Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease, meaning inflammation plays a key role in its development. While its exact cause remains unknown, psoriasis affects up to 3% of adults in the United States. It primarily leads to skin symptoms such as raised plaques and discoloration but can also impact other areas, including the joints and eyes.

What Causes Inflammation in Psoriasis?

In individuals with psoriasis, the immune system malfunctions, causing inflammatory cells to accumulate in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin. This dysfunction also speeds up skin cell production in the outer layer (epidermis).

Normally, skin cells take about a month to grow and shed, but in psoriasis, this process occurs in just a few days. Instead of shedding, the excess skin cells build up, resulting in symptoms such as plaques, scaling, redness or discoloration, and swelling.

However, psoriasis is not just a skin condition. The inflammation it causes can affect the entire body, increasing the risk of other health issues like heart disease, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriatic arthritis.

Can Inflammation Be Treated?

Since inflammation in psoriasis is linked to immune system dysfunction, treatments aim to reduce this inflammation. Research suggests that lifestyle and dietary changes can help minimize symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Many people with psoriasis can maintain remission—periods without symptoms—by adopting these changes. In addition, medical treatments such as topical corticosteroids, injectable biologics, and oral medications work to control inflammation. The severity of psoriasis varies from person to person, so treatment needs differ accordingly.

Managing Inflammation in Psoriasis

While there is no cure for psoriasis, the following lifestyle habits may help reduce inflammation and improve symptom control.

Eating a Nutritious Diet

Diet is closely linked to inflammation. Certain dietary patterns can worsen psoriasis, while others can alleviate symptoms.

Avoid inflammatory foods: Processed foods, sugary drinks, and excessive salt or unhealthy fats may trigger psoriasis symptoms.

Follow an anti-inflammatory diet: Research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can reduce psoriasis severity.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Obesity is a risk factor for psoriasis, and excess weight can worsen symptoms. Studies indicate that weight loss can reduce inflammatory markers and improve psoriasis severity. For instance, a 2020 study found that losing 12% of body weight over 10 weeks led to a 50–75% reduction in psoriasis symptoms.

Adopting Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Several habits can help lower inflammation and manage psoriasis symptoms:

Quit smoking: Smoking worsens inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis.

Limit alcohol intake: Excessive drinking contributes to inflammation and symptom severity.

Stay active: Regular movement helps reduce psoriasis severity. Sedentary lifestyles are linked to worse symptoms.

Get enough sleep: Poor sleep increases inflammation. Experts recommend 7–9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health.

Manage stress: Stress is a common psoriasis trigger. Practices like meditation and yoga can help reduce stress levels and inflammation.

When to Seek Medical Help?

If you experience a psoriasis flare-up and want to manage inflammation, consulting a healthcare provider, particularly a dermatologist, is essential. They can recommend appropriate treatments, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle changes to help reduce symptoms. Additionally, they may suggest vitamins or supplements that could support your overall health.

While psoriasis is a lifelong condition, proactive management can lead to improved quality of life and extended periods of remission.

Auto-Brewery Syndrome, also known as gut fermentation syndrome, is a rare medical condition where the digestive system produces alcohol internally. This happens when certain microorganisms—mostly yeasts like Candida or some bacteria—ferment carbohydrates in the gut, creating ethanol. The ethanol then enters the bloodstream, causing symptoms such as dizziness, disorientation, fatigue, and even slurred speech, mimicking alcohol intoxication.

How Does It Happen?

ABS typically occurs when the natural balance of the gut microbiome is disrupted. This disruption can follow antibiotic use, gastrointestinal infections, or diets high in refined carbohydrates. In some cases, people with diabetes or existing gut disorders are more prone to developing the condition.

When the gut environment changes, fermentative microbes may flourish. These microbes thrive on simple carbohydrates and sugars, converting them into alcohol during digestion. While most people efficiently digest these foods without any issue, those with ABS experience a build-up of ethanol, leading to unwanted and surprising symptoms.

The Role of Bread and Carbohydrates

Bread—especially white or refined varieties—is rich in simple carbohydrates. For most people, eating bread in moderation doesn’t cause harm. In fact, whole grain bread can be beneficial due to its fibre content, which supports healthy digestion and feeds good gut bacteria.

However, when eaten in excess, particularly in its refined form, bread can contribute to an overgrowth of fermentative microbes in susceptible individuals. This can lead to symptoms like bloating, gas, discomfort, and, in rare cases like ABS, internal alcohol production.

A Simple Remedy: Psyllium Husk

To support gut health, many wellness experts recommend incorporating psyllium husk, or Isabgol, into your routine. Psyllium is a soluble fibre that absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance in the gut. This helps regulate bowel movements, slows down carbohydrate absorption, and may prevent the rapid fermentation of food in the intestines.

