Natural Healing: Dealing with the problems of psoriasis

Last week we discussed some of the potential problems with excitotoxic food additives.

Today, we are going to start going over some specific conditions and how to deal with them naturally. Let’s start with the skin condition psoriasis. Psoriasis manifests as dry, scaly skin that tends to appear on the extensor surfaces of the body, like the knees and elbows. In the past, psoriasis was considered a problem with certain skins cells that malfunctioned due to genetic factors. Genetics have shown to play a role, but not the role we once thought.

Now, psoriasis is considered primarily an immune system problem. The skin represents one of the largest areas of concern for the immune system. Think about how hard it can be to fight infections when the skin is compromised by cuts or burns. Most of your immune system resides in the lungs, digestive system and skin, as these are the primary areas that come in contact with infectious organisms.

The immune system is complex, but one of the ways the immune system deals with infections is to create inflammation by releasing pro-inflammatory chemicals. Current research leads to the theory that an over action of the body to these pro-inflammatory chemicals is the underlying cause of psoriasis. So, with the understanding that the immune system inflammatory response is the underlying cause of the condition, it is logical that support both the immune system and anti-inflammatory processes. When it comes to supporting the immune system, the key vitamin is vitamin A and the key mineral is zinc. Both are critically important to proper immune system function.

We also need to consider vitamin D as very important, both in relation to immune system function, but also due to the fact that the reaction of the skin to sun light is key to converting vitamin D into its usable form. Daily doses of vitamin D of 5,000 IUs and even up to 10,000 IUs is recommended to correct deficiency. When it comes to inflammatory response the main issue for the skin is omega 3.

We discussed the role of maintaining the proper omega 3 to omega 6 ratios a few weeks ago. It has been suggested the if the body is deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, the body to scavenge from the skin to maintain the vital organs. This not only leaves the skin more vulnerable to inflammation, but also tends to cause the skin to be drier. Because of the huge size of the skin and the fact that skin may receive the omega 3 after other organs needs are met, fairly high doses of omega 3 supplements may need to be taken for an extended time before the skin inflammatory response is decreased.

As a way to treat inflammation while omega 3s are being replaced, I recommend topical curcumin gel which one study shows a 90 percent resolution of psoriasis plaques in six weeks.

Another option is topical aloe vera cream which shows significant reduction in symptoms, over 4 to 12 months.