Does eating anti-inflammatory really help?
If you’re wondering whether filling up on anti-inflammatory foods can really, truly help your psoriatic arthritis, the answer is yes — in a few ways.
First, we know that anti-inflammatory eating helps reduce inflammation in general. That’s a very good thing if you have psoriatic arthritis because higher levels of inflammation are linked to having more frequent and severe flares.
Anti-inflammatory compounds shown to be especially powerful include:
- omega-3 fatty acids, like in salmon
- polyphenols, like in olive oil, tea, and berries
- carotenoids, like in carrots and other bright red, orange, and yellow vegetables
(More on these in a bit.)
Other things we know about eating a plant-rich, whole-foods diet (chock full of anti-inflammatory foods):
- It’s associated with healthy levels of body fat. And we know that overweight and obesity are linked with having more psoriatic arthritis symptoms along with making certain treatments less effective.
- It helps prevent (or manage) other inflammatory conditions like heart disease and diabetes, both of which are more likely to happen in people with psoriatic arthritis.
The science is still emerging on how an anti-inflammatory diet may directly affect psoriatic arthritis symptoms, but early evidence is compelling.
In one 2021 case study, a woman taking methotrexate for her psoriatic arthritis symptoms adopted a strict, whole-foods, plant-based diet. Her symptoms completely subsided and she was able to go off her medication.
Not everyone would have the same results, but it shows just how powerful dietary changes can be.
You can likely make meaningful improvements to your everyday life with psoriatic arthritis by tweaking the foods you eat.
