Aloe Vera For Psoriasis

Aloe Vera For Psoriasis

Consider Aloe Vera For Psoriasis

Aloe vera for psoriasis makes sense, aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in many countries, and has been grown and used by many cultures for thousands of years. Modern research supports it use in many ailments, including different kinds of burns, wounds, many different kinds of digestive problems and just about every kind of skin ailment known to man, including psoriasis.

Aloe’s soothing and cooling properties make it an ideal addition to any psoriasis treatment program, and I highly recommend it as part of the Psoriasis Program. It is perfect to use on a daily basis to settle irritated skin and to help prevent flare-ups, and unlike steroidal creams that are harmful to use internally and externally (long-term especially), aloe vera causes no side effects.

When applied topically, aloe vera provides a very soothing as well as cooling action and reduces itching, irritation, burning and redness of the skin. It moisturizes and strengthens the skin and aids in healing the skin. Here is some useful information for using aloe vera for those with psoriasis, you will get the maximum benefit from following the following tips:

Buy several plants, grow them outside in full sun, but be sure to cover them in winter if you live in an area prone to frost. I learned the hard way and lost most of my aloe one cold winter, I now place a hessian sack on the plants on nights when I’m certain a frost is imminent. Grow in large pots and move to a sheltered frost-free position is another option. You will always get the very best results by using the fresh aloe leaf gel, as opposed to any processed leaf extracts, like gels, creams or lotions. Aloe is especially good for dry, itching, red, cracked and irritated skin. Apply the gel straight from the leaf once or twice per day. Apply the fresh aloe gel to any skin that has been exposed to the sun, especially good for sunburned skin. Dry skin is particularly benefitted from aloe gel, apply it on thick and leave on affected area as long as possible. You will be amazed how well this natural skin healer works, better than any of those expensive chemical concoction creams, lotions or potions you will even get from a skin “specialist”. If you can’t grow the plant or obtain it, be sure to look out for a high-concentration aloe vera in your skin formula. Amazing as it may seem, but there are several clinical studies that have shown that aloe vera is considerably more effective than topical steroids, when the aloe product contains a concentration of 70 percent or more.

Anti-Aging Effects Of Aloe Vera

Aloe is so mild, it can even be used on a baby’s skin, but has also shown to have many anti-aging benefits for those with much older skin. Not only are wrinkles reduced and scarring healed more quickly, aloe contains many different natural compounds that aid in healing and regenerating just about any affliction of the skin. Aloe vera gel or juice with an organic rating (like the aloe you grow at home) are often used in expensive anti-aging cosmetic products like those fancy anti-wrinkle creams, skin conditioners, make-up, lipsticks and facial masks. Aloe vera products for natural skin care are heavily promoted, but should be promoted much more widely for every kind of skin condition, including acne, dermatitis, and psoriasis.

Organic aloe gel and juice are used in cosmetic products like anti wrinkle creams, skin conditioners, facial masks, make up and lipsticks. It also improves the effectiveness of sun screen products and relieves heat on the skin that is caused due to sunburn.

Anti-Inflammatory Psoriasis Diet

Anti-Inflammatory Psoriasis Diet

The Anti-Inflammatory Psoriasis Diet

An anti-inflammatory psoriasis diet makes sense, because chronic inflammation is not only the root cause of diseases like psoriasis, but also of heart disease, many cancers, and conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. When you have psoriasis, you will be familiar with the symptoms of psoriasis that include redness of the skin, heat, swelling, cracked and dry skin and pain when the skin’s surface has been breached.

Article of interest:

Not all inflammation is bad, because inflammation is a normal response of the body and is a cornerstone of the body’s healing mechanism. It brings an increasing immune activity and nourishment to a site of infection or injury, and your body is unable to heal itself without a level of healthy inflammation.

When inflammation is inappropriate, or persists for prolonged periods of time or serves no therapeutic purpose it can actually damage your body and cause an illness by itself. Chronic inflammation can be the result of lack of exercise, toxins such as tobacco smoke or alcohol, a genetic predisposition, stress and especially poor dietary choices. The purpose of this article is to show you how specific foods can have an anti-inflammatory action, and that by incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet when you have psoriasis is one of the best strategies for managing any chronic inappropriate inflammation affecting your body, thereby reducing your chances of inflammatory skin flare-ups.

Sweets

To Consume: Very sparingly
Choices: Unsweetened dark chocolate
Reason: Dark chocolate contains polyphenols with good levels of antioxidant activity. Choose 70 percent pure cocoa dark chocolate and have an ounce (about 30 grams) twice per week.

Green Tea

To Consume: 2-3 cups per day
Healthy choices: White, green, oolong tea. Matcha green tea is one of the best green teas to consume.
Reason: Tea is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation. Purchase high-quality tea and learn how to correctly brew it for maximum taste and health benefits.

Herbs and Spices

To Consume: Unlimited amount
Healthy choices: Garlic, turmeric, ginger, (dried and fresh), basil, cinnamon, rosemary, and thyme. Avoid chili, it belongs to the nightshade family and is pro-inflammatory when it comes to psoriasis.
Reason: Use these herbs and spices generously to season foods. Garlic is anti-fungal, and turmeric and ginger are powerful and natural anti-inflammatory agents.

