According to a Danish study conducted on 34,000 twins aged between 20 and 71, aimed at understanding the influence of overweight and type 2 diabetes in people suffering from psoriasis, it emerged that people with type 2 diabetes are more than 50% likely to suffer from psoriasis and that the incidence of psoriasis increases among overweight subjects. In the same study, 720 pairs of twins were also studied, in which only one twin suffered from psoriasis: it was thus highlighted that the twin with psoriasis tended to weigh more or be obese.

The collected results seem to indicate that there is a common genetic basis for psoriasis and obesity. Although the factors relating these aspects have not been clarified, it seems that genetics, smoking, alcohol consumption and the presence of widespread inflammation are all determining factors.

Therefore, psoriasis is not only a dermatological disease, but above all inflammatory: for this reason, it is essential to establish a series of dietary measures aimed at maintaining body weight and averting the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.

There is also a relationship between psoriasis and cardiovascular events. It is known, in fact, that those suffering from psoriasis run a higher risk of incurring adverse events such as myocardial infarction or stroke. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology tried to relate these two pieces of information, trying to quantify the greater risk of incurring a cardiovascular event for the first time in young patients with psoriasis and with or without a family history related to cardiovascular diseases. The analysis of the data showed that 62.4% of patients with mild psoriasis (16,080) and 66.8% of patients with severe psoriasis (3,009) had such a family history.

FIGHTING PSORIASIS WITH A HEALTHY DIET: FOODS TO PREFER AND THOSE TO AVOID

First of all, let's start by eliminating, if we haven't already done so, foods that seem to be able to aggravate the symptoms and that can promote their appearance. The consumption of gluten-containing cereals is strictly correlated with the worsening of symptoms: those who exclude these foods from their diet observe, in fact, a substantial improvement from the first weeks.

Also to be excluded are sugars, sweets, sweeteners, thickeners, maltodextrins and preservatives contained in most pre-packaged products.

Milk and its derivatives, like gluten, seem to promote inflammation and symptoms and their prolonged consumption over time can lead to much more serious organic disorders than psoriasis. Lactose and especially casein (a protein also contained in foods labelled "lactose-free") and hormones naturally contained in cow's milk or other animal milk promote intestinal inflammation and increase the immune response.

Finally, cured meats, pork and smoked products are all extremely toxic foods for the body, absolutely unsuitable for human consumption.

FORBIDDEN FOODS:

• Gluten-containing cereals
• Sugars and sweets of all kinds
• Milk and dairy products
• Products, drinks, candies or supplements containing sweeteners, preservatives, thickeners or maltodextrins
• Cured meats and pork
• Smoked products

FRIENDLY FOODS:

And now let's see which foods can help reduce symptoms and related inflammation.

Given that the lifestyle of the psoriasis patient plays a decisive role and that environmental factors and stress can aggravate symptoms, diet can be of great help in preventing relapses and alleviating skin symptoms and beyond.

Consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which are rich in folic acid, a vitamin that seems to reduce the manifestations of psoriasis, should be increased.

An ideal dish could be a salad with baby spinach, rocket, romaine lettuce and a couple of spoonfuls of hulled hemp seeds. To transform this salad into a complete meal, you can add bluefish, trout or salmon, with basmati brown rice or quinoa as an accompaniment. Many studies have shown that subjects with chronic psoriasis who consumed 150g of bluefish twice a week were able to reduce the use of steroid creams. Other sources of good fats are flax seeds and soy sprouts, which have a similar effect to bluefish and are a valuable food for people with psoriasis.

It is also recommended to eat nuts such as Brazil nuts, not exceeding 4 or 5 per day because they are very caloric. This food, in fact, is rich in selenium, a substance necessary to fight the enzymes responsible for psoriasis. Nuts also help to fight osteoporosis, problems related to menopause and are an excellent natural antidepressant. Legumes, in addition to being rich in vitamins and other fundamental substances for our well-being, are natural sources of selenium. Among vegetables, mushrooms, celery and, in minimal quantities, carrots, courgettes and fennel contain it.