I Tried an Anti-Psoriasis Diet. Here’s What Happened
Published 18 Jul 2016
In another post, I talked about my search to put an end to the itch of psoriasis. After consulting with a naturopathic — or natural medicine — doctor, I embarked on an all-natural diet in the hope of ridding myself of the disease.
As soon as I tried to make my first all-natural dinner, I realized that the thought of giving up cheese and bread was the most difficult. These were staples of my Hispanic upbringing and diet.
In my past life, we packed and sprinkled our enchiladas with shredded cheese. We stuffed our chile rellenos with mozzarella. And quesadillas are essentially two pieces of bread — flour tortillas — bonded together with gooey cheddar goodness. Then there are nachos: fried tortilla chips dipped in spicy, melted cheese and topped with guacamole, sour cream, and jalapeños. Even our refried beans are smothered with cheese.
I gloomily tossed together a salad of spinach, avocado, and sundried tomatoes — no dressing — and scarfed it down. I flopped into bed and turned off the lamp on my nightstand. Day one was over.
Two horrible weeks later, there were no changes to my skin. In fact, I thought I was feeling a little itchier than usual. I was starting to get anxious.
Consulting an Expert
Questioning my decision, I called up Michael Siegel, PhD, director of research programs at the National Psoriasis Foundation, to learn if a diet change could reduce psoriasis symptoms.
“Many people swear that by going on paleo or gluten-free diets, that for them there’s improvement with psoriasis,” Dr. Siegel said. “I’m sure these are real cases, but there’s just no scientific evidence yet.”
He explained that it’s hard to do studies on dietary alterations because it’s a difficult situation to control.
“What are you going to do with the people? Keep them locked up in a lab-controlled room [to manage their diet]?” he said, laughing. “People go to birthday parties, they go out for drinks.”
But, he said, it made sense that minimizing the consumption of certain foods could benefit people with psoriasis. “We know that certain foods have these [inflammatory] effects, and we know that psoriasis is an inflammatory disease,” Siegel said. “We don’t have proof, but we can make the leap between the two.”
Maybe there was some hope for my diet after all. I was certainly avoiding foods that inflame. These include any fried foods, sweetened beverages, red meats, pastas, and pastries. Each of these cause inflammation differently. Sugar consumption, for example, results in toxins in your body called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Our bodies react with inflammation to try to get rid of AGEs. Alcohol consumption has a similar effect: It can up our levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a known indicator of inflammation.
Foods like nuts, berries, and leafy greens, on the other hand, can help fight inflammation. These natural foods are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other nutrients proven to reduce inflammatory symptoms. Thanks to the naturopath’s strict diet, my intake of these good foods was at an all-time high. Maybe I just had to wait a little bit longer to see a benefit.
Some Promising Signs
About three-and-a-half weeks after my initial visit, I was back at the naturopath’s home office — and pleasantly on the mend, it seemed. The patch on my scalp had disappeared completely, and the same was true for my ears. My thighs and elbow were still pinkish and inflamed, but they weren’t as scaly as they’d been in the past.
Like before, the naturopath pulled out a silver pendulum and dangled it over my wrist. She watched it sway for a few moments, then looked up and smiled. She said I didn’t have parasites anymore — something she’d diagnosed at my first visit. I let out a “Cool,” though I doubted that I’d ever had them.
Adjustments to the diet came next, and it was time to ease up a bit, she told me.
Now I could have any and all of the fruits I wanted. Wheat bread and dairy were back on the table, too, but she didn’t recommend either. It was best to avoid them entirely, or eat as little of them as possible.
Best of all, I could start drinking champagne and wine again. Hallelujah! Life was going to start to look a bit more normal. I pictured myself sipping a glass of red wine after a long day’s work.
I celebrated that night. My husband and I popped open a bottle of champagne and cheered. I’d somehow survived a month without a drop of a margarita, quesadilla, pizza, or cake. I was tougher than I thought, dagnabbit! And my psoriasis seemed to have started disappearing.
Alas, the celebration was premature.
I knew something was wrong as soon as I woke up the next morning. Without even touching my scalp, I could sense that the dry patch had returned. So maybe I had a few more glasses of champagne than the recommended amount. But really, who opens a bottle and drinks just one glass? It wasn’t fair.
Food and Psoriasis Flare-ups
I’m sure many people with psoriasis feel this way. Consuming particular foods can cause psoriasis flare-ups, according to Wilson Liao, MD, a dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.
Dr. Liao is getting ready to publish a massive survey he conducted on more than 1,200 people with psoriasis. The goal of his research was to pinpoint what foods seem to help or worsen the condition. Based on his preliminary results, alcohol consumption doesn’t affect just me.
“It was pretty interesting,” Liao told me. “The most common response about what exacerbated symptoms was sugar and alcohol.” Gluten and dairy were close behind.
“Many of my patients tell me that they see improvement or worsening of their skin with certain foods,” he said. “But right now, we don’t have the hard science to back it up.”
Liao hopes to soon change that. He is currently conducting a pilot study that looks at the gut microbiome of a small group of people with psoriasis. He suspects some foods might be causing their microbiome to become abnormal, which subsequently affects the skin.
I’m eager to see what his results are. In the meantime, it looks like I still have a lot to learn about moderation. Whether it’s cheese, bread, sugar, or alcohol, I can’t indulge the way I used to. Psoriasis and diet are going to be an uphill battle for life. There’s no quick fix.
I think back to my final conversation with the naturopath.
“How much more of these diets do I need to do?” I asked.
“They’re not diets,” she replied. “It’s a lifestyle change. I’m teaching you how to lead a different lifestyle.”
While I may not agree with her entire practice, I can at least agree with her on that.
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