Wisdom Wednesday: Psoriasis

Psoriasis is characterized by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. As underlying cells reach the skin’s surface and die, their sheer volume causes raised, red plagues covered with white scales. Psoriasis typically occurs on the knees, elbows, and scalp but it can also affect the torso, palms, and soles of the feet.

Psoriasis can also be associated with psoriatic arthritis, which leads to pain and swelling in the joints. Just imagine the joints going through the same chemical inflammation as the skin. The National Psoriasis Foundation estimates that between 10 to 30% of people with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis. Clinically, I find that number is closer to 30%.

I am of the opinion that psoriasis is an auto-immune disease and recent research indicates some abnormality in the immune is the key to the cause of psoriasis. Episodes can be triggered by emotional stress, trauma, and infection.

Injured skin and certain drugs can aggravate psoriasis, including some blood pressure medication (like beta-blockers), the anti-malarial medication hydroxychloroquine, and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.)

Psoriasis tends to run in families, but it may skip generations.

I have used fish oil, an omega 3 fatty acid to treat psoriasis for over 30 years. It typically reduces the ugly red plague by 80-90% in a couple of weeks. I started using it long before I understood the prostaglandin inflammatory pathways that omega 3 fatty acids inhibit. I had been using fish oil to reduce LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol (back in the days when I thought that had value) when a few of my patients with psoriasis commented on their improvement. So the use was initially antidotal but later backed up by biochemistry.

Today we evaluate the prostaglandin, leukotriene and cytokine pathways to see what supplements will be most effective with patients suffering from psoriasis. Sometimes black current seed oil, sesame seed oil, ginger or Boswellia are more effective that fish or flax seed oil.

Wisdom Wednesday: Slippery Elm Bark

North American Indians and early settlers used the inner back of the slippery elm not only to build canoes, shelter and baskets, but as a poultice or as a soothing drink. Upon contact with water, the inner back, collected in the spring, yields a thick mucilage or demulcent that was used as an ointment or salve to treat urinary tract inflammation and was applied topically for cold sores and boils. Surgeons during the American Revolution treated gun-shot wounds with slippery elm. Early settlers boiled bear fat with the bark to prevent rancidity. Late in the 19th century, a preparation of elm mucilage was officially recognized in the United States Pharmacopoeia.

Slippery elm coats and protects irritated epithelial tissue (skin and the lining of the digestive tract). The powdered bark has been used in this manner for local application to treat gout, rheumatism, cold sores, wounds, abscesses, ulcers, and toothaches. The tannins present in the bark are known to possess astringent actions. It also has bee known to “draw out” toxins, boils splinters, or other irritants.

When slippery elm preparations are taken internally, they cause reflex stimulation of the nerve endings in the GI tract, leading to mucus secretion. This may be the reason they are effective for protection against stomach ulcers, colitis, diverticulitis, gut inflammation, and acidity. Slippery elm is also useful for diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, IBS, and to expel tapeworms.

I also use slippery elm as a prebiotic. It is very high in soluble fiber that remains intact through the digestive process all the way to the colon. In the colon it feeds the healthy bacteria, the probiotics that form the microbiome.

Please refer to my blog “2014 in Review” posted on December 29, 2014. It lists 5 blogs posted last year on digestive issues.