Gut Skin Axis: Psoriasis Treatment

In our last two blogs, we wrote about the gut-skin axis and psoriasis. We looked at how psoriasis relates to gut health and the gut-skin axis. Today we look at natural solutions using diet, supplements and lifestyle habits to improve gut health and psoriasis. Read on for more info!

In this blog, you will learn:

• How can psoriasis be treated naturally?
• What steps need to be taken to improve and treat psoriasis?
• What are some foods, supplements or lifestyle habits that can help improve or resolve psoriasis?

Gut Health

It is vital to work on and improve gut health in the case of autoimmunity and psoriasis. The necessary steps include:

• Follow an anti-inflammatory gut-supportive diet. Remove ultra processed foods, vegetable oils and other inflammatory foods.
• Identify gut issues that contribute to poor gut health, leaky gut and psoriasis. A comprehensive stool test like the GI Map identifies potential gut issues. 
• Remove and resolve gut infections and imbalances. For example, H. pylori and gut dysbiosis can cause leaky gut, overactivated immune responses and possibly psoriasis.
• Take probiotics & other gut-supportive supplements.
• Adopt the lifestyle habits that can help manage psoriasis symptoms.

Which Diet can Improve Psoriasis?

No specific diet will cure psoriasis, according to The National Psoriasis Foundation. But eating and avoiding certain foods will reduce the severity of psoriasis and improve symptoms. 

• Follow a diet that improves gut health. 
• Eat an anti-inflammatory diet of fruits, vegetables, omega 3 fatty acids and other whole foods. 
• Inflammatory unhealthy foods like processed and ultra processed foods, sugars, refined carbs, alcohol and anything that is not a natural whole food need to be removed. 
• A good diet template to follow is the gluten-free Mediterranean diet, Paleo diet or the AIP – Autoimmune Protocol diet. 
• Mediterranean, gluten-free and calorie-restricted diets with fiber, probiotics, prebiotics and omega 3 fatty acids improve psoriasis (Wang Q, 2025). The Mediterranean diet has a significant negative association with severe psoriasis (Zhu Q, 2023).
• Gluten triggers an immune reaction that is autoimmune in nature. A gluten-free diet improves psoriasis (Min M, 2024). A gluten-free Mediterranean diet can slow psoriasis progression (Zhu Q, 2023). People with psoriasis may be 3 times more likely to develop celiac disease (Ungprasert P, 2017). A 3-month gluten-free diet improves psoriasis in studies (Kanda N, 2020). Ending the gluten-free diet and eating gluten again, even after 6 months, worsens psoriasis in many people (Kanda N, 2020). 
• Obesity is a state of chronic low-grade inflammation associated with higher incidence and severity of psoriasis. Psoriasis is linked to overweight, diabetes and other metabolic issues. Low-calorie diets reduce psoriasis severity (Min M, 2024). Losing weight with a low-calorie anti-inflammatory diet improves psoriasis in obese/overweight psoriasis patients (Kanda N, 2020). 
• Intermittent fasting decreases PASI scores (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) and CRP, a marker of inflammation (Min M, 2024). 
• Low calorie and low carb diets may improve psoriasis disease severity (Min M, 2024).
• Follow an anti-inflammatory diet that excludes inflammatory foods like processed and junk foods and omega 6 vegetable oils. High-fat diets from these low-quality fat sources exacerbate psoriasis and skin inflammation by altering the gut barrier and gut microbiota. This leads to a systemic inflammatory response and worsens psoriasis (Zhu Q, 2023).

Specific Foods to Eat with Psoriasis

Omega 3 Fats: EPA and DHA are the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats found in fatty fish. Omega 3 fats are linked to less severe psoriasis on a smaller skin area (Kanda N, 2020). Psoriasis patients typically eat less omega 3 fats compared to healthy controls (Kanda N, 2020). 

Fish oil, and specifically DHA, can help resolve inflammation, clear cellular debris and rejuvenate skin cells. One study used herring roe oil to supplement omega 3 fatty acids. 64 patients with plaque psoriasis took a herring roe oil supplement (Tveit KS, 2020). They improved their PASI score after 6 months of herring roe oil (Tveit KS, 2020). After 15 months, they saw further improvement in psoriasis symptoms and a decrease in PASI scores (Tveit, 2021).

