The Psoriasis Diet Treatment: How It Works And Why

Does a psoriasis diet treatment really work? Psoriasis is one of the most common types of dermatitis, a skin condition characterized by inflammation. It is estimated that at least 2% of people around the world have the disease, which translates to around 120 million individuals. Although conventional treatment for the disease usually consists of topical or oral medication, some people prefer to use a psoriasis diet plan to help them remove or at least manage the symptoms of the disease.

Comprehending psoriasis

Psoriasis is essentially an autoimmunity response wherein the body tries to destroy its own skin. Upon its initiation, affected individuals’ immune systems produce chemicals that promote excessive skin cell growth within specific areas of the skin’s surface. This results in abnormal skin thickening and subsequent formation of scaly, itchy abrasions that characterize full-blown psoriasis.

To date, the precise cause(s) of psoriasis remain unidentified. This is precisely what makes developing a cure such a daunting task for scientists. Presently, no known cure for psoriasis has been clearly established. It is known, however, that many factors can stimulate its symptoms. Food is perhaps the main such factor.

The Psoriasis Treatment Diet

Everything we eat and drink affects us. They all somehow become part of us, influencing the way we think and feel, shaping our health inside and out. Officially, there are no nutritional rules for people who have psoriasis but several individuals attest to finding comfort after following a psoriasis treatment diet. Through this diet, the food groups that tend to aggravate the situation can be discovered and avoided in the future in the hopes of managing the symptoms.

How it works

Psoriasis symptoms are generally cyclic. This means that people who have the disease experience periods of flareups in between recovery periods when symptoms are non-existent. The remission period is a time when skin condition improves. It is believed that the food people eat during these periods contribute to the worsening or improvement of the disease.

Through a psoriasis elimination diet, an individual suffering from this type of skin disease can begin eliminating certain groups of foods and observing if symptoms improve upon doing so. There is no standard set of diet choices for this purpose and the process is purely on a trial and error basis. Any improvements or worsening of symptoms are then noted. Doctors also recommend that patients take an active role in identifying foods that may be causing their skin problem. If something seems to cause a flareup, it is a good idea to avoid eating it.

How long should a psoriasis treatment diet last?

Each food trial should not go on for over two weeks as doing so may place the patient in danger of having serious nutritional deficiencies, as found by a study made by the University of Wisconsin. This time period is enough to test whether a certain food group causes a break out of symptoms or not. After that, one can move on to testing another set of food and so on until the major groups have been used and categorized.

Foods that Heighten Risk

A noted medical journal in India made a study on this topic and found that people with psoriasis should avoid consuming large amounts of alcohol specially the male patients. A sizeable percentage of the affected population also exhibits sensitivity to gluten which is commonly found in pasta and bread. Other foods that have high sugar content and yeast can cause a break out as well. Limiting or removing them from one’s daily intake is advised as is following the 2010 psoriasis diet outlined in the journal.

So, what really does work best?

A psoriasis treatment diet only removes certain foods from the daily intake of an individual with the skin disease. The next step is to ensure that the types of foods chosen for daily intake are healthful enough to boost the body’s immune system. A healthful psoriasis diet plan may include the following: fresh or canned fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products including milk, cheese and cream, whole grains, breads and cereals, fish and poultry (red meats are either avoided or significantly reduced from the diet), olive oil, fiber supplements (can aid in the elimination of toxins from the body, promoting the health of the immune system).

Fish oil is also highly-touted as a very good supplement that is valuable to vastly improve symptoms. Fish oils contain polyunsaturated fatty acidic compounds that are known to facilitate healthier skin and retard scaly patch development. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to possess anti-inflammatory properties. This attribute has been shown to improve many patients’ symptoms immensely.

Fish oil’s anti-psoriasis attributes was first observed among Eskimo groups in Greenland. Overall incidence of psoriasis is very low within that particular ethnic population. This observation spawned the prevalent scientific hypothesis that a diet that is very rich in fish oil plays a major part in preventing or drastically reducing the disease’s effects.

Diet and exercise

Patients opting to follow a psoriasis elimination diet are also well-advised to begin a rigorous exercise routine. Frequent exercise helps flush out toxins from body tissues via increased perspiration and urinary output. Exercising also strengthens human immunity, thereby better enabling the body to heal itself naturally.

Another key step in implementing a treatment diet plan is to ensure healthy food choices by avoiding refined carbs and highly processed foods including white breads and junk foods. Many of these foods contain gluten, salt and chemical or artificial preservatives, flavorings and colorings which often contribute to skin conditions such as allergies. This, in turn could exacerbate psoriatic symptoms that may already be present.

Prior to commencing any psoriasis elimination diet, consult your nutritionist, dietitian, physician, or other healthcare provider. These professionals can suggest the best psoriasis treatment diet plan based upon your overall physical condition and personal medical history. They can also advise you about how to maintain optimal health throughout the full duration of your psoriasis diet treatment program.

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