the condition can make more informed decisions about ways to manage their disorder.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, herring, halibut, sardines, fresh tuna, trout, tofu, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and kale. These foods may reduce inflammation, which may help reduce symptoms of psoriasis. While more research is needed to determine whether a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids really helps with psoriasis, we know that these foods are also good for your heart, so it certainly won’t hurt to add some to your diet.
Is Diet Alone Sufficient to Control Psoriasis?
For most people, special psoriasis diets may help them manage their symptoms but diet alone won’t be enough. Most will need other forms of treatment, as well. For that, we suggest Terrasil Psoriasis Therapy Max Ointment. It contains natural ingredients like jojoba seed oil, peppermint oil, and volcanic clay to reduce symptoms of psoriasis, along with nutrients like zinc and magnesium, which are essential for healthy skin. To learn more about Terrasil Psoriasis Therapy Max Ointment, just follow the link.
National Psoriasis Foundation: Diet