The diet to combat Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease and even today, science can’t answer many of the questions regarding this disease, especially about its origin. However, what is clear is that there is a hereditary factor.

This disease can occur in any person, though most often occurs in young adults of both sexes. According to scientific evidence, symptoms may be aggravated by the patient's emotional state, which is characterised by a depressed immune system.

The most common signs of this disease include: skin lesions with inflammation, scaly red patches variably associated with itching. Generally these occur predominantly on the elbows, knees, neck and scalp, but sometimes it may occupy large areas of the body as well.

Get rid of psoriasis with natural options

Psoriasis is not caused by any infectious agent, which means it is not contagious. Day by day, people develop new ranges of products to treat it and also alternative medicines are increasingly offering us more options to fight the disease.

Treatments range from homeopathy, herbal medicine, baths or sun exposure, all of which can help reduce and improve skin lesions. Corticosteroids, the more usual treatment, is also an option, with the only difference being that natural options are not so likely to produce side effects.

Diet for psoriasis

Although psoriasis is considered a difficult disease to treat, it is suggested that the people who make adjustments in their diet show significant improvements more quickly. The diet should be full of plant-based foods, rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and avoid over-fatty foods.

Stress and alcohol are enemies of the people suffering from this disease, so you need to avoid them where possible.

An alkaline diet has proven effective for improving skin lesions, which therefore leads us to avoid acidifying foods like beef, sausage, pork, poultry, etc. Avoid saturated fat, dairy products, milk, cheese, yogurt and butter too.

It is also considered that consumption of "refined" vegetable oils and margarines should also be avoided, as they are biologically inactive.

Guidelines to follow

• The diet should be alkaline, among which are foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and all vegetables, except spinach, tomatoes and eggplant (aubergine).
• Nuts like almonds and Brazil nuts and fresh fruits like banana and apple are recommended.
• Dried fruits can be consumed in small amounts, preferably that have been harvested ripe.

Other alkaline foods

In addition, algae are alkaline, as well as seasonings such as miso, shoyu and ume vinegar. These foods should be eaten sparingly, and mainly used to flavour dishes.

Recommended oils are: sunflower, sesame or wheat germ oil. Olive oil is another very good option for cooking, since it has a significant anti-inflammatory effect.

Avoid refined cereals, so it is recommended to consume whole cereals sparingly and always accompanied by vegetables to preserve alkaline balance.

In addition, legumes are a good source of high quality vegetable protein, you can use them to replace meat, however, do not abuse their consumption, since their intake should be limited to about half a cup daily.

Diet plays an important role in this disease, since the rash should not be considered an external problem, but rather a reflection of your body's internal situation and therefore you have to start healing through your diet.

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