Psoriasis is a chronic variant of dermatopathology, characterized by the formation of reddish-silver papular eruptions on various parts of the body. It forms most often in the age category of children, but can initially occur after the age of 20-35 years.
Causes of occurrence:
- metabolic disorders;
- gastrointestinal tract pathology;
- dysbiosis;
- chronic stressful situations;
- presence of negative habits, for example, alcohol abuse.
Since the skin is a single giant organ, the appearance on it of various rashes, including those of a psoriatic nature, requires diagnostic studies and an integrated therapeutic approach.
Diet therapy is a major factor on the way to getting rid of unsightly formations. The correct diet in combination with drug therapy are the main directions of modern methods of influencing the disease.
The most important thing to monitor while maintaining adequate nutrition for psoriasis is drinking a large enough amount of water per day, seven to ten glasses. The liquids used must be of high purity, and in the case of juice consumption, it is recommended to cook the freshly squeezed.
The basics of proper nutrition
Each person's body is unique, therefore a specialist must select a suitable diet in each case strictly individually: there is simply no single menu for all people with psoriasis.
The main task of dietary therapy in the identification of pathologies is to maintain an adequate acid-base environment in the patient's body. The balance must be tipped in favor of an alkaline environment, since an acidic one only aggravates the course of the pathology. Experts recommend that you include 2 to 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 liquid per day;
- adjust the diet so that the intestines are not overloaded;
- timely emptying of the intestines is the basis of health, carefully monitor the timeliness of the release of toxins;
- 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, colorants, stabilizers and disintegrants;
- avoid all citrus fruits in the diet as much as possible; Besides oranges, lime and grapefruit are also included in this subgroup;
- Emphasis should be placed on the use of fermented cereals and dairy products, vegetable oils, but also in small quantities.
Compliance with the above principles helps to minimize the number of exacerbations of psoriasis, to achieve long periods of remission of the disease.
What should be discarded
During the consultation, the specialist will emphasize that you cannot eat with psoriasis. Diet therapy provides the maximum rejection of the list of individual products, but necessarily provides a complete diet that provides the patient with all the nutrients.
What is recommended to refuse:
- Numerous studies carried out by specialists among people suffering from psoriatic rashes have convincingly shown that spices cause an 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 an itchy sensation on the skin, a debilitating burning sensation, and an aggravation of the pathology.
- Various nuts have a similar negative effect on the skin. The most allergenic product is peanuts. It is recommended to avoid nuts as much as possible in their pure form and in the form of various additives. Peanut butter is completely eliminated from the diet.
- A variety of canned, smoked and spicy foods have a particularly irritating effect on the tissues of the intestinal loops. They irritate the mucous membranes and prevent proper 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 psoriasis patients are also found in citrus peel. It is for this reason that experts recommend not including in the diet not only the fruits themselves, but also their juices, since with the industrial method of production it is squeezed without removing the zest.
- Inflammatory manifestations in 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 most extreme limitation is imposed on grape-based alcoholic beverages. It is during its fermentation when aromatic compounds are formed, which have the most negative effect on the condition of the dermis. The liver structures also suffer, the filtering capacity of the organ generally decreases, toxins and toxins accumulate, psoriasis worsens.
A well-designed diet also leads to the normalization of a person's weight; a complication of psoriasis such as arthritis can be distant for a long time if a person adheres to the basic nutritional recommendations received from a specialist during a consultation.
Approved Products
The opinion of dermatologists around the world is unanimous: one should not rush to extremes and severely limit oneself in nutrition. Before adjusting the diet, a specialist will carry out a variety of diagnostic procedures to identify the foods that affect the most negatively. Based on this, a decision will be made about what can be eaten with psoriasis for this particular person.
The following elements have a positive effect on the condition of the skin:
- a variety of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. Natural arachidonic acid antagonists, being in marine fish, have the best effect on the dermis;
- a variety of vegetables contain vitamins and caratinodes: they optimally affect the protective barriers of the human body, multiply the activity of immune structures, contribute to maximum resistance to negative external factors that can provoke an exacerbation of dermatopathology;
For those who suffer from psoriatic rashes, 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 fresh juices more often;
- abandon artificial flavor options 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 gooseberries, blueberries;
- a variety of cereals will bring the maximum benefit: oats, buckwheat, millet;
- sea fish should be present on the table at least 4-5 times a week, but it is recommended to steam it;
- Poultry dishes are allowed up to 3-4 times in the current week, carefully removing all the skin;
- milk and milk products are only allowed those in which a reduced content of fat and table salt is indicated;
- eggs need to be boiled gently, 3-4 times a week;
- of the oils are acceptable: olive, cottonseed, corn.
Thus, the diet for psoriasis is based on the use of simple, varied and highly enriched foods.
Starvation
An indispensable condition for a complete dietary therapy for psoriasis is the obligatory cleansing of the human body; healing fasting helps in this. A person is advised to select a day in his schedule, during which only the distilled liquid will enter her body.
The next day, vegetable salad for breakfast, use of monastery tea, and again following the compiled menu of the daily diet is allowed.
The result of healing fasting and careful observance will be maximum: after 20-35 days, a person will feel a general improvement in well-being, the skin will clear up faster.
Frequent fasting should not be practiced; stick to the golden mean - no more than 1 cleanse day per week. A variety of cleaning procedures, which are practiced in beauty salons, are also prohibited; They will only disturb the natural balance in the intestinal loops and thus suffer from psoriasis.
Clean, radiantly beautiful skin is an achievable result, even with a psoriasis diagnosis. The main thing is to adhere to diet therapy individually compiled by a specialist, in combination with drugs, as necessary.