What Not to Eat If You Have Psoriasis?

If you have psoriasis – it’s not clear yet whether there is a link between what you eat (diet) and the disease. Currently, there is little scientific evidence to confirm this issue. However, some sufferers find that their diet may have a major impact on their disease. They believe that there are some foods that can help improve the problem.

On the other hand, there are also some foods that should be avoided because may make the disease get worse. Even some medical professionals are continuously using diet approach into account in helping treat the disease.

There is no clearly answer of guidelines for diet with psoriasis. However, some experts believe that the risk of complications from the disease can be reduced with appropriate diet approaches.

As well we know, psoriasis is a chronic skin condition. There is always a chance for the problem to recur, but there are also some steps you can do to prevent the flare-up from recurring.

And generally, a balanced and healthy diet may be one of the answers to help control psoriasis and decrease the risk of complications from the disease.

The symptoms of psoriasis can be treated and improved. However you need to always remember that the disease may also become a life-threatening condition, particularly when it has caused some serious complications.

The complications may vary from sufferer to sufferer. But in general, poorly-controlled psoriasis can cause the following problems:

1. Gaining more pounds of excessive weight (obesity). It’s not fully understood whether the disease has a direct link in causing obesity, but in fact many sufferers experience obesity. It seems that the disease make them are more likely to be obese. And obesity can make the problem get worse and increase the risk of developing other complications.
2. The risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Experts theorize that the severity of the disease can significantly affect the risk. The more severe the disease, the greater risk that you have to develop type-2 diabetes.
3. High blood pressure (hypertension). If you have psoriasis – the odds of developing hypertension are greater than if you don’t have the disease.
4. The disease increases the risk of some cardiovascular diseases such as irregular heartbeats, heart attacks, and stroke. This could be due to excess inflammation, obesity, or other factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Other complications that may occur include kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, metabolic syndrome, eye problems, and psoriatic arthritis (one of common complications).

In addition, some treatment options for psoriasis also can cause abnormal levels of LDL (bad cholesterol). Even some may have an effect in causing hardened arteries. Talk with your doctor if you concern about this issue!

The risk of getting excess inflammation is high in people with psoriasis, as noted before. Even experts call this skin problem as inflammatory disease.

Generally, you should avoid the following foods: refined sugars, processed foods, dairy products (particularly high-fat dairy products), and fatty red meats. Nightshade vegetables also should be limited! These foods have been shown to increase the risk of inflammation.

On the other hand, the following foods are recommended to help reduce the risk of inflammation:

1. Getting a wide variety of colorful vegetables and fruits such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, and strawberries.
2. Plant sources of high omega-3s such as walnuts, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and flaxseeds.
3. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, herring, and mackerel.

Generally, gluten allergy may not be a complication of psoriasis. However, many sufferers find that they are sensitive to gluten (often found in rye, barley, wheat, and all of their derivatives). About 25 percent of sufferers may be sensitive to this kind of complex protein, according to a new study.

Does gluten-free diet work for psoriasis?

It’s not clear yet whether or not this kind of diet is helpful, more studies are required to confirm this issue. However, many sufferers find a significant improvement when sticking with a gluten-free diet – particularly for them who are actually sensitive to gluten.