Diet for psoriasis: is it possible to get rid of this disease?

There is currently no "cure for psoriasis", but there are quite effective methods that can help reduce its symptoms. One of these methods is a diet for psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic non-contagious dermatological disease in which characteristic rashes in the form of red spots (plaques) covered with light dry scales appear on the skin of the extensor part of the elbow and knee joints, on the scalp (hairy part, around the ears). Over time, the rash can spread to large areas of skin all over the body. Despite the fact that psoriasis affects about 4% of the world's population, the causes of this disease have not yet been definitively determined. The most convincing version of the pathogenesis of psoriasis is autoimmune. The immune reaction in the form of hyperkeratosis can be caused by hormonal, hereditary, stress and metabolic factors.

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Nutrition for psoriasis: the goal is to reduce blood acidity

Most diets help in the complex therapy of certain diseases. Can a diet for psoriasis cure a person of this disease and counteract its relapses?

Some researchers in the field of clinical medicine say that the theory of the influence of nutrition on psoriasis has no serious scientific basis. But many patients with psoriasis claim that following a diet has alleviated their condition. Therefore, today, when treating psoriasis, doctors take diet into account.

The main trigger of psoriasis is considered to be the so-called "syndrome of increased intestinal permeability". The appearance of specific psoriatic rashes on the skin is facilitated by the thinning of the walls of the small intestine, leading to the fact that the hematic barrier is disrupted, and toxins from the intestine gain access to the blood. When the liver and kidneys, overloaded with toxins, stop removing them from the bloodstream, the skin - our "third kidney" - "takes over". As scientists assume, an autoimmune reaction occurs against the background of unfavorable factors. That is, the acid-base balance of the blood shifts towards acidity, and triggers the mechanism of pathological production of dendritic immune cells and T-lymphocytes. They interfere with the process of cell division of the epidermis and significantly accelerate it, which leads to skin rashes.

Pegano Diet for Psoriasis

So, normally the blood should have a slightly alkaline reaction, therefore the diet for psoriasis has the main goal - to reduce the acidity of the blood, which should lead to a decrease in the synthesis of autoimmune antibodies. In addition, it is necessary to establish normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in order to regenerate the integrity of the walls of the small intestine and ensure the release of the large intestine from the "waste" of the digestive process. That is, to avoid constipation at all costs.

The most famous diet for psoriasis was developed by a New Jersey doctor, John O. Pagano (1930-2012), who had been studying the problem of psoriasis for over 40 years. The basic principles of the Pagano diet for psoriasis are set out in his book, Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative, first published in the United States in 1991. And in 2000, the cookbook, Dr. John's Healing Psoriasis Cookbook, was published, which contains over 300 recipes for preparing dietary dishes.

This nutrition system, as Pagano himself admits, is based on the works of his predecessors. This is the study "Food is Your Best Medicine" by an American doctor with 50 years of experience, Henry G. Bieler (1893-1975). And also the "Encyclopedia of Healing" by the world-famous American "sleeping prophet" Edgar Cayce (1877-1945). For four decades, Cayce made diagnoses and prescribed effective treatment, using his unusual gift of a medium. Among Cayce's patients, there were many who turned to him for treatment of psoriasis. It was Edgar Cayce who saw the cause of psoriasis in the already mentioned "syndrome of increased intestinal permeability."

According to Dr. Pegano, psoriasis is an external manifestation of the body's attempt to free itself from internal toxins. Pegano describes the basic diet for psoriasis patients as follows: a diet for psoriasis, including a diet for scalp psoriasis, requires more consumption of foods that alkalize the blood plasma and less consumption of foods that increase its acidity. The daily diet should consist of 70-80% alkaline formers (vegetables and fruits), and the rest - meat and cereal grains, that is, foods that promote blood acidity.

The Pegano diet for psoriasis excludes:

• red meat (except lamb) and meat by-products (heart, kidneys, liver, etc.);
• sausages and smoked meats;
• bread and baked goods made from white flour;
• everything fatty and fried;
• vegetables of the nightshade family (potatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and all tomato products);
• white rice;
• strawberries, cranberries, currants, plums, blueberries, citrus fruits and juices from them;
• cane sugar and sweets of all kinds;
• cream, ice cream and milkshakes;
• seafood (crabs, shrimps, scallops, mussels);
• coffee, caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks;
• canned food and all products with preservatives and food colorings;
• alcohol and tobacco.

