In a study on 100 patients with chronic psoriasis, heavy alcohol
consumption was significantly more common in the most severe cases, in men.
Monk BE et al: Alcohol consumption and psoriasis. Dermatologica 172(2):57-60,
1986.
The diets of psoriasis patients from 14 hospitals in Italy were compared
with controls. Overweight was significantly associated with a higher risk of
psoriasis. The consumption of higher amounts of carrots, tomatoes, fresh fruit
and foods containing beta-carotene appeared to be the most protective against
the disease. Naldi L et al: Dietary factors and the risk of psoriasis. Results
of an Italian case-control study. Br J Dermatol 134(1):101-6, 1996.
Psoriasis sufferers given fish oil capsules experienced a significant
reduction in symptoms. Bittiner SB et al: A double-blind randomised
placebo-controlled trial of fish oil in psoriasis. Lancet 1(8582):378-80,
1988.
Maurice PD et al: The effects of dietary supplementation with fish oil in
patients with psoroasis. Br J Dermatol 117(5):599-606, 1987
18 patients with psoriasis received capsules of fish oil or placebo together
with ultraviolet therapy for 15 weeks. The patients in the fish oil group
improved significantly compared with the placebo group. Gupta AK et al:
Double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of fish oil and
low-dose UVB in the treatment of psoriasis. Br J Dermatol 120(6):801-7, 1989.
17 patients with psoriasis were given supplements containing a combination of
fish oil, linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). After 4 months good or
moderate improvement had occurred in 10 patients. Kragballe K: Dietary
supplementation with a combination of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids (super gamma-oil
marine) improves psoriasis. Acta Derm Venereol 69(3):265-8, 1989.
30 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were given fish oil supplements for 4
months. Moderate or excellent improvement was observed in 58%. Kragballe K et
al: A low-fat diet supplemented with dietary fish oil (Max-EPA) results in
improvement of psoriasis and in formation of leukotriene B5. Acta Derm Venereol
69(1):23-8, 1989.
Vitamin D3 was administered orally (for 6 months) or topically (for 8 weeks)
to 40 patients with psoriasis. Improvement was observed in 75% of those who
received the higher oral doses of the vitamin, and in 84% of those who received
the vitamin topically. (Vitamin D3 is found in cod liver oil.) Morimoto S et al:
An open study of vitamin D3 treatment in psoriasis vulgaris. Br J Dermatol
115(4):421-9, 1986.
