Psoriasis as a common skin condition that can affect almost anywhere on the body, and is experienced by millions of people worldwide. Although psoriasis cannot be completely cured, a visit to your doctor is recommended to find out which type you are suffering from and to receive the appropriate treatment for it.  Plaque Psoriasis is the most common type and usually appears on the elbows, scalp,and knees as thickened red patches, with silvery flaky scales which can also be itchy and sore.

The different types of Psoriasis are Plaque, Guttate, Pustular, and Inverse, all of which need somewhat individual therapies and treatments. In addition to the body, arms and legs, you can also experience nail psoriasis and scalp psoriasis.

Causes of Psoriasis

There can be several reasons why this skin condition may materialize, for example, stress, certain drugs, skin damage, over indulgence of alcohol and sensitivity to specific foods to name some possibilities.

What You Can Do

Suggestions of things that have  proven to be of help to some, are adopting a nutritionally balanced, healthy eating management, homoeopathy, acupuncture, vitamins and minerals (e.g. selenium, vitamin E), as well as herbal remedies (Sarsaparilla and Aloe Vera etc.). It is essential of course, that anything that you may want to attempt must always be after a consultation with your doctor or medical herbalist because some vitamins and herbal treatments can have an adverse reaction to any other prescribed conventional drugs that you may be taking.

Medicinal Foods

As stress is one of the known triggers for psoriasis, it makes sense to try and alleviate it by promoting calm throughout your body. Eating the right foods will not only boost your immune system thus preventing infection but can also calm your digestive system. A healthy digestive system will contribute towards hopefully eradicating or at least minimising your psoriasis symptoms.

Not only should you cut down on animal fats and alcohol,  you should also, by trial and error, exclude known allergenic foods, typical of these being, dairy food, wheat, shellfish and citrus fruit. There is a lot of truth in the saying 'you are what you eat', so, to strengthen your immune system, thereby helping your psoriasis, these are some of the foods that you should be consuming.

Packed full of health benefiting antioxidants are all fresh red, green and yellow fruits and vegetables. Eating these foods will prohibit the breakdown of the immune system; add also oily fish,cereals, pulses, live yoghurt, beans, onions and garlic and you'll be on your way to a healthier skin.