Can What We Eat Affect Our Psoriasis?

This has been an age-old question since I can remember. I have had psoriasis for 56 years. People have been telling me what to eat and what not eat since I was a child. Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease with unknown reasons why it appears.

We have all been told that stressful and hereditary conditions play a major role. We have a higher chance of developing psoriasis if we get a bacterial infection, used certain medications, drink alcohol, struggling with obesity or hold a lack of vitamins.

In addition to medications I have taken over the years such as corticosteroid base creams and other topical remedies, I was told to get plenty of rest and exercise, a balanced diet and avoid stress. Since there is no cure, we must seek other alternative medicines and nutritionists.

How does diet affect psoriasis?

Controlling the inflammatory process in my body is my main goal right now to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis. If you decide to try this, it is important to note that your diet must contain anti-inflammatory products along with fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrients.

This has been a hard journey for me and a ton of different treatments. I have given up several processed foods like chips, canned foods, and white bread. This was not easy to do and there are days I do slip up. It is particularly important to emphasize the correlation between gluten and psoriasis.

What should a diet be made up of?

We need to eat fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, and tuna at least 2 times a week. These fish have a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory action and help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Doctors are recommending that we have fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotenes such as spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, melons, and carrots. Many researchers are saying that foods rich in beta-carotene significantly reduced the risk of psoriasis. Did you know that the body converts beta carotene to vitamin A and participates in the building of the tissues that make up the skin? I have added 1 tablespoon of tumeric to my diet in the last 6 months which seems to be helping with my inflammation.

It seems that people who drink alcohol are more likely to have psoriasis than those who drink moderately or do not drink at all. We can also try to avoid coffee, cocoa, chocolate, black pepper, cinnamon, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Yikes!

Psoriasis and diet are different for everyone

All our journeys are different, and no two people are the same. What works for me, might not work for you. I have given up red meat for now as it contains fatty acids that can aggravate my psoriasis symptoms.

My day starts with a glass of warm water and 1/2 lemon juice also helps in controlling my symptoms. You ask why? The citric acid found in lemon and other citrus fruits improves the intestinal tract that improves the function of the immune system and makes it work. This can also help fight autoimmune diseases in many other ways.

My doctors have recommended that I no longer take any medications for my psoriasis, because of other issues. I had to go on more of a natural route. So far so good. My joints feel better, my skin looks good and I have lost 40 pounds. Trust me, I’m not saying that changing your diet will work for you; it has helped me but we all know that could change tomorrow.