Below are eight foods to avoid if you have psoriasis and are tired of the flare-ups and other symptoms that come with it.
Anyone dealing with psoriasis can tell you it’s no fun. It can be uncomfortable, unsightly, embarrassing, and it can itch quite a bit. Some people deal with psoriasis on their back, some on their scalp, some around their eyes.
While there’s not conclusive scientific evidence linking any particular foods to these flare-ups, there is some preliminary research correlating certain foods with psoriasis. Correlation is not causation, but it can’t hurt to see if changing your diet can give you some symptom relief.
8 Foods to Avoid If You Have Psoriasis
1. Gluten and Yeast. There may be a direct connection between the consumption of gluten and/or yeast and psoriasis. While researchers are still working to understand the link, there are plenty of people with psoriasis who claim when they shift from consuming products with gluten or wheat, often wheat, rye, and barley-based bread, they see a dramatic reduction in the flare-ups.
2. Some Condiments. There are certain condiments, such as curry, vinegar, and paprika that seems to affect people with psoriasis a bit more than others. There’s no scientific link between these and those flare-ups, but it has been noted that some people with psoriasis notice a marked increase when consuming more of these condiments.
3. Red Meat. This might not be welcome news for those who love a good steak, but red meat contains arachidonic acid, which is a polyunsaturated fat. This is known to cause problems for people with inflammatory conditions, which psoriasis certainly is.
4. Dairy. Whether it’s milk, cheese, sour cream, or other dairy products, there’s some concern that because of the protein casein found in dairy products, this protein has been linked to inflammations.
5. Junk Food. As psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, anything that’s going to exacerbate those inflammations is probably not the best thing to eat. Junk food falls right into that category because it often contains trans and saturated fats as well as refined starches and sugars. These are all inflammatory agents.
6. Alcohol. Alcohol will open the blood vessels in the skin, which allows those white blood cells that are responsible for psoriasis to make it to the surface of the skin. Symptoms of psoriasis can often increase, even for those who are considered light to moderate drinkers.
7. Certain Plants. Often referred to as ‘nightshade plants,’ potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant may all be culprits for increasing psoriasis outbreaks.
8. Citrus. Yes, you love oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits, but they may not help your skin. The problem with citrus is only for those who may have some type of allergies to these fruits, which would cause psoriasis to flare up.
What about sugar? Is there a link between sugar and psoriasis? Well, no, there’s not. There is a link between eating better, losing weight, putting your body under less stress as a result, and that may certainly help improve your skin tone, complexion, and more.
When you understand the various risk factors associated with psoriasis and that some foods may increase the potential for flare ups, begin to experiment for yourself. You might discover there’s a combination of foods that are better left in your past.
This post is sponsored by Quality Care by Leo; image Credit: Milk image via Shutterstock