By stabilizing digestion and reducing the speed at which carbs are broken down, psyllium can help minimise gas, bloating, and the risk of ethanol build-up—making it a helpful tool for those concerned about gut health.

Supporting a Healthy Gut

Managing ABS or preventing gut issues doesn't require drastic changes. Here are a few everyday habits that support better digestion:

• Limit intake of refined carbohydrates and processed foods
• Choose whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
• Include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, or pickles
• Stay active and hydrate well
• Manage stress through breathing exercises, meditation, or regular routines

Auto-Brewery Syndrome is an unusual and extreme case, but it highlights a powerful truth: the food we eat shapes our internal health in surprising ways. Paying attention to our gut and making mindful dietary choices can go a long way in supporting not just digestion, but overall well-being.

You may know about people who avoid certain foods like peanuts, berries or eggs because they are allergic to it, but what does that mean? Food allergies can happen to anyone. It is a condition where your body’s natural defenses overreact to exposure to a particular substance. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology explains that our body’s immune system basically mistakes food or a particular particle as an invader or a threat to your body.

This then causes your immune system to release ‘defense’ chemicals that can cause reactions like nausea, swellings, dizziness or worse, anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a whole-body reaction that can impair your breathing and cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure. Life-threatening reactions like such are the reason why many parents are apprehensive about introducing certain foods to their children. However, could that be the reason why children are developing more allergies?

A new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that some parents are waiting much longer—a year or even more. Many parents, understandably worried, might actually be preventing their children from avoiding food allergies. Experts now say that introducing tiny amounts of common allergy-causing foods like peanuts and eggs to babies as young as 4 to 6 months old can help them build a strong defense. This delay could mean their children don't get the chance to become tolerant to these foods, increasing their risk of developing allergies.

Delayed Introduction Trend

The study looked at what parents are feeding their babies and found some interesting, and perhaps concerning, trends:

Nuts: About 35% of babies hadn't eaten nuts by their first birthday.

Eggs: Similarly, around 21% of parents hadn't given their one-year-olds any egg.

Sesame: And for sesame, 16% of babies hadn't tried it by age one.

These numbers come from a survey of parents in the UK, who are part of a study tracking their children's health over time.

Persistent Misconceptions And How It Affects Health

For many years, parents were told to avoid giving allergenic foods to babies and even during pregnancy. The idea was to prevent allergies. However, we now know that this advice might have actually made allergies more common, especially in children.

Researchers explain that studies as such are very important. Parents must update themselves regarding new food allergy guidelines. This understanding is important as if parents keep waiting to introduce these foods, it will continue to fuel the "allergy epidemic" we're seeing.

The researchers talked to nearly 400 parents involved in a project tracking children's health from birth. They found that most children did start eating common allergenic foods like eggs and nuts when they were between 6 and 9 months old. However, many parents still chose to wait longer for certain foods:

Sesame: About 26% of parents waited until their child was older than 9 months.

Fish: 25% delayed introducing fish.

Nuts: 21% waited longer for nuts.

Eggs: 11% held off on eggs.

The researchers concluded that even parents whose families had a history of allergies weren't following the updated advice. Many babies weren't exposed to nuts and eggs by their first birthday, which is a key time for building tolerance.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap

These findings suggest that the new guidelines about food allergies aren't reaching new parents clearly enough. Research consistently shows that introducing allergenic foods early, especially nuts and eggs, lowers the risk of developing allergies. In fact, for babies at high risk of allergies, experts even suggest introducing peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age. It's crucial for this message to get out so more children can benefit from these updated recommendations.

Cervical cancer is usually associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that accounts for nearly all cervical cancer cases. HPV types 16 and 18 have been found to account for more than 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. HPV vaccination and cervical screening schemes have had a remarkable impact in lowering the incidence of HPV-associated cervical cancer, particularly in developed countries but can cervical cancer happen without HPV?

Surprisingly, yes—but only rarely. Between 5.5% and 11% of cervical cancers are HPV-negative, and these tend to be missed until advanced stages. This article discusses what we now know about HPV-negative cervical cancers, why they are difficult to diagnose, and what it all means for prevention and treatment in the future.

Dominant Role of HPV in Cervical Cancer

HPV is by far the most frequent cause of cervical cancer and is responsible for almost 99% of cases. The virus is generally transmitted through sexual contact and can remain in the body for years before resulting in abnormal cell growth in the cervix.

