Importance of nutrition in the management of Psoriasis vulgaris: An observation

Psoriasis vulgaris (ICD 10 code: L40.0) is a prevalent auto-inflammatory cutaneous disease affecting around 1%–2% of the world population. Chronicity of the disease and long-term use of biological agents resulting in a high rate of adverse effects, expenses, and subsequent withdrawals are turning patients toward diet for management. A 16-year-old female having generalized erythematous plaques with scaling and itching on limbs and back for the past five years visited the outpatient department and was diagnosed with Psoriasis vulgaris. She was advised to a customized diet formulated considering the Pathya (~wholesome) and Apathya (~unwholesome) mentioned in classical texts for seven weeks without using any drugs. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index score before and after the dietary intervention was calculated and a decrease from 11 to 0.4 has been observed. Scaling, itching, erythema, Koebner’s phenomenon, Auspitz sign, and Candle grease signs also considerably subsided with no signs of relapse during this 7-week period, inferring that customized diet alone can manage psoriasis that is cost-effective too.