Psoriasis Diets – The Importance of Proper Nutrition For Psoriasis Sufferers

With any disease, ensuring that the sufferer gets adequate rest, manages stress, exercises, and follows a healthy eating plan are very important when trying to overcome any sickness. The last item is of especially great importance to psoriasis sufferers to help control the condition by following a proper psoriasis diet.

Importance of a Psoriasis Diet

While there currently exists no cure for psoriasis, there are various drug therapies as well as home remedies for psoriasis that can help to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. Another way to manage this chronic skin condition is by following a psoriasis diet which requires making adjustments to the food consumed to help with the various symptoms of psoriasis.

While psoriasis can not be managed with a psoriasis diet alone, it can certainly help and there is no harm in trying. Psoriasis is such a complicated condition to treat and various therapies such as the use of various medicines, home remedies for psoriasis, light therapies, psoriasis diets, etc may be required before finding what works to control your particular case of psoriasis. This search and trial and error to find what works may be arduous but it is important not to lose hope and to keep trying until you find what works for you.

In addition to the various methods discussed previously, if you find that changing your diet or using various food supplements seems to help control the condition without harming you, it would seem prudent to continue with this psoriasis diet and/or food supplements.

Implementing proper nutrition is very important for a psoriasis diet especially when you think about the heavy loss of skin that results from the scales created with psoriasis as well as the inflammation during the entire period of a psoriasis flare-up which could possibly lead to nutritional deficiencies. The skin which is usually affected by psoriasis is the largest organ in the body and needs various nutrients to remain healthy. Following a proper psoriasis diet could help to add back and maintain optimal levels of nutritients.

A healthy and nutritious psoriasis diet should take into consideration the following;

• A reduction in the amount of red meat consumed
• A reduction in dairy products consumed that may aggravate psoriasis symptoms
• Reduce or eliminate foods that are high in fats and sugars. Saturated fats should be reduced or eliminated as well as trans fats which are considered "bad fats." Good fats such as monounsaturated (heart helper) and polyunsaturated (physique helper) fats should be increased. Good fats are found in foods such as certain fish like salmon and tuna, walnuts, flaxseeds, soybean oil, peanut butter, olives, olive, canola and avocado oil, etc.
• Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your psoriasis diet
• Quit smoking and drinking and it has been found that even small amounts of alcohol can still worsen psoriasis symptoms
• Consume greater amounts of fiber. Avoid any foods that have the word "enriched" in the ingredients list. Look for whole grains or packaging that says whole wheat. Fiber has great healing powers in addition to lowering cholesterol, preventing constipation and lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease. While fiber contains no nutrients, it is the only way to remove harmful toxins and chemicals quickly from the digestive tract. Being constipated as a result of not eating enough fiber will ensure that these chemicals and toxins remain in the body longer and do great harm to the body.

Fiber can also help to control weight since it helps one feel fuller sooner as maintaining a proper weight is important for psoriasis sufferers. Being obese will prevent you from responding to treatment or you will respond to treatment very slowly and relapse quickly when treatments are stopped.

• Reduce the consumption of smoked, salt cured or nitrite preserved foods
• Ensure that the psoriasis diet contains varied foods

It also goes without saying that before starting a psoriasis diet or adding food supplements to help with psoriasis treatment, it may be important for you to discuss it with your doctor first.

While finding an effective treatment for psoriasis can be a very complicated process involving various drugs, light therapy for psoriasis, home remedies for psoriasis, etc, following a psoriasis diet can also help to control the symptoms of psoriasis when used in combination with various other therapies.