The Impact of Diet and Physical Activity on Psoriasis: A Narrative Review of the Current Evidence

Abstract

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease with strong genetic links and numerous features of autoimmunity that are also influenced by environment and lifestyle, including nutritional factors and physical activity (PA), with regards to the condition of patients. Recent reports in the field of nutrigenomics indicate a significant impact of nutrients in modulating microRNAs. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of nutritional systems and PA on treating psoriasis. This narrative review updates information regarding the current dietary recommendations for individuals with psoriasis and discusses the role of diet and PA in psoriasis prevention and treatment. Application of nutrigenetics in psoriasis therapy is also discussed. The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched using the MeSH terms for “nutrigenomics”, “dietetics”, “diet therapy”, “diet”, “physical activity”, and “exercise” in conjunction with the MeSH terms for “psoriasis” and “dermatology”. Evidence has shown that patients with psoriasis should have a personalized anti-inflammatory diet. Psoriasis patients are less physically active; most performed exercises of low-to-moderate intensity and were less likely to undertake regular exercise. Identifying nutrigenomic discoveries and the current lifestyle interventions associated with psoriasis can help physicians and physical therapists develop educational programs to manage and protect against the disease.

Keywords

• psoriasis
• quality of life
• nutrition
• diet
• nutrigenetics
• physical activity