Animal Protein

To Consume: From 2-6 servings a week (one portion is equal to 1 ounce of cheese, 1 eight-ounce serving of dairy, 1 egg, 3 ounces cooked organic free-range chicken, free-range turkey or grass-fed lamb)
Healthy choices: High quality natural cheese (especially goat’s cheese) and yogurt (naturally soured, containing no artificial sugars or fruits, etc.), free-range eggs, poultry, free-range turkey, and grass-fed lean lamb meat. Avoid all beef, bison and deer meat if you have psoriasis.
Reason: Reduce consumption of beef, it is more pro-inflammatory than white meats or lamb. If you eat chicken, choose organic, cage-free chicken because the meat will be free of antibiotic residues. Use organic dairy products moderately, especially yogurt and natural cheeses such as Emmental, Edam, Jarlsberg and Parmesan. If you eat eggs, choose organic eggs from free-range chickens.

Seaweeds and Mushrooms

To Consume: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: The best seaweeds are kombu, nori, hijiki, wakame, dulse, and kelp, and the mushrooms are shiitake, maitake, enokidake, and oyster mushrooms.
Reason: Seaweeds contain an incredible amount of natural minerals, including iodine, which has a profound effect of keeping your thyroid and immune system powered up. Mushrooms contain many different compounds that enhance your immune function. Don’t eat mushrooms raw though, and reduce your consumption of common commercial button mushrooms, including Portobello mushrooms.

Whole Soy Foods

To Consume: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soymilk)
Healthy choices: soy milk, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy nuts.
Reason: Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and are protective against cancer. Several studies have suggested that isoflavones (estrogen-like compounds found in soy products) may help lower CRP (C Reactive Protein) and inflammation levels. Best to choose whole soy foods over isolated soy protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate (TVP – Textured Vegetable Protein).

Seafood

To Consume: 2-6 servings per week (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), mackerel, herring, and sardines. Why: Oily fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which has strong anti-inflammatory activity. If you don’t like eating fish, then take an omega-3 fish oil supplement that provides both EPA and DHA. Take one capsule three times daily with meals.

Healthy Fats

To Consume: 3-6 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 walnuts, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil, 1 ounce of avocado)
Healthy choices: For cooking, I always recommend that you use extra virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed organic oils like sesame seed oil. Other sources of healthy fats include walnuts, macadamia nuts, avocados, and flaxseeds (freshly ground), sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and even hemp seeds. Omega-3 fats are found especially in cold-water oily fish, walnuts, whole soy foods, and omega-3 enriched eggs. Organic, expeller pressed, high-oleic safflower or sunflower oils may also be used, as well as walnut, avocado, macadamia and hazelnut oils in salads and dark roasted sesame oil as a flavouring for soups and Asian stir-fries
Reason: Healthy fats are rich in either monounsaturated or omega-3 fats. Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols with a high antioxidant activity and other nut and seed oils like contain small fractions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Whole Grains

To Consume: 2-6 servings a day (one serving is about ½ cup cooked grains)
Healthy choices: Quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, buckwheat, groats, and steel-cut oats
Why: Whole grains digest more slowly than their refined products, reducing any frequency of spiking in blood sugar that may promote inappropriate inflammation. Whole grains are intact or in large pieces. Try to avoid whole wheat bread or other products made from refined flours. If you do have flour, use whole grain, stone-ground flour, mix with water and salt and make your own flat breads.

Pasta – al-dente

To Consume: 2-3 servings per week (one serving is about ½ cup cooked pasta)
Healthy choices: Rice noodles, bean thread noodles, buckwheat pasta or part whole wheat and buckwheat noodles (like Japanese Udon and Soba pasta).
Reason: Don’t overcook pasta, because it has a higher GI index (breaks down more rapidly) than pasta cooked al-dente. Pasta cooked when it has “tooth” to it (al-dente) has a lower glycemic index than over-cooked pasta. It is important to remember that low GI carbs should make up the bulk of your carb intake when you have psoriasis to assist in reducing any potential spiking in your blood glucose levels.

Legumes and Beans

To Consume: 1-2 servings per day (1 serving is ½ cup cooked beans or legumes)
Healthy choices: Your best bean choices are adzuki, black beans, anasazi, adzuki, chickpeas (Garbanzo), lentils and black-eyed peas.
Reason: Beans are a low-inflammatory source of high quality protein as well as magnesium, potassium, folic acid, as well as soluble fiber. They are a superb low-GI food. It is best to eat them very well cooked, and you can consume them either whole or pureed into spreads like hummus (chickpeas).