The Pegano diet for psoriasis includes:

• fractional meals in small portions;
• at least 1.5 liters of clean water per day (in addition to other liquids), lemon juice can be added to the water;
• green leafy vegetables (lettuce, celery, spinach, parsley);
• fresh fruits in moderation;
• fish, poultry, lamb;
• vegetables (fresh, boiled and stewed cabbage, zucchini, carrots, beets, onions, broccoli, pumpkin);
• eggs (2 times a week, not fried);
• fruits and freshly squeezed fruit juices;
• grain porridges in limited quantities (oats, barley, millet, buckwheat, corn);
• whole grain bread, corn bread, bran bread;
• low-fat milk, cheese and cottage cheese (sometimes);
• olive oil (for salad dressing);
• almonds (2-4 pcs. per day, up to 3 times per week);
• seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax);
• herbal teas (chamomile, safflower, mullein, saffron, slippery elm bark).

A diet for an exacerbation of psoriasis, along with a balanced set of foods, should include: fish oil, flaxseed oil, vitamins A, D and E, lecithin, selenium, zinc and folic acid.

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Diet for psoriasis Ogneva

Russian dermatologist and herbalist Svetlana Ogneva herself suffered from psoriasis, which prompted her to study the disease. She treated herself with herbs, and her recommendations, included in the book “My Life and My Fight with Psoriasis” (published in 1997), are formulated as follows. It is necessary to refuse the use of any hormonal agents; regularly drink herbal infusions and take herbal baths; monitor the state of the gastrointestinal tract and follow a diet.

As for the Ogneva diet for psoriasis, the list of food products that can or cannot be consumed is absolutely similar to the recommendations of the Pegano diet for psoriasis.

True, Ogneva allows cranberries, currants, plums and blueberries to be consumed - in small quantities. Melon, bananas and apples are recommended to be eaten separately from other products, but avocados should not be consumed with elevated urea levels.

Further, Ogneva's diet prescribes psoriasis patients to eat lean beef, veal and rabbit (boiled or stewed). Beets are restricted, as are cereals (with a reduction in bread consumption). Oatmeal, rice, semolina and corn grits, pasta, as well as legumes (beans, peas and lentils) should be excluded from the diet. But green beans are not prohibited.

The doctor advises to prepare either vegetarian first courses or soups on weak meat broth. One of the options for the daily menu of the diet for psoriasis looks like this:

• For breakfast – an omelette of two eggs, 100 g of cottage cheese, coffee with milk.
• For lunch: vegetable salad (dressed with olive oil), vegetarian borscht or cereal soup, boiled or oven-baked chicken (rabbit) with buckwheat, compote.
• For an afternoon snack – a fresh or baked apple, banana.
• For dinner – steamed sea fish, stewed zucchini, rosehip infusion.

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Reviews of diets for psoriasis

Many dermatologists have a positive attitude towards diet therapy and believe that proper nutrition for psoriasis can reduce the symptoms of this disease. And practice shows that this is indeed the case.

Efforts aimed at following the correct nutrition system are not in vain. Reviews of diets for psoriasis indicate that in some patients, psoriasis symptoms practically disappear after 4-6 months. But as soon as a person begins to violate the diet, skin rashes appear again.

Unfortunately, a diet for psoriasis does not cure the disease, but helps to reduce the manifestation of its symptoms. At the same time, it helps some, while others do not feel any positive changes when changing their diet. Obviously, this is due to the fact that psoriasis is a polyetiological disease, and individual characteristics are of no small importance both for the development of pathology and for the degree of effectiveness of the therapeutic effect of various treatment methods.

The time it takes for the first positive results to appear is from several weeks to several months. Therefore, you need to be patient. Moreover, the diet for psoriasis should be followed throughout life - to maintain control over the appearance of skin rashes.