Diet for Psoriasis Treatment

When we talk about diets for psoriasis, we are not talking about any specific diet plan which is going to completely heal the psoriasis condition. You need to be aware of the fact that psoriasis is a type of metabolic disorder. So by monitoring the types of food we eat, it is possible to control the psoriasis outbreaks, if not a complete cure. There is no scientific evidence supporting the fact that psoriasis could be treated completely with diet. There are various other factors which need to be taken into account along with diet.

There are certain foods which are known to cause or trigger a psoriasis outbreak. This type of food is known to produce an allergic reaction in the body which results in the psoriasis outbreaks. However, not every person is allergic to these types of foods and the allergic response may vary among the individuals. So you need to monitor your body allergic reaction by following an elimination diet, wherein you exclude a particular type of food stuff from your diet and monitor your body response. Therefore, by doing this you will be able to identify the types of foods that induce allergy in your body.

Gluten Free Diet

It has been observed that many of the psoriasis patients are not able to tolerate gluten in their diet. Gluten allergy is also the main reason behind other diseases such as celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, where the body produces antibodies against the gluten and this result in skin breakouts. Therefore a gluten free diet should be very helpful in handling psoriasis outbreaks. It has been observed that patients suffering from palmo-plantar pustulosis, which is actually a variant of psoriasis, show great improvement after following a diet free of gluten. Basically, when you are adopting a gluten free diet you need to avoid wheat, barley, rye and malt from your diet. As an alternative starch source, you can use rice, corn, potatoes, tapioca, sorghum (jowar), arrowroot, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and yam.

Types of Food to Avoid

In order to manage your psoriasis condition effectively, you need to avoid certain food completely from your diet. These include any type of processed foods, all kinds of animal fat sources such as milk, butter, eggs, red meat and other dairy products. Apart from these, you also need to avoid refined food stuffs and food stuffs rich in hydrogenated fats such as pastries, cakes, cookies, sugar candies, chocolates, wheat based breads and other related products. You need to keep your diet as simple and bland as possible avoiding spices and condiments. Consumption of excessive alcohol and even smoking cigarettes could be one of the triggers behind your psoriasis problem. So it is better to avoid alcohol and tobacco products.

Types of Food to include

To manage your psoriasis problem effectively and to reduce the incidence of psoriasis outbreaks it is very important for you to have a well balanced diet plan. Besides helping you to keep away psoriasis outbreaks, a well balanced diet help you to improve your overall health and enhances your body immunity. A well balanced diet should include plenty of fresh greens and vegetables. You need to include some fresh fruit at every meal time. Make sure that you buy organic vegetables and fruits which are much more beneficial and wholesome. Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are not tolerated by psoriasis patients. So it is better to avoid those fruits.

Some psoriasis patients have benefitted by including fish oil in their diet. Fish oil is a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to control the psoriasis outbreaks. Salmon, sardines, mackerel and even some varieties of cold water fishes such as albacore tuna, herring, flounder and halibut are wonderful sources which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  You can have fish oils even in the form of supplements. Apart from including these food stuffs in your regular diet, you also need to make sure that you adopt healthy cooking methods. Broiling, baking, steaming and grilling are the best methods of cooking foods wherein the foods stuffs retain all the essential vitamins and minerals, making sure that you get the most of any food stuff that you eat.