Natural Health: I’ve tried everything to cure psoriasis
Psoriasis is a very difficult condition to treat — all too often resulting in shelves straining under the weight of partially used creams, lotions, and ointments. Caused by the skin cells multiplying thousands of times faster than usual, psoriasis sufferers end up with a build up of additional cells causing irritation, flaking, and scaling.
While it is important to find a topical solution to help relieve the patches of psoriasis, it is equally important to work from the inside out to try and restore balance.
It may be worth having a professional allergy specialist check for specific intolerances rather than taking potluck with excluding food groups, however, it does make sense to avoid inflammatory foods for a start.
Typically, this means cutting out processed sugars, junk foods, fried foods, refined grain products, and alcohol.
There is evidence to suggest that psoriasis may be linked with an inability to effectively metabolise saturated fats from meat products, so you could try a vegetarian or vegan diet to see if this makes a difference to your skin.
Taking nettle tea, and a liver-supporting supplement (such as milk thistle and dandelion) is a good idea for supporting the organs of elimination.
Vitamins A and zinc are typically deficient in individuals with psoriasis, so you may also want to target these nutrients.
Essential fatty acids are crucial with any skin condition, particularly with psoriasis since they help to regulate skin cell production.
Researchers from Chieti-Pescara University in Italy tested the use of pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) to treat psoriasis.
Over the course of three months, half of the test subjects were given 150mg of Pycnogenol per day and the other half were treated with conventional medicine’s best practices.
At the end of three months, the Pycnogenol subjects had significantly better results than the conventional treatment group.
The group of people who were given pine bark extract had significantly higher skin water content and reduced symptoms compared to the people using conventional treatment protocols. It was also noted that the improvement was greatest in those with more severe psoriasis.
Viridian’s 50mg Pycnogenol is available from health food stores where 30 capsules cost €29.50. You will need to take one capsule, three times daily, if you are wanting to replicate the dosage used in the research trial above.
I enjoy having a glass of warm water with the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon each morning. I began this some years ago as part of Sandra Cabot’s Liver Cleansing plan, and have continued on with it. Does this actually work to cleanse the liver, or is it simply a refreshing drink?
The idea of drinking a glass of lemon water for health stems from the fact that it enhances enzyme function and stimulates the liver. The primary compound, citrate, is a toxin inhibitor, and citric acid increases the ability of our body to flush toxins.
Lemon peel has been found to help lower blood and liver cholesterol (you can add a bit of zest to your water), and the bioflavonoid hesperidin has been shown to protect the liver against damage.
The flavonoids found in lemons will also help to improve digestion, reduce the risk of heart disease, and lower insulin sensitivity.
Lemon water has been shown to calm upset tummies and indigestion, so it is also a good post-meal beverage.
