Nutrition has an impact on the course of psoriasis that cannot be
underestimated. For example, obesity is a very significant risk factor. Added
to this is the fact that a number of foods can adversely affect the course of
the disease. With a properly balanced diet, many of these adverse factors can
be circumvented and, under certain circumstances, even the problem of excess
weight can be solved. Unfortunately, there is no single recipe for
“perfect” nutrition. Just as the severity and course of the disease
proceeds differently in different people, each patient individually reacts to
certain foods. Therefore, you must find out for yourself and for “your
psoriasis” what you can use without any fear, and what you need to avoid
in order not to worsen your condition. Below we will give a brief overview of
the foods that are most often mentioned in connection with psoriasis.
The skin condition often worsens after eating citrus fruits, as well as nuts
and spices (nutmeg, pepper, cloves, mustard, ground sweet pepper, etc.). It is
especially harmful to eat pork because of the high content of cholesterol and
fat in it. Even lean pork contains up to 30% fat. Since animals are fattened to
slaughter for only 8-12 months, the meat may also contain growth hormones that
adversely affect the course of psoriasis.
It is necessary to exclude or limit the use of alcohol as strictly as possible.
Very often, the skin reacts to alcohol (especially wine) with a pronounced
deterioration. In many cases, very salty dishes or canned meats richly seasoned
with spices also have an unfavorable effect. In particular, you should refrain
from eating foods that contain mixtures of spices (curry, spices for frying or
grilling), preservatives, food colors and emulsifiers, stabilizers and
leavening agents. It is not recommended to eat oily fish. This includes
high-fat fish species such as eel, carp, halibut, herring and mackerel.
The category of non-recommended foods also includes milk and sweets (in large
quantities). Try to eat less sweets and sugar. Sugar does not contain any
vitamins and contains almost no minerals. Moreover, the consumption of refined
sugar in large quantities takes away vitamin B from the body, which is forced
to be spent on the breakdown of sugar. To sweeten certain dishes, use bee
honey, beetroot syrup, dried fruits and concentrated fruit juices or fresh
fruits. Fruit not only satisfies the need for sweets, but also, as a rule,
stimulates digestion.
Nutrition for psoriasis should be balanced and varied. Ideally, the menu should
consist of a large number of vegetables, if possible raw (for example, in the
form of a salad), as well as fruits and flour dishes rich in dietary fiber.
Lean meats are generally well tolerated, as are lean fish such as salmon or sea
bass, but should only be eaten in small amounts. As for dairy products, here
you should try for yourself what suits you best. Processed and hard cheeses
often pose problems due to their high levels of spices and salt. Milk, fatty
cottage cheese, cream-based yogurt are also not recommended. On the contrary,
lactic acid products such as yogurt, kefir, as well as low-fat cottage cheese
and buttermilk are very well tolerated and may have a beneficial effect on the
course of the disease. It is good to discuss nutrition issues with other
patients. Experience can be exchanged in associations of patients suffering
from psoriasis, or in self-help groups. To do this, of course, is very useful,
because other patients have also already tried a lot and can advise you what is
well tolerated, and what can most likely cause deterioration. Over time, you
yourself will be able to decide how to create the optimal menu for you.
Read more about diets recommended for psoriasis and eczema, body cleansing
methods, herbal medicine, etc. You can learn from D. Pegano ‘s book
“Treatment of psoriasis – the natural way”.
Healthy gut microflora is essential for skin
With allergies and skin diseases, the intestinal microflora is involved
in the pathological process. Both in patients suffering from neurodermatitis
and in patients suffering from psoriasis, excessive colonization of the
intestine with certain microorganisms is very often observed. We are talking
about yeast fungi and bacteria that are constantly present in the intestines of
healthy people, but in case of immoderate reproduction can cause illness. In a
normal situation, these fungi cannot resist many “good”
microorganisms. However, with allergies and skin diseases, the balance between
numerous microorganisms in the intestines is often disturbed, and therefore
there is an excessive reproduction of “unhealthy” bacteria, the waste
products of which can no longer be sufficiently excreted from the body. These
products again and again contribute to the intensification of the symptoms of
the disease. However, it remains unclear whether the imbalance in the gut
causes disease, or whether the disease leads to disruption of the intestinal
microflora. In any case, it was noticed that very often after the normalization
of the intestinal microflora, the severity of allergic and skin diseases
decreases.
Sometimes it can be very difficult to detect an imbalance in the intestinal
microflora. At the same time, in many cases, the doctor can detect signs of
such a violation even with the help of stool analysis. In severe
dysbacteriosis, sometimes the so-called sanitation of the intestine may be
required, which means the elimination of unwanted microorganisms with the help
of bactericidal medicines, followed by the restoration of healthy microflora.
In order to ensure the success of such sanitation, a consistent and long-term
transfer of the patient to dietary nutrition is required. It should be
emphasized that such therapeutic measures should be carried out under the
supervision of an experienced physician. With a slight imbalance in the
intestinal microflora, harmful microorganisms can be suppressed even with a
single diet. At the same time, the exclusion from the diet of sugar and wheat
flour products plays an important role , since they are an ideal nutrient
medium for “unhealthy” microorganisms. Foods containing lactic acid,
such as sauerkraut (when possible raw), unsweetened yogurt or kefir,
buttermilk, pickled vegetables, etc. contribute to the stabilization and maintenance
of a healthy intestinal microflora.
In this regard, of course, it makes sense to consult a dietitian who will help
you choose a targeted, but at the same time varied diet.