10 Foods You Have to Avoid Eating if You Have Psoriasis

These are the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis! 

Diet and other aspects of lifestyle can cause psoriasis. Fortunately, by altering your diet and eliminating specific foods—especially ones that induce inflammation—you could be able to decrease flare-ups and the symptoms of psoriasis.

Although there isn’t a specific diet for psoriasis, some individuals with this illness discover that their skin’s appearance and texture are influenced by the foods they consume, so besides completely removing them from your diet, it can also be helpful if you write down everything that acts like a trigger for the illness.

Some of these foods to avoid when you have psoriasis are processed foods, pre-made meals, and citrus fruits but there are plenty of others worth mentioning in the following lines.

• Red meat

One of the first foods to avoid when you have psoriasis is red meat and charcuterie. These include sausage, beef, pork, bacon, deli, and other smoked meats. Why must you refrain from consuming them? Arachidonic acid is a polyunsaturated lipid found in red meat. Because it is readily transformed into inflammatory chemicals, this kind of fat can exacerbate the symptoms of psoriasis.

Furthermore, eating a lot of red meat might make your body more inflammatory since it is heavy in omega-6 fatty acids and saturated fat.

• Caffeine

Caffeine isn’t exactly a food, but it’s still one of the things that can trigger psoriasis very easily. Caffeine withdrawal has been shown to relieve severe psoriasis symptoms in some patients. The only beverages that include caffeine are soda, energy drinks, black and green teas, and coffee in general. But it doesn’t mean you have to give up coffee altogether! There are still tasty decaffeinated options, and one of them is Lavazza Espresso Decaffeinated Medium Roast. It’s available on Amazon in packs of four for just $60.08.

• Spices

Condiments and spice mixes can be the enemies of someone suffering from psoriasis. The ones that appear to give psoriasis sufferers the most problems include ketchup, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pimento, cinnamon, curry, vinegar, mayo, and paprika. Because of ingredients that might exacerbate inflammation, these are the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis.

• Dairy Products

Another group of foods to avoid when you have psoriasis is dairy. We know they can be very tasty, and almost everybody loves a cup of warm milk sweetened with honey for breakfast, but it can easily trigger psoriasis since it contains arachidonic acid, the same found in red meats.

The protein casein, which has been connected to inflammation, is also present in dairy products. Egg yolks are another animal food that you should stay away from if you have psoriasis since they contain a lot of arachidonic acid. You can easily find replacements for each of these foods since there are a plethora of vegan milk alternatives.

• Junk food

Since psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, some foods can easily trigger it, and the rashes become even more annoying. That’s why one of the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis is fast food. Highly processed foods that are heavy in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats can cause inflammation in our bodies. This leads to bloating and makes the rashes itchy.

Junk food should also be avoided because it has little nutritional value and is heavy in calories, and psoriasis sufferers frequently struggle with their weight. Psoriasis raises your risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disorders. That danger increases if one is overweight.

• Gluten

A lot of individuals have been avoiding gluten in recent years. For some, it became popular, but for others, it’s a severe ailment that has to be treated like any other. Numerous studies have shown that some psoriasis sufferers may also have gluten sensitivity.

However, if you have psoriasis and you believe that some foods that contain gluten make you feel bloated after you eat them, ask your doctor if you could take a test. Gluten can trigger an immunological response in those with celiac disease, which can lead to small intestine damage.

• Alcohol

Alcohol has also been noted as a cause of psoriasis symptoms. Frequent alcohol use has several negative effects on the body and immune system. It is advised that those who have psoriasis abstain from alcohol or only occasionally consume it.

• Citrus fruits

An allergic response can occasionally trigger a flare-up of psoriasis. Lemons, limes, grapefruit, and oranges are examples of citrus fruits that are frequently allergenic. If you find that citrus fruits tend to aggravate your problems, try cutting them out of your diet to see if it helps your skin. This also applies to their derivatives, which include grapefruit juice and lemonade.

• Histamine-rich foods

A group of foods to avoid when you have psoriasis are those that are rich in histamine. One substance the body produces that plays a role in the immunological response is histamine. But some meals can also cause the body to produce histamine or obstruct the enzyme that breaks down too much histamine.

High-histamine foods include spinach, tuna, chicken, pork, almonds, chocolate, and fermented foods like dairy.

• Nightshades

Some claim that eating plants in the nightshade family—which includes peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and white potatoes—makes their psoriasis worse. Nightshades may exacerbate immune-related conditions like psoriasis by promoting the production of cytokines, which are inflammatory chemicals.

The alkaloids included in nightshades are thought to have a detrimental effect on the gut and exacerbate the inflammatory response. According to various patients, soon after they stopped eating these plants, their symptoms decreased, and they felt a lot better.

However, in case you feel that a specific food item is exacerbating your psoriasis symptoms ask your doctor what can you do. A three-week elimination diet involves cutting out specific items from your diet. One by one, you reintroduce each food into your diet after 21 days. The idea is to see whether meals could be linked to undesirable symptoms.

Bottom line

Besides all the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis, it’s also important to make some lifestyle changes. Since the condition has no cure, you must live with it all your life. Self-care is the main thing that should be your number one priority. Spend some time outside on sunny days, but don’t forget about the SPF lotions. Ask your doctor which ones are best for you, and follow the routine.

If you have psoriasis, you already know that stress is the major trigger. That’s why, if you feel like it gets even worse, take steps to manage it. Try meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. Furthermore, it’s also crucial to get a good night’s sleep. You may benefit from eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils like omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Now, if you put down on a list all the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis, don’t forget to limit or completely quit smoking! Try nicotine patches if you find it hard to let go of this long-time habit.

If reading about the foods to avoid when you have psoriasis made you more curious about dieting, check out this article These 6 Surprising Things Can Destroy Your Liver!