Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Food and Psoriasis Are LinkedCalorie-Restricted DietAnti-Inflammatory DietGluten-Free DietOther Considerations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Food and Psoriasis Are Linked
Calorie-Restricted Diet
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Gluten-Free Diet
Other Considerations
While there is no singlepsoriasisdiet that works for everyone, certain foods are known to trigger symptoms in many people living with the disease. On the flip side, certain dietary approaches have been shown to reduce symptoms ofpsoriasis, including areduced-calorie dietor agluten-free diet.
With that being said, foods thattrigger psoriasisin one person may not trigger psoriasis in another. By keeping afood journaland working with a healthcare provider, you may be able to pinpoint which foods are problematic and which are beneficial if trying to manage this common but often challengingautoimmune disease,
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How Diet and Psoriasis Are Related
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’simmune systemattacks skin cells withinflammation, causing them to multiply faster than they can be shed. This causes the cells to pile up on the surface of the skin, creating itchy, dry, scalyplaques. The symptoms tend to come and go in episodic flares lasting for weeks or months.
While there is no consistent diet to help treat psoriasis in all people, scientists have identified certain dietary patterns that contribute to psoriasis symptoms. These insights can help you build a personalized diet plan, often through a process of trial and error, with your healthcare provider.
Psoriasis and Weight Loss
Not only does obesity increase the risk of psoriasis, but it also dramatically increases the failure rate ofpsoriasis treatments, including topical steroids and oral or topical immunosuppressants.
As such, weight reduction is an important step to not only improving your overall health but also alleviating symptoms of psoriasis.
Foods to eat on a weight-loss diet include:
Foods to avoid include:
Psoriasis and Inflammation
Inflammation is a normal response to any disease or condition that causes the body harm. However, with psoriasis, the inflammatory response is inappropriate, targeting normal cells rather than harmful ones.
While medications are the first-line approach to tempering this inappropriate immune response, studies suggest that certainanti-inflammatory foodsmay also help.
According to research, inflammatory foods like sugar ortrans fatcan independently trigger psoriasis in some people. This is especially true for people with obesity,uncontrolled diabetes(whose bodies are already under chronic inflammation), orinflammatory bowel disease(an autoimmune digestive disorder).
Eating anti-inflammatory foods may have the opposite effect, easing the frequency or severity of psoriasis flares. These same foods also tend to be beneficial for people with obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
According to a review of studies published in theInternational Journal of Molecular Science,foods closely linked to psoriasis flares include:
Food with anti-inflammatory effects include:
Psoriasis and Gluten
Studies have shown that the rate of psoriasis among people with CD is nearly three times greater than among people without CD.Based on these facts, some scientists have theorized that eating on a gluten-free diet may relieve symptoms of psoriasis, at least in some people.
On the other hand, a gluten-free diet does not appear to be useful in controlling psoriasis in people without CD or NGCS.
Foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet include those made with:
Foods to eat on a gluten-free diet include:
If you decide to try a gluten-free diet, it can take several months for the effects to be felt. Many experts suggest that you remain completely gluten-free for at least three months to see if any tangible benefits are achieved.
When it comes to controlling psoriasis, how you prepare your food may be just as important as the foods you choose to eat. For example:
Regardless of the type of psoriasis diet you try, it is to your benefit to do so under the guidance of a health provider or qualified nutritionist.
Be sure to take it slowly at first rather than make radical changes that are difficult to sustain. With every adjustment of your diet, keep note of your symptoms in a journal, including any side effects you may experience. Over time, you should be able to build a personalized diet plan that helps keep psoriasis symptoms at bay.
Summary
The foods you eat may influence the frequency and severity of psoriasis symptoms. As these trigger foods can vary from one person to the next, different dietary strategies may be needed.
Some people may benefit from a weight-loss diet which reduces overall inflammation in the body. Others may benefit from a gluten-free diet if they have gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Others still may benefit from eating anti-inflammatory foods (like fatty fish and whole grains) and avoiding inflammatory foods (like red meat and sugar).