In nations such as Australia, where screening and vaccination programs are well organized, the majority of cervical cancer cases can be traced to HPV. Of the 900 women who develop cervical cancer annually in Australia, nearly all have been attributed to this virus. The two most lethal types of HPV—16 and 18—are accountable for as much as 80% of the cases.

However, in a small percentage of cases, no detectable HPV infection is present. These are the uncommon but important outliers that researchers and clinicians are working increasingly harder to comprehend.

What is HPV-Negative Cervical Cancer?

HPV-negative cervical cancers occur in an estimated 5.5% to 11% of all cases worldwide. These are uncommon subtypes of adenocarcinomas, including:

• Clear cell carcinoma
• Mesonephric carcinoma
• Gastric-type adenocarcinoma

In a few instances, tumors that are HPV-negative at presentation can be and were once HPV-positive, yet the virus is no longer detectable because of tumor progression or testing limitations. In any case, such cancers tend to act differently than HPV-positive tumors—and present formidable diagnostic challenges.

Why HPV-Negative Cases Go Undetected?

One of the biggest challenges to tackling HPV-negative cervical cancers is that existing screening tools—both the Pap test and the newer Cervical Screening Test (CST)—are intended to pick up HPV-associated abnormalities. Therefore, HPV-negative tumors usually go undetected early on.

Lacking an independent test that can specifically pick up these uncommon types, many women won't be diagnosed until they start noticing symptoms, including:

• Unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Pelvic pain
• Painful sex
• Irregular discharge

These symptoms usually manifest later, hence HPV-negative cervical cancers usually have a poorer prognosis. A meta-analysis of 17 studies with more than 2,800 patients revealed that the outcomes for HPV-positive cervical cancers are substantially better than those for HPV-negative cancers. Both earlier detection and biologic differences in tumor behavior are likely to be the reasons for this.

Potential Risk Factors Of Cervical Cancer Beyond HPV

Although HPV is still the leading cause of cervical cancer, various factors can contribute to elevating one's risk, particularly in HPV-negative patients:

Smoking: Duplicates the risk of cervical cancer by subjecting cervical cells to carcinogens.

Long-term oral contraceptive use: Prolonged use can raise the risk, although risk dissipates after stopping pills.

Multiple births: Multiple full-term pregnancies can raise the vulnerability through hormonal fluctuations and prolonged exposure to HPV.

Weakened immune system: Diseases such as HIV or immunosuppressive drugs may weaken the body and make it less likely to resist infections and abnormal cell growth.

Family history: There may be a genetic component that contributes to susceptibility.

Chlamydia infection: Long-term infections caused by this bacterium may raise the risk.

Poor diet: Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake has been linked with increased cancer risk from less protective antioxidants and vitamins.

Nevertheless, risk factors above are modifiers and not primary causes. In the case of HPV-negative cervical cancer, there is no single cause, and studies on possible genetic or environmental cause are under way.

Diagnosis of HPV-Negative Cervical Cancer

Since there is no screening test for HPV-negative cervical cancers, diagnosis typically only happens after symptoms arise. Physicians use:

• Pelvic exams
• Biopsies
• Imaging tests like MRI or CT scans

By the point of discovery, the cancer is typically so advanced that the treatment becomes more complex and survival rates lower.

This delay in detection underscores a critical imperative for biomarker identification, cutting-edge imaging, and better awareness both within the healthcare community and among the general public.

Are We Underestimating the Role of HPV?

Some authors believe that the rate of HPV-negative cervical cancers could be overestimated because of false negatives, i.e., cases with the presence of the virus that are not detectable at the moment of testing. This may be explained by:

• Low viral load
• Sampling errors
• Short period of time between infection and testing

This hypothesis is put forward on the grounds that the actual number of true HPV-negative cases may be less than reported, though more sophisticated diagnostic methods are required to support this.

How To Minimize Risk Of Cervical Cancer?

HPV-positive or HPV-negative, there are steps to take that lower the risk of developing cervical cancer overall:

Get vaccinated: The HPV vaccine protects against the most risky types of the virus.

Go for regular screenings: Although they don't catch HPV-negative cancers, Pap and HPV tests are still important for the early detection of most.

Stop smoking: Reducing tobacco use reduces exposure to carcinogens.

Practice safe sex: Wear condoms to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

Eat a balanced diet: Provide a nutrient-rich diet with high levels of antioxidants.

Women who have any unusual gynecological symptoms—no matter what their screening history is—should see a healthcare provider early.

Though HPV-negative cervical cancer is uncommon, it poses special detection, diagnostic, and therapeutic challenges. These instances remind us that cervical cancer is not a monolith and highlight the need for ongoing research, improved screening technologies, and heightened awareness.