More than seven million Americans deal with psoriasis.
Not familiar with psoriasis? This is a condition that leaves the skin itchy, scaly, and inflamed. For medium flare ups, moisturizers with coal tar and/or salicylic acid can ease symptoms. For severe flare ups, prescription creams with steroids can make a big difference.
But what about mild flare ups? You may not need a medicated moisturizer, but you may need more relief than usual. Here are two tips to soothe your itchy, inflamed skin naturally.
Try a dietary change: cut back on the meat and eat more veggies. Eating lots of protein (like eggs, meat, and dairy) can increase your body’s production of arachidonic acid, a compound that has been linked to psoriasis. A veggie-rich diet will lower your acid levels and fill your body with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation. It doesn’t mean you have to give up meat entirely — just cut back to eating meat every other day or so. Get your protein from other sources, like nuts, beans, and tofu.
Use products that contain Oregon grape extract. Studies have shown that using Oregon grape extract improved symptoms of psoriasis with twelve weeks — as much as a fifty percent reduction of symptoms! Oregon grape extract can improve liver function; when the liver is struggling to clean the blood, the skin will try to help out by filtering toxins. This can lead to psoriasis. If your liver is working better, your skin won’t have to do double duty. Your local health food store will probably have creams that contain Oregon grape extract. You can also drink tea made from Oregon grape extract.
If your psoriasis symptoms don’t respond to these changes, you may need to talk to your doctor or dermatologist. There are plenty of medications out there to treat even mild psoriasis flare ups! And you aren’t limited to creams or ointments; there are also spray and foam medicines available by prescription and over the counter.