Non-Vegetarian Diet and Psoriasis: Understanding the Connection and Identifying Triggers for Better Management

What you eat is what you are! So, when Sunitha asked me why her psoriasis kept coming back after every two months I knew exactly where to look. Experts found a link between non-vegetarian diet and psoriasis.

Also Read: Rising Incidence of Psoriasis in India: Understanding the Causes and Risk Factors

Non vegetarian foods and psoriasis – A clinical study

40-year-old Sunitha has been suffering from chronic psoriasis for many years now. The reddish patches on her neck and at the back of her ear made her insecure. It was not the pain and burn but the berating stares and unnecessary care which made it just worse.

She came to me asking for a permanent remedy. Stress was not an issue for her, nor it was a side effect of medication. Moreover, she never touched alcohol. So, it was very difficult for her to identify her trigger.

I asked her about her diet.

She was a hard-core non-vegetarian. And that was the culprit!

Doctors often ask Psoriasis patients to avoid potential dietary triggers. Most of them know about alcohol, junk food, red meat and dairy products. But non-vegetarian food is a lesser-known one!

According to a paper published in the British Journal of Dermatology, non-veg meals tend to be pro-inflammatory. This can aggravate psoriasis flare-ups.

Also Read: Meditation for clear skin

Non-vegetarian foods and psoriasis flare-ups

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease characterized by abnormally high serum levels of various pro-inflammatory molecules. Meat, dairy and egg contain a polyunsaturated fat called arachidonic acid. This gets converted into inflammatory compounds and worsens psoriasis symptoms.

Past research has shown that by-products of arachidonic acid may play a role in creating psoriatic lesions.

Also, a study published in ResearchGate constituting of 1600 patients established animal protein as a potential trigger. Further, another elaborate analysis of the association of red meat intake and psoriasis has been published in HealthwithFood.org. 

Also Read: Smoking and Psoriasis: Understanding the Risks and How to Reduce Them

Takeaway!

I highlighted how meat can be a trigger for psoriasis. And she completely avoided non-vegetarian food for the next few weeks. The results were evident. Not a single episode of flare-up occurred as she continued the same treatment as before.

In conclusion, acknowledging non-vegetarian diet as a potential trigger and consciously avoiding it kept her psoriasis from coming back.