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In holistic health the goal is to understand the root cause of illness and then take steps to reverse it. Psoriasis is a disease of excess proliferation of skin cells. Different things need to come together in order for this to happen. This includes:
How these factors work together is not fully understood. Immune system stimulation is part of it. This could be to an allergenic food, infection, or toxin. Inflammation combines with up-regulated gene expression to trigger excess production of keratinocytes in the skin.
Many conventional treatments suppress inflammation. From a holistic perspective the goal is not to force inflammation down. What matters is identifying and removing immune system triggers that cause inflammation.
This page lists different considerations which may be contributing to psoriasis. The goal is to treat the person, not the disease. Since everyone is unique and there are different triggers of psoriasis, I have no standard protocol.
The digestive system breaks down proteins into individual amino acids. If digestion is weak bacteria can feed off of undigested protein. This creates toxic by-products. Polyamines are a set of toxins made by bacteria in the gut which contribute to psoriasis symptoms. Lowering polyamines has also been found to help symptoms. This can be done in two ways. Supplements which block bacteria from making them, or by improving overall digestion so the bacteria do not have undigested proteins to feed off of. [1]
Other gut derived toxins from gram-negative bacteria, streptococcus and Candida albicans have also been associated with psoriasis. Overgrowth of Candida may especially be important in some people. [2]
You can not assume that you're digestive health is fine just because you have no symptoms. If systemic symptoms indicate there is something wrong with digestion, it’s best to get tested. Functional labs for inflammation, allergies or pathogens may find hidden problems.
The following are basic guidelines on what type of diet to follow for psoriasis. The goes is to keep inflammation down, limit the production of gut-derived toxins and eliminate allgens
Sufficient amount of fiber which is needed to bind to gut-derived toxins.
Should abstain from alcohol, which increases the amount of toxins absorbed from the gut.
High amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. The help to control specific inflammatory pathways that lead to psoriasis. Aracodonic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid which is high in grain fed beef may make psoriasis inflammation worse.
Nutrient dense in anti-oxidants
Consider removing nightshade vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers
Food allergies, including gluten sensitivity is more common in psoriasis. Lab tests against gluten and other allergens can help people figure out what they are allergic to.
Follow this link for more information on food allergy testing
I do not believe that there is only one diet that everyone must follow. However, all healthy diets will not contain sugar, allergens, or highly processed junk foods. As far as specialized diets go, one option is go have a mostly plant based, high-fiber diet that limits amounts of excessive protein.
Another diet which is becoming more popular is a ketogenic diet. Undigested carbohydrates can ferment and become food for bacteria. Bacteria then release toxic compounds which can cause a wide range of symptoms from skin rashes, to brain fog. One of the ways a ketogenic diet may help people, is by starving these bacteria of carbs, so they can't make toxic by products.
There are studies showing that diets for weight loss and exercise do help psoriasis. As far a ketogenic diet is concerned, it is possible to find anecdotal cases from people online. However, as of the writing of this article (February 2019) I have not found an actual study on the ketogenic diet for psoriasis. [3]
The liver is our primary organ of detoxification. When the body has too many toxins for the liver to handle, it looks for other ways to get rid of them.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and through sweat and oil is able to eliminate some toxins. Skin conditions are thus often seen as a sign of the body trying to heal itself with some form of detoxification. This includes psoriasis, eczema and acne.
Bile is secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. After eating, bile is released into the digestive system. Bile have several roles which are relevant to psoriasis.
Bile emulsifies fat, allowing it to be absorbed into the body
Bile neutralizes gut derived toxins. In fact, research has shown that supplementing psoriasis patients with bile helps symptoms. [4]
Many herbs traditionally used for psoriasis and skin conditions actually work by stimulating the liver and gallbladder. These include the following:
Herbal medicine for the liver and gallbladder may be helpful. However, it should be done in conjunction with other therapies. Just taking liver herbs by itself is probably not going to get someone that far with psoriasis.
A general liver formula from the health food store may have good herbs. However, this shotgun approach of just taking a bunch of herbs for the liver is not tailored towards anyone's specific needs. Just because milk thistle is a great herb for the liver that doesn't mean it's specifically what you need.
A good herbalist works from a holistic perspective. Each person is different. Symptoms are a a sign of underlining issues. Herbs are best prescribed for the whole person, and not just the disease that they have.
Follow this link for more information about traditional herbal medicine.
Streptococcus is a bacteria which causes throat infections. Often this is called "strep throat." This is typically treated with antibiotics.
Strep infections are not limited to only the throat. They can linger and infect other areas of the body. Strep infections are also known for triggering for autoimmune reactions.
Examples include:
Strep infections are commonly tested with a swab taken from the back of the throat. However, since streptococcus can live elsewhere, this can not rule out a chronic strep infection.
The better test to run for a chronic strep infection is for antistreptolysin O (ASO). This looks for antibodies made against the ASO enzyme which Streptococcus produces. Antibiotics may not be necessary. Chronic streptococcus can respond to herbal medicine. [5]
Many people think sun exposure is bad because it can cause skin cancer. While excessive exposure and sun burns are not good, in reasonable amounts sun exposure is very healthy. Sun bathing for health purposes (heliotherapy) can be helpful in psoriasis. This may be in part due to ultraviolet light which inhibits cell proliferation. UBV lights and laser therapy are also available. Some herbs such as lomatian may be used along with light therapy for their photosensitizing effect. [6, 7]
I only give specific lab recommendations after going through a full intake with each client. The following labs are common considerations for someone with psoriasis. It is not necessary to run all of these tests on everyone. There may also be other labs not listed here, which upon going over a case may be needed.
This may include markers of inflammation, elevated blood sugar and nutrients commonly low in psoriasis. There is a relationship between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease, which is another reason to test for inflammation.
Blood sugar: HgA1c and insulin
Inflammation: homocysteine, C-reactive protein
Nutrients: fatty acid profile, zinc, chromium, selenium, folate, and vitamins A, D, K, B12
Infection markers: CBC with differential. ASO and Candida antibodies
Allergies: Blood IgE test
These not typically available through conventional doctors. You may follow each link for more specific information on each test.
Hair analysis for heavy metals
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