Not Just Choose Food, Cooking Methods Are Also Important for Psoriasis

Illustration of how to cook for psoriasis (Freepik/magnific)

YOGYAKARTA - Choosing healthy foods for psoriasis is not only related to the type of ingredients that go on your plate. The way you cook food can also be a part that needs to be considered, especially when using high temperatures to cook meat. Launching Verywell Health, Thursday, August 6, certain cooking methods can increase the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), compounds known to be related to inflammation and oxidative stress.

Psoriasis is a disease that involves the immune system and causes inflammation on the skin. Therefore, a diet that supports overall health can be part of efforts to maintain body conditions, although food and cooking methods are not a substitute for medical treatment. The relationship between AGEs from food and psoriasis is still being studied, so dietary changes should be made as part of a healthy lifestyle, not as the main therapy.

Why is the cooking method important?

AGEs are formed when sugars react with proteins or fats. This process can occur naturally in the body, but it also increases when foods are cooked at high temperatures, especially through dry heat cooking techniques. Frying, baking, grilling, and using an air fryer are methods that can produce more AGEs, especially in meat-based foods.

Rajani Katta, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at UTHealth Houston, explained that the difference in AGEs levels due to cooking methods is more visible in meat. Cooking with dry heat and high temperatures can significantly increase the formation of AGEs compared to methods that use moist heat. Meanwhile, whole fruits, vegetables, and grains naturally tend to have lower levels of AGEs.

Illustration of how to cook healthy food for psoriasis (Freepik/magnific)Choose a cooking method with moist heat

You don't have to avoid all foods cooked at high temperatures. However, if you want to make a diet more supportive of health, try using cooking techniques with moist heat more often, such as boiling, steaming, or poaching. This method uses relatively lower liquids and temperatures so it can help limit the formation of AGEs, especially when processing meat.

Jaime Uribarri, MD, AGEs researcher and professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, suggests choosing lean meat and avoiding exposure to too high temperatures. Fish, seafood, and chicken breasts can also be protein source choices because they can generally be cooked in a relatively short time. That way, you don't have to eliminate animal protein from the menu, but you can be more careful in choosing ingredients and cooking techniques.

Marinating can also be an option.

There is another simple way you can try when cooking meat, which is to marinate first. Acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice or tomato juice, can help reduce the formation of AGEs during the cooking process. A more acidic environment can slow down the reaction that produces the compound.

If you still want to roast meat, keeping it moist can also help. Meat can be wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked at a temperature that is not too high so that it does not get too long in dry heat. Another option is to increase plant-based foods, which naturally tend to contain less AGEs than meat.

Illustration of how to cook healthy food for psoriasis (Freepik)There is no need to drastically change your diet.

In the end, paying attention to food for psoriasis does not mean you have to make a long list of prohibitions. Simple changes, such as boiling or steaming food more often, choosing fish, using marinades, and reducing the use of very high temperatures when cooking meat, can be a more realistic step. You can also still enjoy your favorite foods by adjusting the ingredients and processing techniques.

Keep in mind, there is no evidence that changing the way you cook alone can control psoriasis. Everyone can also have different triggers and responses to certain foods. So, if psoriasis often recurs or its symptoms are difficult to control, consult your diet and treatment with a doctor or nutritionist so that the changes you make remain in accordance with the body's needs.

Thus, healthy food for psoriasis is not only about choosing nutritious ingredients, but also considering how the food is processed. Cooking with gentler methods can be one of the simple habits that support an overall healthy diet. Most importantly, make these changes a complement to psoriasis treatment, not a substitute for the treatment that your doctor has recommended.