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Psoriasis: Diet Do’s & Don’ts
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By Meryl Davids Landau
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MDminute Psoriasis Winter 2008
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A friend tells you he gave up red meat and dairy and his psoriasis improved. Another sufferer loads up on flaxseed and urges you to do the same. The NPF often hears claims that certain foods worsen or improve the condition; they warn that there isn’t a substantial body of research to prove any of these assertions. (One exception: Scientists have found a relationship between celiac disease and psoriasis.)
Since lesions go through periods of clearing and worsening on their own, it’s possible your friends’ dietary changes coincided with a natural improvement. That doesn’t mean diet isn’t important to sufferers; psoriasis, along with the common medications used to treat it, can cause nutritional deficiencies, so it is important that you eat a healthy diet.
As for adding or eliminating specific items, the NPF says there’s no harm in exploring how foods affect your condition, so long as your eating plan is healthy and your overall health is not compromised.
Sources: National Psoriasis Foundation; British Journal of Dermatology, Oct., 2005; Dermatology Nursing, Oct. 2007
There’s an ever-increasing number of ads out there claiming to offer
natural cures for psoriasis. But manufacturers are not supposed to
claim that a dietary supplement, for example, cures or even helps
psoriasis.
“There isn’t a lot of research on alternative remedies, so people
should talk to their dermatologist before trying anything,” says Paolo
Romanelli, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at the University
of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Food and Drug Administration
recommends being skeptical of words such as miracle, cure or
breakthrough when reading ads for various alternative products. They
also suggest you disregard any ad that doesn’t give full names and
affiliations of health-care professionals or clinics that are cited in
it. Another red flag? Be especially wary of claims that a product may
be used for multiple health problems. And, of course, remember the most
time-tested rule of thumb for any claim or promise: If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is.
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