Complex Carbs: Fiber can decrease inflammatory markers, support weight loss and improve IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). Adding fiber to the diet is anti-inflammatory on both a systemic and a gut level (Kanda N, 2020). The anti-inflammatory effects may be due to weight loss. Eating fiber and in particular resistant starch, generates Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). SCFAs help regulate inflammation in IBD or psoriasis. Fiber helps grow good bacteria and increase resistance to the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. This improves gut dysbiosis and imbalances. Mice on a high fiber diet had improved symptoms of psoriasis and better gut microbiota composition (Kanda N, 2020).

Complex carbohydrates are in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Gluten-free complex carbs are brown rice, quinoa, oats, beans, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, peas, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, yams and all fruit. 

Short Chain Fatty Acids: SCFAs are created when gut bacteria break down fiber. SCFAs support gut health, the integrity of the gut barrier lining and the immune system. They regulate gut inflammation and improve metabolism. The most common SCFAs are acetate, propionate and butyrate. They are anti-inflammatory and improve psoriasis. Topical butyrate reduces skin inflammation in psoriasis (Kanda N, 2020).

Ginger: Ginger supports gut health and decreases gut inflammation. It contains a specific compound, furanodienone (FDN), that reduces inflammation in the colon. FDN from ginger binds to a certain receptor to reduce inflammation and prevent damage in the colon (Aregawi LG, 2024). FDN boosts the production of tight junction proteins, helping to repair and strengthen the gut lining (Aregawi LG, 2024). 2,000 mg of ginger daily may help reduce inflammation and support digestive health in people with gut issues, inflammation and IBD (Aregawi LG, 2024).

Vitamin D: Psoriasis gets worse in the winter. This is partly due to low sun exposure and subsequent low vitamin D production in the skin (Kanda N, 2020). Serum vitamin D levels are lower in people with psoriasis compared to controls. There is also a decreased expression of vitamin D receptors in psoriatic skin which correlates to a reduced expression of tight junction proteins (Kanda N, 2020). Vitamin D can modulate inflammation. It acts on macrophages and keratinocytes to inhibit proliferation and downregulate inflammatory molecules. Topical vitamin D helps psoriasis. It suppresses hyperproliferation in keratinocytes and decreases inflammation in skin lesions (Kanda N, 2020).

Food sources of vitamin D are cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, tuna, sardines, beef liver, egg or cheese. Vitamin D can be supplemented. Getting 15–20 min exposure to sunlight /UVB radiation produces up to 10,000 IU of vitamin D (Kanda N, 2020).

Selenium: Selenium is a mineral that is anti-oxidative, immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory. In animals, inadequate selenium is inflammatory. Serum selenium levels in psoriasis patients are lower than those in controls (Kanda N, 2020). Selenium is found in fish/shellfish, eggs, poultry and especially Brazil nuts.

Foods to Avoid for Psoriasis

Omega 6 Fats: Highly processed omega 6 vegetable oils are inflammatory. This includes oils like canola, corn, Mazola, safflower, sunflower and rapeseed oils. These oils promote inflammation and psoriasis (Kanda N, 2020). Avoid omega 6 oils from processed foods and vegetable oils. Replace with healthier fats like olive oil. 

Sugar & Simple Carbs: Sugar is inflammatory. Excessive sugar can worsen psoriasis (Kanda N, 2020). Mice fed a high sugar Western diet had an overgrowth of pro-inflammatory bacteria, a lower level of protective bacteria like Firmicutes and a lower SCFA production, all of which increase systemic inflammation (Kanda N, 2020). The high sugar intake worsened autoimmune issues in mice (Kanda N, 2020).

Alcohol: Psoriasis may be triggered or worsened by alcohol. Alcohol can initiate or aggravate inflammation in psoriatic skin lesions (Kanda N, 2020). Chronic alcohol consumption induces gut dysbiosis, decreasing Bacteroides and increasing potentially pathogenic bacteria, which contribute to intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation. This affects the skin via the gut-skin axis (Kanda N, 2020). 

Can You Eat Dairy if You have Psoriasis?

There’s no conclusive scientific evidence to support a blanket recommendation to avoid dairy for all people with psoriasis. 

In some cases, dairy seems to trigger or worsen symptoms. The lactose and casein in dairy can cause digestive problems in people with lactose intolerance or casein sensitivity. The lactose or specific proteins in dairy can be part of the overactive immune reaction in psoriasis. It may lead to inflammation and skin flare-ups. This irritation to the gut could worsen inflammation and psoriasis symptoms. 

It is important to listen to your body and determine if you are sensitive to dairy products or not. Experiment with your diet and remove dairy. This will show you if symptoms improve or not from a dairy-free diet.