"There are genetic contributions to psoriasis and it takes a long time to change a person's internal environment."
(MICHAEL TRAUB)
Q: How effective are alternative therapies for psoriasis versus conventional treatments?
A: Conventional medicines can be quite effective in terms of taking down the inflammation quickly, but they are not effective in achieving a long-term cure. Natural medicines sometimes don’t work as fast, but when they are combined with dietary and lifestyle changes, they can take a person who has moderate to severe psoriasis and get them to the point where they just have mild psoriasis or are psoriasis-free.
Q: What natural remedies have proven to be effective in treating psoriasis?
A: Fish oil works, as does an anti-inflammatory diet. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, and while it doesn't have a rapid effect with psoriasis, it is helpful long-term.
Q: Are there natural remedies that definitely don't work, even though people seem to think they will help?
A: A lot of people think that essential fatty acids are helpful for a variety of skin conditions. In the case of psoriasis, fish oil has been proven effective. Some people will want to use other types of oils like flaxseed oil or primrose oil. As far as I know, those have not shown any effectiveness. People need to understand that if they are going to supplement essential fatty acids, they should use fish oil and not cod liver oil or flaxseed oil.
Many natural remedies are recommended for psoriasis, but they have no proven effectiveness. Things like vitamin E—I haven't seen any evidence of its effectiveness, but a lot of people think of it as a natural medicine that is helpful for skin problems. Zinc is something that I haven't seen work. Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease and there are a lot of anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be helpful for psoriasis.
