Treatment of any serious or chronic disease must be accompanied by adherence to special dietary rules, that is, a special diet. Since such a common skin disease as psoriasis belongs to the group of incurable diseases, it is absolutely impossible to take a diet with psoriasis as one of the ways to recover. But if you adhere to certain rules in nutrition, then you can significantly reduce the symptoms of this unpleasant disease, and reduce the risk of its possible exacerbations.
So, what you can eat with psoriasis , what foods and in what proportions should be included in the therapeutic diet, and what foods it is desirable to completely exclude from the menu, we will consider right now.
Products that are recommended for use in psoriasis are conventionally divided into two groups: alkali-forming and acid-forming. The priority is given to products that create an alkaline environment in the digestive tract – their content in the patient’s diet should be at least 70%. Products that create an acidic environment are, respectively, in second place – only 20-30% of the total.
Alkali-forming products
First of all, any berries and fruits are useful for psoriasis. All of them, without exception, have the property of creating a mild alkaline environment in the gastrointestinal tract, and even those that taste very sour. The exception to the rule is only five types of fruits – blueberries, prunes and plums, cranberries, currants.
Bananas, apples, and melons should be eaten separately from all other foods. In addition, citrus fruits, in any form, cannot be combined with dairy products and cereals.
What else can you eat with psoriasis ? Of course, vegetables, which also contribute to the formation of a favorable alkaline environment in the gastrointestinal tract. However, among vegetables, there are some types, the use of which should be limited to patients. These are all legumes, pumpkin, rhubarb and Brussels sprouts.
In addition, it is recommended to completely exclude all nightshade crops from the diet, that is, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, etc.
Acid-forming products
The list of products that contribute to the formation of an acidic environment in the gastrointestinal tract is quite extensive. These are all types of meat, many cereals, cheeses and cottage cheese, butter and any vegetable oil, sugar, and much more. But with the use of them in food, you need to be very careful, since such foods contain a large amount of proteins, sugars, starch, organic acids and natural fats. The wrong combination or proportionality of acid-forming products can negatively affect the condition of the skin of a patient with psoriasis.
Answering the question of what can be eaten with psoriasis, it is imperative to note the benefits of some products used for dietary therapeutic nutrition.
For example, patients with psoriasis are advised to add lecithin to food in a tablespoon 3 times a day, for a course of no more than 5 days. It is better to replace grain coffee with lemon juice diluted in boiled water. Drink as much juices as possible from spinach, celery, parsley, beets and carrots, which help to normalize digestion, perfectly cleanse the intestines and liver, and serve as a general tonic.
It is recommended to include gooseberries, viburnum, blueberries, lingonberries and black currants in the menu. In addition to berries, you need to eat cereals – wheat, oat and especially buckwheat.
But to combine such products as cereals, fruits, bread and stewed vegetables, on the contrary, doctors do not advise. If possible, it is necessary to minimize or completely exclude from the diet sugar, wine vinegar, spices, food additives, alcohol, sausages, white bread, fish in any form, sugary carbonated drinks, fast food.
If you follow this therapeutic diet almost all the time, the disease will recede and psoriasis plaques will not be so noticeable on the skin. This means that the patient will not experience any discomfort when communicating with people around him.