Nutritional Supplements For Psoriasis by Jane Thurnell-Read

Symptoms Of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an extremely painful skin condition, causing itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. You usually get them on your elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet, but they can show up on other parts of your body.  Sometimes the finger nails and toe nails become yellow or pitted as a result of psoriasis.

In about 5% of cases joint pain and swelling similar to symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis also develop.

The Cause Of Psoriasis

Normally it takes the body about a month to replace the top layer of skin, but in psoriasis it happens in just days, causing a build up of dry, itchy skin. Psoriasis is caused by a problem in the immune system. Scientists do not fully understand what triggers this malfunction, although there is sometimes a family history of psoriasis.

Some situations can trigger psoriasis or make existing symptoms worse. These include alcohol, stress, sunburn, cold temperatures, infection (particularly of the throat) and some medication. Being overweight is likely to increase the severity of symptoms, so another compelling reason to get your weight under control.

Smoking also increases your chance of suffering from psoriasis. The smoking link is particularly strong for pustular psoriasis. A study that questioned 104 patients about their psoriasis found that when they asked, “Has your psoriasis ever disappeared completely?”, 77% of non-smokers experienced one or more remission. Only 8.7% of smokers had at least one complete remission. (Source)

Psoriasis Treatment

Conventional medical treatment for psoriasis involves cream, medication and light therapy. Nutritional supplements can help psoriasis sufferers:

Evening Primrose Oil
This is not available as a food but needs to be taken as a supplement. Evening primrose is a wild flower that is native to North America. The seed oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is an essential fatty acid that the body converts to hormone-like compounds known as prostaglandins.  The body can usually make GLA from vegetable oils in the diet, but some people have problems with the conversion process within the body. Signs of this can include hyperactivity, thirst and small bumps on the upper arm. Supplements of evening primrose oil and starflower oil (borage oil) supply GLA and so by-pass one of the steps in the conversion. Evening primrose oil has also been shown to be helpful for premenstrual tension, menstrual cramp, endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis.  It may also help acne  and acne rosacea.

Zinc
Zinc is one of the most important minerals in the body, because it is involved in a lot of enzyme activity. It plays an important role in maintaining skin health and has been found to be beneficial for eczema and acne as well as psoriasis. Zinc is also important for the immune system and may help prevent coughs and colds. Adequate zinc levels are important for men as a low sperm count has been linked to an inadequate zinc intake.

Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is a herb that helps support the liver and kidneys. Many naturopaths say that the skin is a third kidney and that if the kidneys are not functioning well or are overloaded in some way, the skin suffers as it tries to help to eliminate toxins. It may also help to slow down the rapid build-up of skin cells and so reduce the itching. Milk thistle comes in the form of tablets.

Other nutrients can be helpful too:

Vitamin E – a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to the skin
Selenium – has an anti-inflammatory effect
Vitamin C – support for the immune system
Vitamin B Complex – helpful for stress and anxiety which can be a cause or consequence of psoriasis

Herbal And Homeopathic Creams
Homeopathic creams, such as Helios's calendula cream can be very helful for psoriasis sufferers as can flower remedy creams based on the rescue remedy flower essences from Dr Edward Bach.