Can you blame your psoriasis flare on the doughnut you had for breakfast, or credit your clear skin to your ugly green smoothie? The answer is probably no: For most people there is little evidence that specific foods are directly responsible for causing or preventing psoriasis flares.
But that doesn’t mean your breakfast choices don’t influence your flare risk. It tends to come down to inflammation, one of the hallmarks of psoriasis, and the overall impact of a diet high in inflammatory or anti-inflammatory foods.
“Although psoriasis is not directly caused by any specific food you eat, some people with psoriasis report an improvement in symptoms when they follow an anti-inflammatory diet or avoid certain triggers that might be individual to them,” says Alix Turoff, RDN, a nutrition consultant and the owner of Alix Turoff Nutrition in New York City.
But an anti-psoriasis diet isn’t just about limiting foods that can worsen inflammation, it’s also about eating foods that can counter inflammation. “Most anti-inflammatory foods are those that we typically categorize as ‘healthy’ in general — they tend to be minimally processed and packed with vitamins and minerals,” says Turoff. “Berries, avocado, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and whole grains are all great anti-inflammatory foods to incorporate into your diet whether you have psoriasis or not.”
If you’re not sure how to get more of these ingredients into your breakfast, check out the inspirational ideas below.
Note: Before you make any major changes to how you eat, Turoff suggests getting cleared by your physician. Ask about eliminating any suspected trigger foods from your diet as a test to see if your symptoms improve.
Read the full article here
