The Secret Weapon To Fight Psoriasis Naturally

Have you seen the potential side effects of psoriasis medications?

If you do have psoriasis, wouldn’t it be nice to have a natural treatment, without those nasty potential side effects? If that is what you are looking for, for you or a loved one, read on!

Existing psoriasis drug treatments are risky and expensive. These drugs often include steroids and chemotherapy drugs. One of the drugs to treat psoriasis, Raptiva, was pulled from the market for increasing the risk of deadly brain infections. Another, Stelara, could cost $50,000.00 a year for treatment!

Psoriasis is a chronic disease of your immune system that causes cells to build up on the surface of your skin, leading to thick, red, scaly patches that are very itchy and sometimes painful. Up to 7.5 million Americans suffer from the disease, which has a surprisingly significant economic impact as well.

A new study in JAMA Dermatology reported that direct US healthcare costs related to psoriasis may be up to $63 billion a year. There were also indirect costs (such as loss of work hours) of up to $35 billion and another $35 billion in costs related to associated health problems, like heart disease and depression.

Taken together, the researchers found the annual US cost of psoriasis amounted to approximately $112 billion in 2013.

Psoriasis Is More Than a Superficial Skin Condition:

Although psoriasis appears as a skin condition, it is actually an autoimmune disease. Part of the reaction occurs when a type of white blood cell called a T cell mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells.

These overactive T cells then trigger other immune responses that collectively speed up the growth cycle of skin cells, causing them to move to the outermost layer of your skin in a matter of days rather than weeks.

Because the dead skin cannot be removed quickly enough, it builds up into the thick patches characteristic of psoriasis. For up to 60% of people with psoriasis, the condition seriously impacts their daily life.
Your skin may become so inflamed, that it cracks and bleeds. Up to 30% of sufferers also develop psoriatic arthritis, which can cause debilitating joint damage.

People with psoriasis are also at an increased risk of numerous other chronic diseases, including eye conditions, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. There are also potential psychological repercussions.

Vitamin D Is The Secret Weapon, Which Is Crucial for Fighting Autoimmune Diseases, Including Psoriasis:

If you have psoriasis, it is imperative that you have your vitamin D levels tested and maintain levels in the therapeutic range of 50-70 ng/ml year-round. Vitamin D is a potent immune modulator, making it very important for the treatment and prevention of autoimmune diseases.

According to one study, “vitamin D could have important immunomodulatory effects in psoriasis,” but unfortunately 80% of patients in the winter, and 50% in the summer, are vitamin-D deficient.

Vitamin D is thought to effect psoriasis on multiple levels, including helping to regulate keratinocyte (skin cell) growth and differentiation as well as influence the immune functions of T lymphocytes and other cells. Vitamin D also inhibits cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cell activity, potentially helping to regulate skin cell growth.

In fact, not only are vitamin D derivatives commonly used as a topical treatment for psoriasis, but phototherapy is also a preferred type of treatment.

Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels If You Have Psoriasis:

Typically, the best natural treatment for psoriasis is exposure to sunlight, in order to optimize your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D can also be obtained orally or in the form of a vitamin D cream.

If Taking a Vitamin D Supplement, Remember K2 and Magnesium:
If you opt for a supplement, be sure to take vitamin D3, not synthetic D2. You also need vitamin K2 and magnesium in conjunction with D3.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so taking some form of healthy fat with it will also help optimize absorption. The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body. Without sufficient amounts of K2, calcium may build up in areas such as your arteries, dental plaque and soft tissues. This can cause calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. K2 may be contraindicated if you are on blood thinners.

Magnesium is also important, both for the proper function of calcium and for the activity of vitamin D, as it converts vitamin D into its active form. Magnesium also activates enzyme activity that helps your body use the vitamin D. In fact, all enzymes that metabolize vitamin D require magnesium to work. As with vitamin D and K2, magnesium deficiency is also common. If you are magnesium deficient and take supplemental calcium, you may exacerbate the situation.

Vitamin A, zinc and boron are other important cofactors that interact with vitamin D. When taking supplements, it can be easy to create lopsided ratios, so getting these nutrients from an organic whole food diet and sensible sun exposure is generally your best bet.
Dietary sources of magnesium include sea vegetables, such as kelp, dulse, and nori. Vegetables can also be a good source. As for supplements, magnesium citrate and magnesium threonate are among the best.

Read More