What factors may promote this initial inflammatory state?
Diet appears to have a significant role in causing the inflammation which underlies psoriasis. Reports of high levels of anti-gluten antibodies in psoriasis sufferers and of improvements in symptoms on gluten-free diets suggest that food intolerances may play a part.
A recent study led by Dr Abrar Quereshi and published in the Archives of Dermatology [1] revealed that women drinking more than 5 beers a week were almost twice as likely to develop psoriasis when compared to women drinking equivalent amounts of wine, low calorieCalories are a measure of the amount of energy in food. Knowing how many calories are in the food we eat allows us to balance… beer or other alcohol. Although there are strong links between alcohol intake and psoriasis, particularly in men [2] , researchers suspected that these women might be reacting to the high amount of glutenGluten is a protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. Obvious sources of gluten in the diet are bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and…, a wheat proteinProteins are large molecules consisting of chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body – they are a building block of… in beer, rather than to the alcohol itself.
Yeast is also a common allergenAn allergen is a substance that is foreign to the body and which can cause an allergic reaction in certain people. Pollen is an example…. Of course there are many other foods that you may be sensitive to (such as dairy, eggs or nuts) and a simple test may help to determine whether a food intoleranceFood intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Food intolerances tend to cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, cramps and diarrhoea, but are… is contributing to your symptoms. If you have hidden food allergies, then eating the offending foods can cause constant irritation of the gut, possibly resulting in increased intestinal permeability, poor nutrient absorption and bacteria / yeast imbalances. This may well underlie inflammation and promote psoriasis.
Consider the following scenarios: As poorly digested food and pathogens slip between the inflamed intestinal cells and enter the blood stream, the body may respond by mounting an immune response against these ‘foreign’ particles – the result: chronic, systemic inflammation perhaps eventually tipping into auto-immunity. Alternatively, poor nutrient absorption may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin DWhat it does: Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency Signs: Joint pain or stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss…. has an immuno-regulatory role and vitamin A plays a part in controlling cell replication. Both of these vitamins are used in psoriasis treatment and are typically applied directly to the skin.
Still focusing on the digestive system Erica White, nutritional therapist, director of Nutrition Help and author of the ‘Beat Candida Cookbook’, has found that candida albicans, a yeast that normally resides in the digestive system, can grow out of control and pass from the gut into the body causing a variety of health problems, including skin conditions such as psoriasis. She finds that an anti-candida diet often relieves psoriasis. My Special Report on How to Beat Candida provides you with all the information you need to tackle a candida overgrowth.
Can the food you eat affect your psoriasis?
When considering the impact of the diet there is more than just possible food intolerances to be aware of. Low energy diets, vegetarian diets and diets rich in fish oils [3] have all been shown to improve psoriasis symptoms. Although the foods eaten are very different, such dietary changes all produce a similar effect in the body and promote the production of anti-inflammatory substances. They do this by changing the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acidsOmega-6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids – they...
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