Diet Cure for Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune condition that affects the skin of 4.5 to 7.5 million Americans. Under normal conditions, old skin cells are shed off and replaced by new ones in a cycle that usually takes little less than a month. In people with psoriasis, the cells grow and divide at a rate almost ten times faster than normal skin, resulting in thick, inflamed patches or lesions, covered with dead skin cells (called scale). Psoriasis can develop on any part of the body, but it most commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees, and scalp, groin, and buttocks. Psoriasis is associated with some other health conditions, including diabetes, obesity and excess body weight, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Furthermore, up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis will also develop psoriatic arthritis, a disease causing inflammation in the joints.

Function
Though dietary changes won't cure scalp psoriasis, they may help prevent or reduce the intensity of your symptoms. Since excess body weight increases your risk for psoriasis outbreaks, your diet should also support healthy weight management, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. An appropriate diet may also help delay or reduce symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and should meet your basic nutrient and energy needs.
Helpful Foods
Your diet should include healthy foods from all vital food groups, including complex carbohydrates, lean protein sources and healthy fats. Oil in salmon, albacore tuna and other fatty fish provides anti-inflammatory benefits and, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, may help reduce itching and redness linked with psoriasis. Whole grains are low-glycemic, meaning they have a mild impact on your blood sugar levels and may improve appetite control and hormonal levels and lead to improved symptoms. Whole grain breads and cereals also provide folic acid -- a synthetic form of the B-vitamin folate. If you take the psoriasis medication methotrexate, you may need increased folic acid. Colorful fruits and vegetables, such as berries, bell peppers and leafy greens, provide antioxidants that help strengthen your immune system. Healthy protein-rich foods include skinless white-meat poultry, fish, low-fat dairy or soy-based products and legumes. In addition to fatty fish, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and avocados provide healthy fats.
Foods to Avoid with psoriasis 

Since foods affect people with psoriasis differently, take note of foods that seem to worsen or trigger your symptoms. Some people with psoriasis notice improvements after omitting gluten -- a storage protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- from their diets, according to professor and chairman of the department of dermatology at the University of Rome Dr. Sergio Chimenti. In his book, "Psoriasis," Chimenti recommends avoiding or limiting animal-derived foods and beverages since a vegetarian or plant-based diet may help improve your symptoms. Animal products most likely to worsen inflammation include fatty red, fried and processed meats, dark-meat poultry,