Food to Avoid on an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Dairy (milk, ice cream cheese, butter, and whole milk yogurt)
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Margarine
- Red meat
- Processed carbohydrates (such as refined sugar and flour)
- Trans fat
- Vegetable oil (such as sunflower and safflower oil)
- Foods high in the glycemic index (such as processed, low fiber, sugary and fatty foods like cakes, doughnuts, and pies)
The Mediterranean Diet is an excellent anti-inflammatory diet that includes most of the same foods listed here.
According to Harvard Health, “The Mediterranean diet is ranked high among doctors and dietitians, and for good reason.
Studies show it protects against diseases linked to inflammation.” According to JAMA Dermatology, eating the Mediterranean diet for two years may reduce the severity of psoriasis symptoms by 29%.
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Gluten-Free Diet
People with psoriatic arthritis are likely to have more than one autoimmune disease (called polyautoimmunity). Celiac disease is a condition people with PsA often get. It is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the body’s adverse reaction to foods with gluten. A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that those with PsA were twice as likely to have celiac disease compared to the general population.
Foods with gluten that can cause symptoms of gluten intolerance, nausea, vomiting, bloating and gas, as well as weight loss include:
- Wheat
- Rye
- Barley
- Seitan (a meat substitute)
- Wheat varieties and derivatives (such as spelt, durum, couscous, semolina, farina, farro, wheat berries, bulgur, wheat bran, wheat starch, wheat germ, and graham flour)
If you are sensitive to foods with gluten, consult with your health care provider. You may need to get a test for celiac disease. It’s never a good idea to go on a gluten-free diet (or any other type of diet) unless you consult with your health care provider. The gluten-free diet is difficult to stick to; it has risks such as high incidence of weight gain, nutritional deficiencies (wheat products are enriched with added nutrients, such as B Vitamins), and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.