On Nutrition

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am seeking supplements to help with my psoriasis. One article recommended taking turmeric to get rid of psoriasis, but the article did not go into detail. The piece is no longer online, and I was hoping you could shed some light on this possibility. -- M.S., Charlotte, North Carolina

DEAR M.S.: Psoriasis (sore-RYE-uh-sis) is a chronic condition that affects the skin but can also involve the joints and connective tissue. Our immune system normally protects the body, but when psoriasis is present, certain immune system cells are mistakenly activated to consider our own cells as the enemy, and they begin to attack.

Inflammation results with characteristic red patches or scaly skin lesions, but patterns can vary. Psoriatic arthritis results if the joints are involved, and irregularities in fingernails and toenails can be evident if connective tissues are involved. Nasty stuff. (For more on psoriasis, check b.link/74vhgh9.)

Unfortunately, there is no blood test for psoriasis, but the diagnosis can be made by observing and examining the affected areas. Psoriasis is not believed to be caused by infection, allergy, dietary deficiencies or excesses, or nervous tension, and it's not contagious. Genetics can be involved as it tends to appear along family lines, but this is not a solid link where children of parents with psoriasis are destined to get the condition.

Could turmeric help?

Turmeric (Curcuma domestica, Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family native to southern Asia and is a common spice in Asian cuisines. It has a powerful golden-yellow pigmentation, and this spice is a natural colorant in mustards, Worcestershire sauce and other foods. It stains, which also explains why it is used in hair and clothing dyes and to give a distinctive color to medications.

The pigments and active elements in turmeric have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other potential beneficial qualities, so in addition to its culinary uses, turmeric is also used in herbal medicine. For more on turmeric, see b.link/btmhdxr.

Regarding the use of turmeric for psoriasis, there is no evidence that it can get rid of that nasty element in your life, though its features may help with the symptoms. However, do exercise caution: Adverse effects from using turmeric as a spice or colorant are uncommon, but the larger doses in supplements can raise concerns of interactions and side effects. A partial list of conditions includes those with stomach or intestinal disorders, such as gallstones, bile obstruction, stomach ulcer or hyperacidity, and blood disorders, because turmeric has anticoagulant properties. As for interactions with medications, it is always wise to check with the prescribing physician or your pharmacist. To hint at this complexity, check this link to the drugs.com site that lists medications known to interact with turmeric: b.link/8kgh73x.

It falls upon us to always let our health professionals know what we are taking so they have this information when making decisions regarding our health. It is also a good idea to keep a list so that if an unfortunate emergency visits our lives, others can find out needed information that might affect decisions made on our behalf.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: There is a periodic argument in my circle that our vitamin- and mineral-depleted soil has been worn out from overfarming and the use of chemical fertilizers, resulting in a lesser ability for nutrients to get into plants and the foods we eat. Are the whole foods we eat today providing the same level of nutrition they used to? Are we slowly starving ourselves, and this is the rationale for why we need supplements? I know it sounds suspiciously like a sales pitch, but what about it? -- S.S., Jacksonville, Florida

DEAR S.S.: Plants are genetically programmed to require a specific set of nutrients to enable their growth and reproduction. If these are not in the soil -- or added as fertilizer -- the plant won't grow and reproduce, or it will look sickly (off-color, wrong size, etc.), just like humans don't look well when malnourished.

The "vitamin-depleted" element also must be buried, as plants do not get their vitamins from the soil. Rather, vitamins, along with all beneficial plant phytochemicals, are synthesized in the plant. The amount of a particular vitamin found in a fruit, vegetable or grain is determined by the plant's genes and environmental factors, not by the amount of that substance in the soil. After harvest, vitamin content can decline with time; some are also affected by cooking.

I remain a supporter of organic agriculture and programs such as integrated pest management (IPM). I buy locally and shop at farmers' markets to support local agriculture whenever possible. It also allows me to buy foods that are as fresh as possible. We should all do what we can to encourage farmers to be good stewards of the soil and our environment. And, while I support all forms of sustainable farming, eating conventionally grown produce is better than limiting your intake of fruits and vegetables and counting on supplements to fill the gap.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I read your articles with great interest. My question is: It is my understanding that foods of animal origin have no fiber. How could your body form stool if you ate only animal foods and no plant foods? And if you did, where would it come from? -- K.M., Dover, Delaware

DEAR K.M.: "Fiber" doesn't refer to one substance. Rather, it stands for a variety of indigestible materials that are found in plant foods. That makes you correct in your statement that animal foods have no fiber. It doesn't follow, however, that foods containing no fiber are 100% digestible. The stool would consist of whatever cannot be broken down or absorbed, the sloughed-off cells from the lining of the digestive system that get replaced every three to five days, and any secreted and un-reabsorbed digestive fluids.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: A series of reactions had my family physician order allergy testing. The results were a bit surprising because they identified items I had never reacted to before. Why might I have developed an allergic reaction to a food when there was no problem for so many years? -- W.S., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR W.S.: Food allergies are a more common experience in our early years, but they can develop at any age -- even to foods you once tolerated and enjoyed. A true food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system is misled into believing that a normally harmless food is an invader out to cause harm. It begins when a food part, usually a protein fragment, slips through the intestinal wall into the digestive system before it’s been completely digested.

After that absorption, the fragment is encountered by the immune system, our body’s security force. Because that fragment is someplace it doesn’t belong, the immune system reacts as it would to any trespasser, carrying out its primary mission to attack and eliminate gate crashers while preparing the body for future encounters.

Eating that same food later can cause the immune system to respond with symptoms like GI upset, sneezing, runny nose, asthma, skin rashes, swelling, headache and even a life-threatening drop in blood pressure. The most common food allergies involve nuts, eggs, shellfish, wheat, milk and soy. Why these? It may be that during their disassembly during digestion, these can form segments with a peculiar ability to slip through the intestinal wall. Some types of allergies developing in childhood can be outgrown, while others persist into adulthood.

Events affecting our immune system can influence the tendency to develop food allergies. Such events can include hormonal changes, medications, body stressors, infections and illnesses, particularly ones affecting digestion or the immune system. Drugs and alcohol can also have an impact. Our genetics are also involved. All these variables can make you susceptible to a food allergy reaction that might not normally occur. In addition, changes in geographical location can raise the level of allergens above your particular sensitivity threshold.

Those with allergy symptoms suspected of being food-related should consider keeping a diary. By recording all your meals and then comparing this with your reactions, you may begin to see some patterns. Always seek qualified assistance if you or a member of your family want professional help with your food allergy investigation. A good place to start is with physicians certified through the American College of Allergy and Immunology. Get more information at foodallergy.org.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.