Psoriasis Awareness Month

Psoriasis Awareness Month or Psoriasis Action Month takes place every year throughout August. It aims educate the public and patients about psoriasis including information about causes, triggers, and management of the inflammation. It also aims to dispel myths about psoriasis and to support patients who may feel stigmatised because of their skin condition.

The event was first observed in October 1997 as a full-scale national awareness campaign, publicising relevant facts about psoriasis through newspapers, radio, and television. It was moved to August to avoid clashing with other awareness campaigns that take place in October. August is also a good time of year for activities, such as swimming and sunbathing, which expose the skin to the sun which generally has a positive effect on psoriasis.

Psoriasis affects all genders, races and ages and can affect a range of body parts.

The National Psoriasis Foundation website has more information: https://www.psoriasis.org/

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a condition characterised by scaly, red, and raised patches on the skin, especially on the elbows, knees, and scalp; however, it can affect other areas of the body. Psoriasis often causes itching, burning, and stinging in affected areas. Psoriasis occurs when the life cycle of skin cells increases, causing a build up of excess skin cells that form red patches and scales.

Psoriasis affects people differently, with varying levels of severity. For severe cases, 10% or more of the patient’s skin may be affected by the disease. In mild cases, less than 3% is affected by psoriasis. Psoriasis tends to be cyclical, and may flare up when triggered. There are various types of psoriasis including plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.

Causes of Psoriasis

The causes of psoriasis are still unknown but it’s believed that genetics, the immune system and environmental factors may all contribute. It is also associated with obesity though people of any weight and size can get psoriasis.

Triggers may include:

• Being overweight
• High fat diets
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Infections
• Skin injuries
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Stress and emotional trauma
• Certain medications
• Smoking and heavy drinking

Learning to successfully manage the condition can take time but there are many ways in which the disease can be controlled and treated.

Treatment

Medical treatment for psoriasis includes:

• Anti-inflammatory creams and ointments.
• Light therapy, including UVB and UVA therapy.
• For severe psoriasis, retinoids, methotrexate, and cyclosporine may be prescribed.

Dietary Suggestions

A change of eating habits can improve the quality of life for patients with psoriasis by relieving skin lesions and by reducing the risk of other diseases (1). Dietary regimes that are recommended include the Mediterranean diet, low fat diets, low calorie diets and a gluten free diet (2).
The basic recommendations are to eat a diet high in vegetables, pulses, whole grains and fish, with nuts, seeds and low sugar fruits in moderation.

Low calorie diet – recommended for people with excess body weight (1).

Gluten free diet – can lead to improvements (2,3). 

Avoid saturated fat and refined oils – eating a high fat diet exacerbates psoriatic skin inflammation through changing the mucosal barrier and the intestinal microbial composition, which leads to an inflammatory response (4).  Avoid red meat, dairy products, margarine, processed fats and fried foods.

Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners – these have a negative effect on the gut microbiome and immune system so are best avoided.

Avoid highly processed foods – these tend to have an inflammatory effect and are low in nutrients and fibre.

Lifestyle Recommendations

Exercise - research suggests that psoriasis patients are less physically active than people without psoriasis, with most doing low-to-moderate intensity exercise less regularly than is recommended (5). It is recommended to engage in regular physical activity (6) – an hour 5 times a week is a good aim. Consult with a personal trainer about what is appropriate for you if you have not exercised for a while.

Sleep – good sleep is healing and helps to reduce inflammation. Practice good sleep hygiene: avoid screens (phones, computers, tv etc) for at least 2 hours before bed, get up and go to bed at the same time each day, sleep in a cool, dark room (wear an eye mask if necessary).

Skin hygiene – make sure your skin is completely dry before getting dressed. Wear breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen, hemp and silk.

Sun and air – sunlight and fresh air are both beneficial for skin health.

Herbal creams and ointments - such as calendula cream, neem cream and aloe vera gel may help as they have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects.

Supplement Options from Tom Oliver Nutrition. 

Skin, Hair and Nail Complex – this contains a range of nutrients beneficial for the skin, including vitamin A, D, E, biotin and zinc. 

Curcumin – found in turmeric. Has anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial in skin disorders like psoriasis (7).

Fish oils – may lead to improvements due to their anti inflammatory effects (1,3,6).

Probiotics – the gut microbiome is implicated in inflammatory conditions including psoriasis (6).

Vitamin D – has anti-inflammatory and immune supportive properties (1,3).

References

1. 2021 Dec 28;14(1):119. Nutritional Therapy in Persons Suffering from Psoriasis. Garbicz J et al.
2. 2023 Mar 31;15(7):1705. The Role of Diet in Children with Psoriasis: Emerging Evidence and Current Issues. Edoardo De Simoni et al.
3. Dermatol Online J. 2019 Feb 15;25. Diet and psoriasis. Pona A et al.
4. Cell Rep. 2023 Jul 25;42(7):112713. High-fat-diet-associated intestinal microbiota exacerbates psoriasis-like inflammation by enhancing systemic γδ T cell IL-17 production. Sonomoto K et al.

5. 2023 Feb 7;15(4):840. The Impact of Diet and Physical Activity on Psoriasis: A Narrative Review of the Current Evidence. Duchnik E et al.
6. Dermatol Ther. 2022 Sep;35(9):e15685. The role of lifestyle and nutrition in psoriasis: Current status of knowledge and interventions. Musumeci M et al.

7. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Dec 29;60(1):68. Nutritional Supplements for Skin Health-A Review of What Should Be Chosen and Why. Januszekski J et al.