What a Diet for Psoriasis Should Include
There are no exceptional ingredients for psoriasis relief, but there are groups of components to include in your skin-friendly menu that can bring results.
Try to add more of these inflammation-fighting, cell-boosting foods to your diet right away:
Vitamins A and D
It’s important to get a wide range of vitamins and minerals to keep every system in your body functioning well, but vitamin A and vitamin D are extra important for skin health. Foods rich in vitamin A (think carrots, mango, and sweet potato) are also great for your eyes and will help to protect your cells.
As for vitamin D, it may be better to get your daily dose in the form of sunshine rather than supplements. Too much vitamin D can bring side effects by raising the calcium level in your blood, possibly leading to kidney stones or gout. Ten to fifteen minutes of sunlight should give your body the dose it needs.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect your cells against damaging free radicals, and that adds up to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic, systemic diseases. They may not magically erase your psoriasis symptoms, but antioxidants will give your body the strength it needs to function well, and hopefully overcome the inflammation.
These protective compounds are found in all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies, but in general, aim for the brightly colored varieties for the biggest helping of antioxidants. Blueberries, currants, squash, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, black beans — the list is long, and the more variety you include, the wider the spectrum of nutrients you’ll take in.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Out of all the nutritional supplements out there, experts have the most confidence in omega-3 fatty acids when it comes to psoriasis relief. These compounds target inflammation in the body while they improve cell function.
The anti-inflammatory power of omega-3s is remarkable, so there’s good reason to swap out omega-6 fatty acid sources (like soybean oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil) for omega-3 fats (coconut oil, olive oil, and fatty cold water fish) in your daily menu. Add in a fish oil supplement for an even bigger omega-3 boost.
Nuts
Nuts are similar to fish in terms of providing excellent types of fats. These aren’t the bad sorts of fat that we’re taught to stay clear of. You wouldn’t want to eat heaps of them, but in moderation, they can provide good fats to help with inflammation.
Brazil nuts especially seem to be good for people living with psoriasis, so adding a few of those to your diet may go a long way.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
You can’t go wrong with eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. They contain an abundance of minerals and vitamins. They’re easy for your body to process and don’t have the same inflammatory properties of many other types of foods.
Also, fruits and vegetables are known to be great for your gut, which, as mentioned when discussing dairy, there may be a connection with people living with psoriasis.
If you increase the intake of fruits and especially vegetables into your diet, you may well notice an improvement in your psoriasis and your overall wellbeing.
