Nutritional Approaches to Psoriasis | Next Street

Your skin itches and burns; You have scaly, inflamed, and red areas on your knees, elbows, and scalp. After weeks of trying to treat it on your own with various over-the-counter ointments (almost never a good idea!), you see a dermatologist who looks at your skin and says, “You have psoriasis.”

You’ve seen the recent TV commercials about plaque psoriasis, but it never occurred to you that it might be causing your problem, and you certainly never thought it was something people could get when they get older.

But the disease has two peak incidence rates, with the majority of cases occurring between the ages of 20 and 30, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. However, the peak period for late-onset psoriasis is between the ages of 50 and 60. age, most people develop it between 57-60. Women tend to develop it at a younger age than men.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects more than 3% of the US adult population. The immune system becomes overactive, causing new skin cells to produce abnormally quickly, die, and then accumulate on the skin surface.

This condition causes scaly, dry and cracked skin that itches and bleeds; Lesions are most often found on the scalp, elbows, knees, trunk, palms and soles of the feet. You may have thick, pitted nails.

Jessica Kaffenberger, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Division of Medical Dermatology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says that “psoriasis is a systemic disease in which inflammation is present throughout the body but is visible only in the skin.”

He explains that 25-30 percent of people with the condition develop psoriatic arthritis, usually about seven years after the development of psoriasis, but in a small percentage it develops before skin symptoms appear, adding: “psoriatic arthritis is characterized by swelling of the skin on the back of the leg, “Heel pain, inflammation in fingers and toes, and morning stiffness that decreases throughout the day.”

It is different from osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease often associated with aging and is often called a “wear and tear” disorder.

Psoriasis symptoms sometimes go through cycles, flaring up for several weeks or months, followed by periods when they subside or even regress. Most cases are mild and can be treated with topical creams and ointments. However, in more severe cases, phototherapy or administration of oral or biological medications may be necessary.

The goals of treatment are to reduce the inflammation, discoloration, thickness and amount of crusting of the lesions. Results can be evaluated by a change in PASI (Psoriasis Severity Index), which is used to rate the severity of symptoms and measure the patient’s response to treatment, and BSA (body surface area), which estimates the percentage of each body area. impressed.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, there are different types of plaque psoriasis; Plaque psoriasis, the most common, is marked by patches of red skin covered with silvery-white scales. Many people with psoriasis have other serious conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol levels
• metabolic syndrome
• Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, social anxiety
• celiac disease
• inflammatory bowel disease

Dietary Approaches to Managing Psoriasis

Because there is a high correlation between psoriasis and cardiometabolic disorders, improving one’s diet (possibly with resulting weight loss) will have a positive impact on comorbid conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease.

The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends eating an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy unsaturated fats, describing many components of the Mediterranean diet.

“Various studies have been conducted over the years to determine the best food or diet for managing psoriasis, as well as those that appear to be the most harmful. A high-sugar diet, which is known to increase inflammation, has been found to have the most negative impact on psoriasis symptoms,” says Kaffenberger.

A diet that includes excessive intake of simple sugars leads to dysbiosis (an imbalance of organisms normally found in the gut), which causes an increase in bacteria and inflammatory substances called cytokines.

A 2017 study published in the journal Dermatology and Therapy surveyed more than 1,200 psoriasis patients who were members of the National Psoriasis Foundation and found that about 43% of participants were unsure whether diet affects psoriasis.

Those who answered yes to the diet’s effectiveness noted that their symptoms were made worse by sugar, alcohol, other nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, gluten and dairy products. Excessive alcohol intake has been linked to the development and increased severity of psoriasis.

Less reported triggers include meat, processed foods, soda, bread, eggs and spicy foods. The study also asked patients whether there were foods that improved their symptoms. 35.1% of individuals reported that dietary supplements reduced skin irritation, while others supported vegetables, fruits, and fish.

Dietary supplements that were helpful included vitamins (especially vitamin D), probiotics, fish oil/omega-3, and turmeric capsules. Fruits and vegetables provide many antioxidants (such as carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals) that are inversely related to C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation.

Some patients have reported positive results when following Pagano, vegan, and Paleolithic diets; others praised gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein, Mediterranean and vegetarian diets. The Pagano diet was created in 2008 by chiropractor John Pagano, who wrote the book “Healing Psoriasis” and believed that psoriasis is a symptom of leaky gut syndrome, in which the skin works overtime to release toxins.

Coffee, which contains antioxidant-rich polyphenols, has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting it may benefit psoriasis. However, the evidence for its usefulness needs to be more consistent, according to the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.

Some studies show that increased coffee intake is associated with an increase in symptoms. In contrast, others show that coffee may increase the effectiveness of some medications to treat psoriasis.

Research has suggested that its effect on psoriasis is dose-related, with moderate consumption (up to three cups per day) relieving symptoms and reducing inflammation, and higher caffeine intake having a negative effect.

Healthy Living and Psoriasis

“Since adipose (fat) tissue is a metabolically inflammatory substance, weight loss for obese individuals can be extremely beneficial in reducing psoriatic symptoms and often coexisting comorbidities.” “Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation and extend lifespan, but many people find it difficult to stick to the diet,” says Kaffenberger.

Now that you’re all too aware of the purported link between diet and psoriasis, you may want to make some changes to increase your healthy eating habits (never a bad idea, whether you have the disease or not). These changes may include:

• Avoiding highly processed foods, foods high in saturated or trans fats, and foods high in added sugar or refined carbohydrates
• Increasing your consumption of plant-based and high-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains
• Eating lean protein and fatty fish rich in omega-3; limiting your red meat intake
• Using healthy unsaturated fats, such as extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oils, and consuming healthy fats, such as avocados or dark chocolate

Barbra Williams Cosentino RN, LCSW, is a psychotherapist living in Queens, NY, and a freelance writer whose writings and articles on health, parenting, and mental health have appeared in the New York Times, Medscape, BabyCenter, and many other national and online publications. Read more