Vegetables

To Consume: 3-7 servings per day minimum (one serving is about 2 cups of salad greens or ½ cup of steamed, raw or juiced vegetables)
Healthy Choices: Lightly cooked dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard), cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kale, bok choy and cauliflower), carrots, beets, onions, peas, squash, and salad greens. Remember to trial avoiding the nightshade family of vegetables (potato, tomato, eggplant, and chilli) because they can be pro-inflammatory for some with psoriasis.
Reason: Vegetables are rich in many different phytonutrients, including flavonoids and carotenoids that have both antioxidant as well as profound anti-inflammatory properties. Choose vegetables that have a wide range of colours, and try to eat them both in their raw or partially cooked form, always buy organic when possible or grow most of your own like me.

Fruit

To Consume: 2-4 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 medium size piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, avoid dried fruits due to their high sugar content)
Healthy choices: Avocado, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, grapefruit, pomegranates, green apples, and kiwi fruit. These fruits are lower in glycaemic load than most fruits and won’t affect your blood sugar too much. They also won’t encourage any candida yeast infection from proliferating.
Reason: Fresh fruits are very good sources of both flavonoids and carotenoids which have an excellent antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activity. Always choose fruit that is brightly coloured and fresh in season or frozen. Buy organic fruit when you can, commercial fruits are often sprayed with insecticides.

Water

To Consume: Regularly throughout the day
Healthy choices: Drink pure, fresh or filtered water, or beverages that are mostly made from water throughout the day. (Like green tea or sparkling water with lemon or lime juice)
Reason: Water is vital for overall functioning of the body, it reduces inflammatory responses in your digestive system, aids digestion and helps keep the bloodstream thin as well.

 

Digestive Issues Are Common With Psoriasis

Digestive Issues Are Common With Psoriasis

Digestive issues are common with psoriasis. There appears to be a relationship between gluten sensitivity, being celiac, inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and psoriasis. Microscopic bowel lesions and intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) have been discovered by researchers in these conditions, and intestinal permeability seems to be a common thread here.

Article of interest: What causes psoriasis?

I have noticed a relationship with pancreatic dysfunction in those with psoriasis as well, and pancreatic insufficiency and even acute pancreatitis are more common in those with psoriasis.

Drs Jo Pizzorno and Michael Murray, as well as Dr. Elizabeth Lipsky have noted various factors that have an influence on the progression of psoriasis. These factors include poor or incomplete digestion of foods, especially protein foods, food sensitivities or food allergies, bowel toxemia (dysbiosis), poor liver function, eating high amounts of animal fats or sugars, and reacting to alcoholic beverages.

Bacteria can produce certain toxic substances or break down protein substances in the digestive system that have been incompletely broken down. One such group of toxic substances found in patients with psoriasis in particular are called polyamines. The production of cyclic AMP becomes blocked by polyamines, contributing to the progression and development of psoriasis.

The more you read and study about psoriasis, the more you will learn that the causes of psoriasis and treatments of psoriasis can be quite complex. I have found that successful treatment must encompass different approaches aimed at the specifics of each and every presenting case. For this reason, you will find that no one size fits all when it comes to psoriasis, and I highly recommend that for the best results you are best to understand your own personal triggers. Be sure to pay particular attention to your digestive system, because digestive issues are very common in those with psoriasis.

Poor Pancreatic Function Is Common With Psoriasis

A very common occurrence in psoriasis patients in particular is poor stomach or pancreatic performance, and for this very reason I highly recommend the supplementation of digestive enzymes for all of my psoriasis patients. Protein digestion starts in the stomach, and for this reason alone I highly recommend enzymes with each meal for at least two to three months to bring about a big improvement in those with moderate to chronic psoriasis. You can read more about the pancreas here.

 

Side Effects From Psoriasis Medication

Side Effects From Psoriasis Medication

Have you experienced side effects from psoriasis medication? You are not alone, around a third of psoriasis patients surveyed who have mild psoriasis said that they relied on topical (skin) treatments alone, because they had discovered that these kind of treatments had the fewest side effects, or that their psoriasis wasn’t severe enough to take a drug regularly, or that their doctor wasn’t interested in prescribing any further treatment.

One third of the 5,604 psoriasis patients surveyed regularly use light therapy (phototherapy). The most preferred form of light therapy for patients is UV-B therapy. The most frequently used oral systemic drug used up until 2011 in America was Methotrexate (sold under brand names Rheumatrex and Trexall).

Almost 23 percent of psoriasis patients reported using a drug called Acitretin ( a retinoid or synthetic Vitamin A drug sold under the name of Soriatane).

Psoriasis Drugs Can Create Severe Side Effects

Drugs called biological agents (like immune-suppressive drugs) have become a lot more popular for psoriasis patients since 2003, but other therapies are still favored. Several years ago, almost a quarter of those with moderate to sever psoriasis were using a drug called Entanercept (Embrel), but this has reduced in recent years to less than ten percent. The two main reasons so many have stopped taking these kinds of drugs is because they were not that effective, or created strong side-effects like increasing risk of infections.

This comes as no surprise to me, if you give a drug aimed at immune suppression, then the consequences naturally are that you will become sick more often. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work that one out! Whilst it is very important to ensure that patients with psoriasis and especially severe cases of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis receive proper and effective treatment, it is also important that this treatment does not come at a cost of side effects so great that decrease the quality of life.

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