From the Times Online 10/5:
Starting from scratch
Jane Clarke, the Times nutritionist
When skin treatments for psoriasis don’t work, changing your diet and watching your wine intake may help
I HAVE psoriasis on my scalp. Over the past two months it has become gradually worse and is now unbearable. I’ve tried tar-based shampoos and coconut oil but there is no improvement.
Claire Lemon, London
The first thing to do is to include the powerful anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, by eating oily fish (salmon, fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel) twice a week. Omega-6 can also help to calm the inflammation: seeds and nuts are a good source — snack on linseeds and sunflower, sesame, pumpkin and hemp seeds. Walnuts are especially good (they are also a source of omega-3); the best ones are the unsalted versions, as sometimes the extra oiliness of highly processed walnuts makes them a calorific and high-salt snack. Try gently grilling the walnuts and sprinkle over cereals and salads. Another option is the supplement morEPA (1,000mg per day) as a back-up. It’s available from health-food stores.
Vitamin A can have a magical effect on problem skin, but avoid any preparations containing it unless prescribed by your doctor. Increase your intake of foods rich in beta-carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A), such as carrots, peppers, watercress, apricots, mangoes and melons. Though raw carrots contain the most vitamin C, cooking them means more of the beta-carotene is absorbed by the body: try carrot soup, or steamed carrots dressed with a little hemp oil and a few linseeds.
Vitamin C is also good for the skin; apricots, mangoes, melons, blueberries, blackcurrants and blackberries (which also contain flavonoids), plums, papayas and kiwis all contain high levels. If you smoke, you’ll need to take a 2,000mg a day vitamin C supplement.
Zinc helps to reduce the body’s inflammatory response, so eat more seafood, hard crumbly cheeses, nuts, seeds and pulses (hoummos, baked beans, chickpeas thrown into salads and soups). Selenium and vitamin E are both skin-nurturing — foods that contain them include avocados, blackberries, mangoes, tomatoes, seeds, spinach, watercress, brazil nuts (a fantastic source of selenium), cashews and wholewheat cereals.
Watch your caffeine and tannin intake. It doesn’t have a direct effect on psoriasis but a large intake of tea, coffee and colas dehydrates the skin — avoid having more than a couple of these drinks a day. Make sure you drink 2.5 litres of water a day; your skin will reward you with a significant improvement within only a few days.
I’d also keep an eye on the alcohol you drink. I’ve had patients whose psoriasis virtually disappeared when they gave gave up specific wines. Keep a diary to see how changing your choice of drink affects your skin.
I’m a big fan of aloe vera — both drinking the organic juice every day (I swear by it for my skin) and using organic aloe vera products to heal the skin on the outside.
Finally, many sufferers swear by their yearly pilgrimage to the Dead Sea, for the effect the minerals and sun have — although this is obviously not a cheap option.
SJ
