Are Supplements Necessary With Psoriasis?
While supplements are not mandatory, you will find many benefits by adding certain specialized dietary supplements into your daily regime. Many patients have asked me over the years what the best dietary supplements are to take for their psoriasis, and in The Psoriasis Program I have written an entire book outlining the best supplements, herbal medicines, special foods as well as herbal teas you can take that will all assist in helping you eradicate psoriasis without fear of any unwanted side effects. Dietary supplements can be extracts or concentrates, and they can occur in many forms, such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids or powders. Many of my patients find that including vitamins and supplements in their diet helps to keep their skin clear, and allows the skin to heal that much faster. I have found that those with psoriatic arthritis find the right supplements ease joint pain and give them a better quality of life. Psoriasis patients are often concerned about the long term use of conventional drugs, because drugs pose certain risks that include side-effects ranging from mild to quite severe. because psoriasis is a chronic condition that is likely to affect you for some time, it makes sense to try different therapies that don’t cause long term side effects. I have been recommending certain dietary supplements for psoriasis for more than twenty years, and often with very good results. All of the dietary the supplements I’ve mentioned can be successfully combined with each other, and you can safely use them even if you’re already taking conventional medications.
Dietary Supplements Are Not Miracle Cures For Psoriasis
Patients with psoriasis are often lured into taking pharmaceutical drugs because of their rapid effect, yet are not generally informed in my opinion about the side effects that often occur, especially when a systemic drug is taken for severe psoriasis. I find it interesting the one major American psoriasis website, (supposedly an authority on psoriasis), makes hardly any mention about drug side effects, but mentions that should you happen to take any supplements and experience side effects, to just stop taking them and to tell your doctor. Your doctor will naturally then tell you to avoid these supplements because of their “side effects” and to remain with the drugs only. In a situation like this, it would be better for that patient to consult with a naturopathic doctor rather than a conventional one, or to consult with a practitioner who is knowledgeable about dietary supplements and psoriasis.
Dietary supplements don’t cause side effects the way conventional drugs do, and I have found that when a supplement like a top quality multivitamin or antioxidant is recommended for the psoriasis patient, that he or she may experience a temporary worsening of their complaints. What can occur is that psoriasis drug residues in the liver and kidneys can potentially become liberated into the bloodstream and cause skin itching or various other minor symptoms. These minor and trivial symptoms are often self-limiting, and quickly reduce when the dosage of the supplement is cut back or is temporarily stopped. It certainly does pay to get expert advice in these kinds of situations, and not just to abandon treatment with good quality dietary supplements because some “authoritative” website on psoriasis told you so.
Incidentally, the psoriasis website I mentioned above offers webinars for the psoriasis patient, I used to listen to these webinars but soon gave up because the “treatments” only supported pharmaceutical drug treatments, and all my questions about dietary supplements were simply ignored by the doctor who was hosting the webinar series. There was little if any mention about dietary of lifestyle intervention (apart from the need for taking an antidepressant drug), and no mention whatsoever about the importance of a high quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, in addition to an antioxidant supplement and Omega-3.
Dietary supplements don’t have an “instant effect” with psoriasis, so you will probably need to be taking them for several months before you begin to see improvement. So don’t give up, be persistent and stay patient, because those who get the best results with psoriasis as far as natural medicine is concerned are those patients who adopt my dietary and lifestyle recommendations long-term, as well as take the supplements religiously as well.
You best initial approach is to take a daily high-potency multivitamin and mineral along with a potent antioxidant supplement. Make sure your multivitamin contains vitamins A and D. Good multivitamins also contain adequate levels on B vitamins, as well as vitamin C, all important for healthy skin growth and repair. The antioxidant and Omega-3 fish oil supplement are very important to counter any free-radical damage that may occur, and to reduce the inflammation which commonly underpins psoriasis.
Get Professional Advice
It is best that you get good advice from a health care professional who has a very good working knowledge of dietary supplements and psoriasis, preferably an expert in nutritional medicine who has worked with many psoriasis patients before. You medical doctor may not necessarily have the right qualifications when it comes to assessing whether the drugs they have prescribed for you are incompatible with any dietary supplements you are taking. Don’t be quick to discontinue good quality supplements until your talk with your naturopathic doctor or medical doctor who is trained in functional or natural medicine.
Sometimes, especially if you have other medical conditions and/or you are taking a whole bunch of drugs, there is more likelihood that the drugs themselves with be clashing with each other and causing many interactions. In such cases, dietary supplements are quickly blamed and discontinued. Again, make sure you get expert advice if your case is chronic and complex and you are taking many different drugs, medicated creams, ointments, steroidal preparations and on to of all this many different dietary supplements. It is the right and responsible thing to do.