Diet often raises many questions for people with psoriasis: can the disease be prevented through nutrition, do certain foods worsen symptoms, and can a specific dietary plan improve skin health? In this interview, Dr. AMODE, a dermatologist in Paris, clarifies the role of lifestyle habits and dietary choices in the management of psoriasis.
Interview with Dr. AMODE: "Psoriasis and Nutrition."
Summary
Published on September 25, 2025, updated on September 25, 2025, by Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences — 4 min of reading
Themes:
Question No. 1: "Can psoriasis be prevented through diet?"
"A varied and balanced Mediterranean-style diet, combined with appropriate physical activity, contributes to the control of cardiovascular risk factors (comorbidities)," according to Dr. AMODE.
A low-fat, animal-protein-restricted Mediterranean diet, healthy lifestyle habits, and endurance exercise to counteract sedentary behavior (five times per week for 30 minutes or three times per week for 90 minutes)—in other words, general self-care—also contribute to treatment. With inflammatory diseases, it is important to try to limit carbohydrate (sugar) intake, as these are pro-inflammatory. Indeed, a diet rich in essential fatty acids can help reduce systemic inflammation. Balancing one’s diet removes an aggravating factor, but it does not cure psoriasis.
It all depends on where you’re starting from. If your diet is particularly unbalanced, there’s potential for improvement simply by making your nutrition more balanced. However, if you already follow a healthy lifestyle and still suffer from severe psoriasis, changing your eating habits alone is unlikely to produce any benefits. In that case, it’s probably due to high levels of inflammation and perhaps an immuno-genetic factor that drives a significant Th17 cascade, leading to psoriasis.
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Question No. 2: "Is there an appropriate dietary regimen to reduce the symptoms?"
"No diet can treat psoriasis, but as previously mentioned, diet plays a role in controlling cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure, diabetes, and excess weight), which are associated with psoriatic disease."
Several diets, foods, and ingredients have shown "promising" potential to reduce or prevent inflammation in the body, but further research is still needed.
Question No. 3: "Can certain foods cause psoriasis?"
"A poor diet contributes to a certain degree of systemic inflammation that paves the way for inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, alcohol consumption is a well-known trigger."
The standard recommendation for alcohol consumption is fewer than 3 drinks per day for men and fewer than 2 drinks per day for women, and daily consumption should be avoided.
Question No. 4: “Can nutritional supplementation (dietary supplements) help treat psoriasis?”
"A healthy lifestyle combined with a balanced diet is recommended. Nutritional supplementation has no documented benefit," according to Dr. AMODE.
A balanced diet = adequate fiber intake to limit glycemic spikes, as well as omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids that contribute to immune homeostasis. Nutritional supplementation has not been proven effective for psoriasis. At best, it can improve cosmetic quality and skin hydration properties, but it does not cure psoriasis.
Obviously, if the patient’s diet is unbalanced, it may be appropriate to address that deficiency by adding dietary supplements, always on the recommendation of a healthcare professional. However, supplementing is not a treatment. Moreover, the regulations for dietary supplements are not the same as those for medications. Oversight is far less rigorous, and it is easier to bring them to market.
