Alternative Medicine for Psoriasis

By Daniel Fraser

Psoriasis is a noncontagious, skin disease that is caused by an overreaction of the body's own immune system, which speeds up the growth and life cycle of skin cells. Usually, a skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in about 30 days. However, a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off, extra skin cells build up on the skin's surface forming "plaques" which appear red, flaky and scaly that are often itchy and painful.
The plaques vary in size from being minute papules to sheets covering larger parts of the body. Not only does the disease affect knees, skin behind the ears or scalp, but it also affects the underarms and genital areas.
Common triggers that aggravate and precipitate the outbreak of psoriasis are severe stress, trauma or injury, severe illnesses such as strep throat, and change in diet.
Psoriasis is considered incurable, therefore treatment and medicine is focused on reducing or controlling the symptoms of psoriasis. Following are some non-prescription remedies for psoriasis.
Food Remedies for psoriasis
Psoriasis is a metabolic disease, therefore it is very useful to follow a well-balanced diet. Include foods with zinc: seafood, meat, seeds, and cooked dried beans, peas and lentils; beta carotene: sweet potato, kale, carrots, turnip greens, mustard greens, and spinach; vitamin D: cod liver oil, fish, fortified cereals, oysters, and caviar; and omega-3 fatty acids: salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herring.
Soluble fiber such as pectin, guar gum, and psyllium are very useful for binding toxins. However, you should also eat things like flaxseed oils, folic acids (present in bok choy, beets, chick peas, turkey, peas, and oranges). Foods that aggravate psoriasis are spicy foods and liver and other organ meats.
Homeopathy remedies
There are multiple homeopathic medicines available in capsules, ointments, and oils: arsenicum iodatum, graphites, calcarea carbonica, mezereum, mercurius solubilis, sepai, staphysagria, sulphur, rhus toxicodendron, and petroleum.
Other psoriasis remedies
Many non-prescription medications contain natural and herbal ingredients which are known to help soften and restore skin problems. You can use aloe Vera extract in a topical application (apply three times a day and do not cover). You can also use essential oils like avocado oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, cashew nut oil, Vitamin E, oatmeal, and buttermilk as homemade remedies.
Sunshine on the skin can clear up mild cases of psoriasis. The sun helps kill surface skin cells more quickly and this helps them shed faster.
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