Exacerbation of her symptoms psoriasis seen immediately after the festive season of Christmas and New Year in many patients. Stress, changing the diet by including more fat, salt and sugar, increasing alcohol consumption, smoking, as well as body weight, are the irritants that lead to the manifestation and worsening of the disease these days.
“Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune, skin disease that affects 2-5% of the population in Western countries. The body attacks its own tissue which begins to overproduce skin cells and form red-based, white-topped, itchy scaly plaques. Both the natural and the acquired immune system are responsible for its appearance, while lifestyle and diet play an important role in its course”, explains Dermatologist – Venereologist Dr. Christos Stamou.
“December is a month with increased obligations and social events, which create stress and exhaustion of the body. After the preparation comes a 15-day period with over-consuming moods. Abuses, however, become a cause of inflammation, which is considered to be the main trigger of psoriasis symptoms,” he points out.
In terms of nutrition, research into how certain foods lead to an inflammatory response is ongoing. The data to date show that those that are highly processed, high in fat, sodium or sugar stimulate the body’s defense mechanisms and increase the chances of psoriasis. More specifically:
The fat meats, full dairy products, fried foods and margarine are known to cause inflammation in the body. So a diet high in these foods worsens skin diseases like psoriasis by increasing the level of inflammatory cytokines in the skin.
It also leads to weight gain. Studies have shown that excess body fat facilitates the development of the disease and the worsening of its symptoms, due to the ongoing inflammation of adipose tissue.
In addition to fats, the intolerance that some people have to the casein and lactose contained in dairy products can become the cause of an exacerbation of the skin disease, since these substances lead to intestinal irritation and inflammation.
Excessive intake sugar it can also increase the levels of cytokines, which play a major role in controlling the immune response. IL-23 is involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, while IL-17 and IL-22 cause cell proliferation and inflammation. It leads to the consumption of sugar and artificial sweeteners, due to the storage of calories in fat cells.
The refined carbohydrates they also increase advanced glycation end products, which are substances in the blood that can lead to inflammation, but also to the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and arthritis.
The alcohol it affects both natural and adaptive immunity and is considered a factor in the initiation of inflammation as well as its aggravation. In addition, studies in mice show that liver damage caused by it leads to impaired skin barrier function.
Alcohol consumption also increases the susceptibility to infections, stimulates the proliferation of lymphocytes and keratinocytes and the production of cytokines and mast cells, which play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. It can also lead to inflammation because it damages the good enterobacteria.
The high intake sodium play a critical role in psoriasis, as it enhances the activation of immune system cells, promotes the accumulation of inflammatory cytokines, and obesity.
A recent study of 433,788 participants who were followed for 14 years showed a positive correlation between the frequency of added salt in food and the risk of psoriasis.
The researchers, who published their study in the Journal of Autoimmunity, observed that participants with a high genetic risk and the highest frequency of added salt in food had a 149% higher risk of psoriasis, compared to participants with a low genetic risk and the lowest frequency of added salt in food. The positive association was independent of many other risk factors and may be partly due to obesity and inflammation.
Studies have also shown that psychological stress contributes to the onset of psoriasis, as does smoking.
“During the holiday season, there are few moderates who did not indulge in culinary “sins”. Everyone has more or less drunk and smoked more, cut back on their activities, forgotten about the gym and put on a few extra pounds. But all of this is burdensome for those suffering from psoriasis and is very likely to have caused an exacerbation of the disease.
Returning to a healthy lifestyle based on a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3s, fruits and vegetables can reduce inflammation and reset the body. The Mediterranean diet, which includes foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, is low in fat and low in calories, can improve overall health and reduce the severity of psoriasis symptoms in the long term. It is also ideal for weight management.
OR good diet, as well as exercise, are proven to enhance healing and can improve patients’ symptoms. For some, it can even differentiate the treatment and instead of needing systemic drugs or injections, only local treatment is sufficient. In fact, given the side effects that drugs can cause, the positive effect of a healthy life could make a big difference in its quality.
For those who have difficulty with drug therapy or in addition to it, they can try phototherapy, that is, exposing the skin to an artificial UVB light source for a set period of time in the doctor’s office. Of the two types of UVB treatment, broad and narrow spectrum, the second is preferred, as it is more effective and faster in the remission of symptoms but also because the periods of remission last longer”, concludes Dr. Stamou.