Psoriasis Herbal Remedies

Herbs have a long history of success in the natural treatment of psoriasis and many other skin conditions

Herbs have been used for thousands of years to treat scores of ailments, and are a safer, gentler alternative to side effect-ridden prescription drugs.

The following herbs are well-known for their effectiveness against psoriasis

1. Turmeric

Turmeric (the stuff in curry spice) is an incredible anti-inflammatory and will help all psoriasis sufferers. It is proven as effective as steroids/corticosteroids.

The active ingredient in Turmeric curcumin, is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and when consumed orally, turmeric can help reduce skin lesions and stop any bleeding.

The National Psoriasis Foundation acknowledges the efficacy of certain dietary supplements in minimizing flare-ups, among them Curcumin/Turmeric. Citing turmeric’s role in both food and traditional medicine, the Foundation states that many sufferers use it as a means of alleviating their symptoms. Anecdotal evidence seems to attest to its success.”

Read more on the healing benefits of curcumin for treating psoriasis symptoms.

2. Milk thistle

Milk thistle is an edible plant native to southern Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor, and northern Africa, and has been used for food in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean for a long time as well as a tonic herb for the liver. Virtually all parts of the plant have been used as food with no known toxicity. Milk thistle was introduced to North America by European colonists.

Milk thistle has been shown to inhibit human T-cell activation which occurs in psoriasis and helps in reducing the rate at which psoriatic skin cells divide.

Because the liver neutralizes certain toxins associated with psoriasis attacks, milk thistle is believed to help prevent psoriasis outbreaks by promoting proper liver function. It works by reducing circulating endotoxins thereby improving liver function.

Milk Thistle is believed to protect the cells of the liver by blocking the entrance of harmful toxins, and helping to remove these toxins from the liver cells. Milk thistle seeds contain a bioflavonoid complex known as silymarin. As with other bioflavonoids, silymarin is a powerful antioxidant.

Milk thistle also regenerates injured liver cells. It is especially helpful for psoriasis, being that an overtaxed liver causes psoriasis.

Milk thistle is one of the most effective herbs known for supporting the liver. Milk thistle has been used historically as a liver tonic. As the body’s blood filter, the liver detoxifies and removes any toxins that find their way into the system. The liver also metabolizes fats. In fact, poor liver function may be tied to inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Milk thistle contains a group of active ingredients known collectively as “silymarin” that protect the liver against the damaging effect of toxins. Silymarin increase the liver’s supply of glutathione, the key detoxifying protein mentioned earlier that has been found lacking in people with psoriasis. Attending to liver health is an important step in managing psoriasis, and milk thistle helps improve liver function.

This herb also reduces leukotriene production in the white blood cells, which in turns helps slow the overactive reproductive cycle of psoriatic skin.

Milk thistle products can be purchased at health food stores in tablet or fluid extract form.

Milk thistle can be taken in the amount of 420 mg of silymarin per day from capsules, tablets, or an herbal extract of milk thistle extract standardized to 70-80% silymarin content. According to research and clinical experience, improvement should be noted in about eight weeks. Once that occurs, intake is often reduced to 280 mg of silymarin per day. This lower amount may also be used for preventive purposes. For those who prefer, 12-15 grams of milk thistle seeds can be ground and eaten or made into a tea.

Click here to read a comprehensive medical review on the health benefits of milk thistle.

3. Neem leaf extract

Neem seed oil and leaf extracts may be the wonder cure for psoriasis. It relieves the itching and pain while reducing the scale and redness of the patchy lesions.

Neem oil is especially beneficial for curing skin ailments such as psoriasis. The oil contains fatty acids which build collagen, promote wound healing and maintains the skin’s elasticity. It is a powerful insect repellant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and strengthens the body’s overall immune responses.

Neem can be a godsend for people suffering from psoriasis, and it can help control psoriasis symptoms.

Neem treats psoriasis symptoms so successfully that some people claim to be cured.

Experiments and reports from patients with psoriasis suggest that taking Neem leaf orally combined with a topical neem oil treatment (like baths, soap, lotion or salve) can be at least as effective as coal tar and cortisone in treating psoriasis, with none of the nasty side effects.

Other research reports showed that nimbidin, one of the components found in neem seed oil, has anti-inflammatory properties comparable to standard drugs like phenylbutazone (non-steroid) or prednisolone (a steroid).

A highly recommended way to take Neem leaf extract is with Neem leaf capsules.

I would highly recommend the Neem leaf capsules produced by Neemaura Naturals Inc. Neemaura Naturals is the premier producer of Neem products. They have done extensive research to develop the most effective way to deliver the benefits of neem to people, and this led to the development of the NeemAura product line.

4. Slippery Elm Bark Tea

Clinical researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa recently tested slippery elm as a treatment for psoriasis. Acting on a suggestion in a recorded reading by Edgar Cayce. The scientists found that a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, small amounts of protein foods, and slippery elm bark with avoidance of red meat and processed foods reduced the permeability of the bowel to lectins in food and led to reductions in oozing, itching, and

Suggested Use – Preparation of Slippery Elm Bark Tea:

Place about a quarter to one-half of a teaspoon of slippery elm bark powder in a cup of warm water. Stir and let stand about fifteen minutes before drinking. Do not let it stand beyond thirty minutes, as it may become rancid. This mixture is taken early in the morning, at least one-half hour before breakfast, if possible for the first ten days of the regimen. It is then reduced to every other day, except in severe cases, until the skin condition clears.

5. Olive oil extract

Olive oil contains a group of compounds with anti-inflammatory properties called polyphenols. It is these polyphenols that give olive oil its remarkable health benefits. Polyphenols have been shown to inhibit compounds in the body that strongly amplify the inflammatory response. In addition, olive oil may contain undiscovered properties that inhibit other steps in the inflammatory pathway that ultimately leads to psoriasis.

Numerous laboratories in the past ten years have shown that polyphenols extracted from olive oil have in vitro and in vivo activity in preventing and/or reducing the deleterious effects of oxygen-derived free radicals associated with numerous inflammatory and stress related human diseases.

A highly recommended olive oil extract product beneficial for psoriasis is Olivenol.

Olivenol is a dietary supplement containing antioxidant polyphenols derived from the pulp of olives.

The polyphenols in Olivenol are recovered from the juice of organic olives, which are rich in hydroxytyrosol — the polyphenol with the highest free radical protection ever reported for an antioxidant compound.

Several years ago, Dr. Fujio Numano, a Japanese cardiovascular researcher, discovered that a specific preparation of the olive oil supplement Olivenol dramatically improved psoriatic plaques. He was evaluating the heart benefits of olive oil, but discovered, by accident, that it also reduced psoriatic plaques.

One of his patients, a 71-year-old with severe psoriasis who was on medical therapy, had an 80 percent reduction in plaques after only two months. His results were confirmed in a small unpublished clinical trial involving several patients with psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions. All had good to excellent improvements within eight months.

6. Olive leaf extract

Olive leaf contains active ingredients that show antimicrobial properties. Olive leaf extract is currently used to help maintain intestinal health bacteria by inhibiting the proliferation of disease-causing bacteria and other unwanted organisms such as Candida yeast. People with Candida infection have reported very positive effects when taking olive leaf extract.
In a study, all the participants reported more than a 50 percent reduction in symptoms after taking the olive leaf extract for a sixty-day period.

Candida has been proven to be the root cause of psoriasis in many people. In a recent study, twenty-one out of thirty-four people with psoriasis were found to have Candida albicans. Taking an olive leaf extract product can therefore have an impact on psoriasis symptoms. 

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