The list of prohibited foods for psoriasis includes table salt. Its consumption is limited, since it not only irritates the digestive tract, but also "attracts" water, which contributes to the appearance of latent edema, weight gain and exacerbation of pathological processes in metabolism.
Exceptions are spices and spicy dishes, which not only have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system, but also affect the skin (aromatic substances and essential oils) and cause itching and inflammatory reactions in the skin.
Digestible carbohydrates (sugar, honey, sweets, etc. ) also cause inflammation and also contribute to weight gain. It is necessary to exclude products that contain preservatives, dyes, stabilizers and flavor enhancers: they cause allergic and inflammatory reactions.
You should avoid fatty foods, which aggravate disorders of fat metabolism, "add" extra pounds, "inhibit" the work of the digestive tract.
List of prohibited products:
- Pastries, in particular fresh, white bread, shortbread biscuits;
- rich meat soups;
- fatty meat (especially pork), lard, sausage;
- smoked fish, meat, canned food;
- Spices (garlic, horseradish, vinegar, pepper, cloves, nutmeg);
- fatty dairy products;
- Citrus fruits (a controversial issue, some nutritionists applaud it, others forbid it);
- Seafood (lobster, crab, prawns, clams, oysters);
- highly allergenic fruits and berries (strawberry, pineapple, melon, strawberry, blueberry, mango, cranberry);
- Vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, legumes, eggplants, peppers);
- Coffee, cocoa, chocolate;
- Protein and butter creams, jams, honey, sweets;
- Nuts, in particular roasted and salted;
- Eggs;
- easily digestible cereals (semolina, barley);
- Offal.
The need to follow a diet
A patient on a psoriasis diet will soon see a marked improvement in skin condition, a decrease in the frequency of relapses, and a disappearance of itching and discomfort. In addition, nutritional therapy helps normalize weight and digestive tract function, improve the appearance of hair and nails, and stimulate the immune system.
Why you need a diet for psoriasis
After eating food, complex biochemical processes are triggered to break it down and assimilate it. The pH in the body depends on the composition of the food. When proteins are metabolized in tomatoes, eggplants, meat, and fish, the environment becomes acidic. This often predisposes to the next psoriasis recurrence. Therefore, getting rid of such products will help avoid the appearance on the skin of the characteristic pink plaques, covered with silvery scales. Adherence to a diet for a long period of time leads to a significant improvement in the body. How does this happen:
- Metabolism is normalized;
- the body's immunity to the effects of external and internal negative factors increases;
- the quality of sleep improves, vitality increases, apathy and tiredness disappear.
There is a certain allergic component in the pathogenesis (mechanism) of the development of psoriasis. The symptoms are also similar to typical sensitization symptoms - the skin becomes inflamed, irritated and rashes develop. It is therefore advisable to exclude foods that cause allergies from the menu. For example chocolate, strawberries, citrus fruits.
Healthy food
With psoriasis, all fermented milk products are useful, but only with a low fat content. Nutritionists recommend patients to use soft cheese without spices, varenets, fermented baking milk, yogurt and kefir more often. Children's diets should definitely include cottage cheese and drinking yogurt without coloring or flavoring. In addition, the following products should be included in the weekly menu:
- boiled eggs or omelets;
- lean meat - turkey, rabbit, chicken breast, lamb;
- fatty fish - salmon, Norwegian herring, sardines;
- dried whole wheat bread;
- Cereal porridge - buckwheat, millet, wheat, corn;
- White cabbage salads, parsley beets, seasoned with any vegetable oil;
- Zucchini, greens and celery roots, carrots.
Food must not be deep-fried or deep-fried. They should be simmered or baked in a little water. Steamed vegetables, meat or fish retain the maximum possible amount of nutrients, macro and micro elements, fat and water soluble vitamins.
Nutritionists recommend eating fruits and dried fruits for dessert. Especially useful is the daily use of figs, dried apricots, pineapples, grapes, cherries, peaches, dates. Of the citrus fruits, only grapefruit is allowed. The dense fruit skin must be cut off. Don't forget about nuts (walnuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts), pumpkin and sunflower seeds. They perfectly alkalize the body and minimize the risk of psoriasis recurrence.
Basic nutritional guidelines
The goals of following a diet for psoriasis are:
- Reducing the number of exacerbations of the disease;
- Reducing the frequency and intensity of rashes;
- Normalization of metabolism;
- stimulation of the body's defenses;
- Improve the work of the digestive tract.
According to the classification, the psoriasis diet does not have a "table of its own", which means that one should stick to the general diet or treatment table No. 15.
If the disease worsens over several days, a low-calorie diet with pureed food is recommended. Its daily energy value is 1800 kilocalories, protein content - 50-70 grams, fat - no more than 40-60 grams, carbohydrates - about 250-300 grams, also the exclusion of allergenic foods is shown.
Every person's body is individual and therefore there are no clear restrictions on the consumption of any particular food. There are many diet methods developed for psoriasis, the most popular of which are the Pegano Diet and the Fire Diet. They are similar in that they try to regulate the acid-base balance in the body in order to stabilize the disease. This means that it is recommended to consume up to 70% of the daily diet of alkali-forming products and about 30% of acid-forming products.
General principles of diet for psoriasis:
- Drinking liquids; The free fluid intake should not be less than 2-2, 5 liters per day. Drinking plenty of fluids removes toxins from the body, normalizes kidney function, prevents constipation from developing, and increases skin turgor.
- Weight; Excessive body weight indicates a deep metabolic disorder, especially with lipids and carbohydrates. It is important to normalize weight, not overeat and exercise, as obesity disrupts the digestive and cardiovascular systems. Normalization of weight improves the condition of the skin, as the level of C-reactive protein in the blood decreases, which increases with obesity.