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Walter K.Psoriasis.JAMA. 2022;327(19):1936-1936. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.5270Kanda N, Hoashi T, Saeki H.Nutrition and psoriasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 29;21(15):5405. doi:10.3390/ijms21155405Barros G, Duran P, Vera I, Bermudez V.Exploring the links between obesity and psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Int J Mol Sci.2022 Jul 6;23(14):7499. doi:10.3390/ijms23147499Naldi L, Conti A, Cazzaniga S, et al.Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial.Brit J Dermatol.2014;170(3):634-642. doi:10.1111/bjd.12735Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definitions and facts for celiac disease.Bhatia BK, Millsop JW, Debbaneh M, Koo J, Linos E, Liao W.Diet and psoriasis: part 2. Celiac disease and role of a gluten-free diet.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Apr 26;71(2):350–358. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.017National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Gluten-free foods.National Psoriasis Foundation.Dietary modifications.John Hopkins Medicines.Psoriasis diet: foods to eat and avoid if you have psoriasis.Harvard Health.Calorie counting made easy.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Walter K.Psoriasis.JAMA. 2022;327(19):1936-1936. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.5270Kanda N, Hoashi T, Saeki H.Nutrition and psoriasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 29;21(15):5405. doi:10.3390/ijms21155405Barros G, Duran P, Vera I, Bermudez V.Exploring the links between obesity and psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Int J Mol Sci.2022 Jul 6;23(14):7499. doi:10.3390/ijms23147499Naldi L, Conti A, Cazzaniga S, et al.Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial.Brit J Dermatol.2014;170(3):634-642. doi:10.1111/bjd.12735Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definitions and facts for celiac disease.Bhatia BK, Millsop JW, Debbaneh M, Koo J, Linos E, Liao W.Diet and psoriasis: part 2. Celiac disease and role of a gluten-free diet.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Apr 26;71(2):350–358. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.017National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Gluten-free foods.National Psoriasis Foundation.Dietary modifications.John Hopkins Medicines.Psoriasis diet: foods to eat and avoid if you have psoriasis.Harvard Health.Calorie counting made easy.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Walter K.Psoriasis.JAMA. 2022;327(19):1936-1936. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.5270Kanda N, Hoashi T, Saeki H.Nutrition and psoriasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 29;21(15):5405. doi:10.3390/ijms21155405Barros G, Duran P, Vera I, Bermudez V.Exploring the links between obesity and psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Int J Mol Sci.2022 Jul 6;23(14):7499. doi:10.3390/ijms23147499Naldi L, Conti A, Cazzaniga S, et al.Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial.Brit J Dermatol.2014;170(3):634-642. doi:10.1111/bjd.12735Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definitions and facts for celiac disease.Bhatia BK, Millsop JW, Debbaneh M, Koo J, Linos E, Liao W.Diet and psoriasis: part 2. Celiac disease and role of a gluten-free diet.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Apr 26;71(2):350–358. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.017National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Gluten-free foods.National Psoriasis Foundation.Dietary modifications.John Hopkins Medicines.Psoriasis diet: foods to eat and avoid if you have psoriasis.Harvard Health.Calorie counting made easy.
Walter K.Psoriasis.JAMA. 2022;327(19):1936-1936. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.5270
Kanda N, Hoashi T, Saeki H.Nutrition and psoriasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 29;21(15):5405. doi:10.3390/ijms21155405
Barros G, Duran P, Vera I, Bermudez V.Exploring the links between obesity and psoriasis: a comprehensive review.Int J Mol Sci.2022 Jul 6;23(14):7499. doi:10.3390/ijms23147499
Naldi L, Conti A, Cazzaniga S, et al.Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial.Brit J Dermatol.2014;170(3):634-642. doi:10.1111/bjd.12735
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definitions and facts for celiac disease.
Bhatia BK, Millsop JW, Debbaneh M, Koo J, Linos E, Liao W.Diet and psoriasis: part 2. Celiac disease and role of a gluten-free diet.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Apr 26;71(2):350–358. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.017
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease.
Celiac Disease Foundation.Gluten-free foods.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Dietary modifications.
John Hopkins Medicines.Psoriasis diet: foods to eat and avoid if you have psoriasis.
Harvard Health.Calorie counting made easy.
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