Psoriasis is a chronic variant of dermatopathology characterized by the formation of reddish-silvery papular rashes on various parts of the body. It is more often formed in the age category of children, but it can initially appear after 20-35 years.
Causes:
- metabolic disorders;
- gastrointestinal tract pathology;
- dysbiosis;
- chronic stressful situations;
- the presence of negative habits, for example, alcohol abuse.
Because the skin is a giant organ, the appearance of various rashes on it, including those of a psoriatic nature, requires diagnostic studies and an integrated therapeutic approach.
Diet therapy is an important factor in the path of liberation from unaesthetic formations. Proper nutrition in combination with drug therapy are the main directions of modern methods of influencing the disease.
The most important thing you will need to take care of when maintaining a proper diet for psoriasis is drinking plenty of water a day, from seven to ten glasses. The liquids used must be of high purity, and in the case of consuming juices, it is recommended to cook freshly squeezed.
Basics of proper nutrition
Each person's body is unique, so the specialist must choose an adequate diet for each case strictly individually - a unique menu for all people with psoriasis simply does not exist.
The main task of dietary therapy in the identification of pathology is to maintain an adequate acid-base environment in the patient's body. The balance should be tilted in favor of an alkaline environment, because acidic only worsens the course of pathology. Experts recommend that you include 2-4 times more alkaline foods in your diet.
Basic principles:
- eat fractionally - in small portions, 4-5 times a day;
- consume 2, 2, 5 liters of fluid per day;
- adjust your diet so that your intestines are not overloaded;
- timely bowel emptying is the basis of health, carefully monitor the timeliness of toxin release;
- at the time of exacerbation of pathology, it is recommended to enrich the body with mineral acids and organic elements: no more than 20%, the rest should be alkaline products;
- maximum rejection of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products;
- reduce the amount of table salt in the diet;
- minimize the use of preservatives, emulsifiers, dyes, stabilizers and disintegrants;
- avoid all citrus fruits in your diet as much as possible - except oranges, lime and grapefruit are included in this subgroup;
- emphasis should be placed on the use of cereals and fermented dairy products, vegetable oils - but also in small quantities.
Compliance with the above principles helps to reduce the number of exacerbations of psoriasis to a minimum, in order to achieve long periods of remission of the disease.
What to discard
During the consultation, the specialist will especially emphasize that you cannot eat with psoriasis. Diet therapy envisages maximum rejection of the list of individual products, but necessarily ensures a complete diet that supplies the patient with all the nutrients.
What is recommended to refuse:
- Numerous studies conducted by experts among people suffering from psoriatic eruptions have convincingly shown that spices cause exacerbation of the disease. The maximum concentration of essential oils and aromatic elements in them is very harmful for people with dermatopathology - it leads to a feeling of itching on the skin, a weakened burning sensation and worsening of the pathology.
- Different nuts have a similar negative effect on the skin. The most allergenic product is peanuts. It is advisable to avoid as much as possible both nuts in pure form and in the form of various additives. Peanut butter is completely removed from the diet.
- Various spicy, smoked, canned foods have a particularly irritating effect on the tissues of the intestinal loops. They irritate the mucous membranes and prevent adequate processing and absorption of nutrients. This is what leads to the appearance of new defects in the dermis - psoriatic plaques and scales.
- A significant percentage of essential oils that are toxic to patients with psoriasis are also found in citrus peel. For that reason, experts recommend refusing to include in the diet not only the fruits themselves, but also the juices from them, because they are squeezed out by the industrial method of production without removing the peel.
- Inflammatory manifestations on the dermis can also be caused by arachidonic acid, which is saturated with meat. When compiling the menu, preference is given to white varieties, for example, turkey and rabbit meat.
- The ultimate restriction is imposed on grape-based alcoholic beverages. During their fermentation, aromatic compounds are formed which have the most negative effect on the condition of the dermis. Liver structures are also damaged, the filtration capacity of organs is generally reduced, toxins and toxins accumulate - psoriasis worsens.
A well-designed diet also leads to the normalization of a person's body weight, and such a complication of psoriasis as arthritis can be removed for a long time if a person adheres to the basic dietary recommendations he receives from a specialist during a consultation.
Approved products
The opinion of dermatologists around the world is unanimous - one should not rush to extremes and strictly limit one's diet. Before adjusting the diet, the specialist will perform a series of diagnostic procedures to identify foods that are adversely affected. Based on that, a decision will be made about what can be eaten with psoriasis for this person.
The following elements have a positive effect on the condition of the skin:
- various unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. Natural arachidonic acid antagonists, those found in marine fish, have the best effect on the dermis;
- a variety of vegetables contain vitamins and carotenoids - they optimally affect the protective barriers of the human body, increase the activity of immune structures, contribute to maximum resistance to negative external factors that can cause deterioration of dermatopathology;
For those who suffer from psoriatic eruptions, it is useful:
- add lecithin in the form of granules to the diet;
- replace coffee and coffee drinks with medicinal teas;
- eat more variety of vegetables;
- drink freshly squeezed juices more often;
- abandon the possibilities of artificial aroma as much as possible - replace them with freshly grown herbs;
- it is useful to include fresh berries in the diet: gooseberries and viburnum, mountain ash and currants, blueberries;
- various cereals will bring maximum benefit - oatmeal, buckwheat, millet;
- sea fish should be present on the table at least 4-5 times a week, but it is recommended to cook on steam;
- poultry dishes are allowed up to 3-4 times during the current week, carefully removing all skin;
- milk and products containing milk are allowed only those in which the reduced fat and table salt content is indicated;
- eggs should be soft-boiled - 3-4 times a week;
- acceptable oils - olive, cotton, corn.
Thus, the psoriasis diet is based on the use of simple, varied and highly enriched foods.
Starvation
A necessary condition for full-fledged diet therapy for psoriasis is the obligatory cleansing of the human body - this is helped by healing fasting. People are advised to choose a day in their schedule, during which only distilled liquid will enter his body.
The next day, a vegetable salad for breakfast, the use of monastery tea is allowed - and again, following the compiled menu of the daily diet.
The result of healing fasting and careful observance will be maximal - after 20-35 days the person will feel a general improvement in well-being, the skin will be cleansed faster.
You should not practice frequent fasting - stick to the golden mean: no more than 1 day of cleaning per week. Various cleansing procedures, which are practiced in beauty salons, are also prohibited - they will only disturb the natural balance in the intestinal loops, including those with psoriasis.
Clean and radiantly beautiful skin is an achievable result, even with a diagnosis of psoriasis. The main thing is to adhere to a diet therapy that is individually compiled by a specialist, in combination with medication - as needed.