Study reveals surprising food swap that may improve skin health: 'Our findings point to the potential benefits'
A new study points to one more reason to eat your veggies: healthier skin.
Researchers at King's College London found that a plant-rich, low-saturated-fat diet is associated with reduced psoriasis severity. The team analyzed data from 257 adults with this inflammatory disease, which causes flaky patches of skin that form scales.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and lean meat and low in salt and sugar was found to be associated with reduced psoriasis severity, the researchers explained in an article shared by Medical Xpress.
This isn't the first time that plant-rich diets have been lauded for their positive health outcomes. For instance, one study found that getting the majority of dietary fats from plants rather than animal products significantly reduced the risk of death among the 400,000 people it followed throughout a 24-year period. Another study revealed that people eating a plant-based diet reported lower insulin levels, reduced body weight, and lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels after eight weeks compared to people on an omnivore diet.
Plus, a plant-based diet benefits the environment. Livestock production accounts for 18% of the Earth-heating pollution produced worldwide, according to Stanford University. Meanwhile, a University of California, Los Angeles study found that vegan and Mediterranean-style diets could result in significantly lower emissions.
The new psoriasis research "brings much-needed evidence that there may be a role for dietary advice, alongside standard clinical care, in managing symptoms of psoriasis," study author Wendy Hall said in a statement. "Our next steps will be to explore whether diets rich in healthy plant foods can reduce symptoms of psoriasis in a controlled clinical trial."
"Our findings point to the potential benefits of dietary interventions in improving patient outcomes," added Ph.D. student Sylvia Zanesco, who led the research. "Given the impact of psoriasis on physical and psychological well-being, incorporating dietary assessments into routine care could offer patients additional support in managing their condition."
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It can make your blood pressure higher too, as it helps alertness, so people with high blood pressure should avoid it.
