Toasts, ready-made pizza, and more: Triggers for psoriasis?

Accessible but unhealthy

Convenient, long-lasting, and affordable: many people regularly opt for processed foods—such as cornflakes, instant muesli, fruit yoghurt, chicken nuggets, sausages, tofu schnitzels, frozen pizza, snacks like crisps, biscuits, cereal bars, and soft drinks like cola and lemonade.

The high degree of processing and long ingredient lists make these products far from healthy: research links high consumption of such foods to various health issues including type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, inflammatory bowel diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.

Now, a team led by Laetitia Penso from Université Paris-Est Créteil has explored whether there might also be a connection between these foods and psoriasis.

Study based on questionnaires about health, diet, and more

The researchers analysed data from the Nutri-Net-Santé study, collected between November 2021 and June 2022. This involved questionnaires completed by approximately 18,530 participants aged 15 and above:

Ten percent of respondents reported having psoriasis, with four percent experiencing active flare-ups and six percent with inactive disease. The remaining 90 percent stated they had never had psoriasis.

Using dietary data, the team calculated each participant’s daily consumption of processed foods in grams, then divided these into lower, middle, and upper consumption groups—from minimal to maximum intake.

Higher processed food intake linked to more active psoriasis

Analysis revealed that individuals with active psoriasis more often had higher than lower intake levels of processed foods. This relationship remained significant even after adjusting for factors such as age, BMI, alcohol consumption, and other health conditions (like depression, inflammatory rheumatism, and diabetes).

Those with the highest intake of processed foods were 36 percent more likely to experience active psoriasis compared to those with the lowest intake.

The researchers suggest that consuming processed foods—regardless of body weight—may promote an inflammatory response within the body. Nonetheless, larger studies are needed to confirm the precise influence of these foods on psoriasis.

Cause or consequence?

The study is not without limitations. One is that psoriasis diagnoses were based on self-reporting by participants, though other small studies indicate this method can be quite reliable for psoriasis diagnosis.

Another limitation is the study’s design: it cannot establish whether high processed food intake causes psoriasis to worsen, or whether flare-ups lead sufferers to eat more processed foods—perhaps as a comfort or coping mechanism.

Potentially stronger link than estimated

Regardless of the cause-and-effect relationship, the connection could be more substantial than this study suggests. The researchers point out that the study participants already tended to have healthier eating habits compared to the general French population. As such, the link between processed food consumption and active psoriasis might be even more significant in broader or less health-conscious populations.

In the UAE

Considering the rising consumption of fast foods and processed snacks in the UAE, along with high rates of obesity and lifestyle-related illnesses, awareness about their potential impact on psoriasis and overall health is critical. Public health initiatives promoting balanced diets rich in fresh, natural foods, combined with education about the possible triggers for psoriasis, could significantly improve managing the condition and general wellbeing. Emphasising healthy eating habits alongside regular medical check-ups can help reduce the burden of psoriasis and related inflammatory conditions across the UAE.