THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE COURSE OF PSORIASIS WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Natalia Krzysztofek; Olaf Krawczyk; Piotr Wilczkowski; Wojciech Kopyciński; Norbert Krawczyk; Monika Kamela; Małgorzata Grzybowska; Katarzyna Boszczyk; Adrianna Baran; Aleksandra Palka

doi:10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.6357

Authors

Natalia Krzysztofek Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6545-3962
Olaf Krawczyk Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1493-5652
Piotr Wilczkowski Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8118-1188
Wojciech Kopyciński Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2538-0534
Norbert Krawczyk Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7304-2226
Monika Kamela Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2503-2058
Małgorzata Grzybowska Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6611-3983
Katarzyna Boszczyk Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9974-3668
Adrianna Baran Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3986-2559
Aleksandra Palka Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5346-3871

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.6357

Keywords:

Psoriasis; Mediterranean Diet; Nutrition; Inflammation; Dietary Intervention; Obesity

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease increasingly recognised as a systemic disorder linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular comorbidity. Because these comorbidities share an inflammatory and metabolic substrate that is sensitive to nutritional status, diet has attracted growing interest as a modifiable factor capable of shaping the clinical course of the disease. The objective of this review was to synthesise the current evidence on the relationship between dietary patterns, individual nutrients, and the severity of psoriasis, with particular attention to the Mediterranean diet as an integrated anti-inflammatory model. A review of the medical literature was conducted by searching the main biomedical databases and screening reference lists. The evidence indicates that overweight and obesity are consistently associated with greater disease severity and a poorer response to systemic and biologic therapies, whereas a low-calorie diet and weight loss reduce disease activity. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, dietary antioxidants, and polyphenol-rich foods have clear anti-inflammatory effects, while a gluten-free diet appears beneficial in patients with serological markers of gluten sensitivity. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is repeatedly reported to be inversely associated with disease severity and with markers of systemic inflammation. Collectively, the evidence supports dietary modification, and a Mediterranean pattern in particular, as a rational and low-risk adjunct to standard pharmacological management, although the predominance of observational data underscores the need for adequately powered, prospective interventional trials.

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