Since the investigation of Schamberg1 and his collaborators on protein metabolism in psoriasis and the distinctly beneficial results obtained by them in this disease by restricting the nitrogenous intake, it has become more or less a routine with a great many dermatologists to place patients with psoriasis on a low protein diet. The use of such a diet has not been confined to psoriasis; it is being advised in a number of, other dermatoses—dermatitis, to instance one.
In reducing the protein intake, the caloric requirements are made up usually by that of carbohydrates and fats. Practically, the increase occurs most often in the carbohydrate components, since they are more agreeable to the majority of patients. A diet of this kind, rich in starches and sugars and poor in proteins, may be kept up for a long time, either by order of the physician or by the patient's own volition.