Psoriasis Causes

It is a huge misconception that the causes can be controlled by Vitamin D alone

However according to Dr. Michael F. Holick, the director of General Clinical Research and Endocrinology at Boston University Medical Center, regardless of how much vitamin D you take, it alone will not be able to control this skin disease.

So what is the answer, as even the Merck Manuel of Medical Schools suggests that there is no known actual cause of psoriasis, and as such, there is also no known cure. While Vitamin D alone may not be the answer, combined with other vitamins and nutrients, there is a lot of evidence that it can at least be managed and controlled to some degree.

It is estimated by the medical community that Psoriasis affects about three to four percent of the world’s population in its various forms.

What is it?

In fully understanding the relationship with psoriasis causes and vitamins, it is very helpful to understand exactly what this skin disease actually is.

Psoriasis is best described as a chronic as well as an inflammatory disorder that can attack several systems in your body, especially the skin and joints. Although it is best known for attacking the elbows and the knees, this is somewhat of a misconception, as is the suggestion that it only comes in one form or type.

The facts are that it comes in several types and its characteristic symptoms are an overgrowth of the epidermal layer of your skin. In addition to the affecting the elbows and the knees, it can also affect your scalp, your lumbosacral areas, as well as the glands of the penis.

One of the most troubling facts with psoriasis causes and vitamins is that at some point during its progression, it will develop into what is referred to as characteristic plaques. The different types of this disease will most commonly result in skin that develops into very thick and red patches that have silvery type scales.

However, there is another misconception with psoriasis, and that is that these patches only affect the knees and elbows. In some cases, they can also affect your scalp as well as the main portion of your body referred to as the trunk. Although it may appear slightly different, it can also start to show up in your fingernails, toenails, as well as your genitals and the inside of your mouth.

It also comes in several different types with the most common being erythrodermic psoriasis. This form will appear on the skin as a widespread reddening along with the scales, and will be extremely itchy as well as painful. Guttate psoriasis will appear as small red dots and will commonly affect the legs, arms, and the truck.

The inverse form of this disease will be localized in your skin folds, but generally do not develop scaling skin; however, this form can cause smooth inflamed lesions.

But the list of types is still not complete, as the next is nail psoriasis, which will appear under your fingernails or toenails. When this does occur, it causes a yellowish coloration in your skin, thickness, as well as crumbling of the skin. The plague form of this disease is considered the most common form, and it is best characterized by red lesions that are both raised as well as inflamed.

These lesions will have the silver scaling appearance and most commonly affect the elbows, knees, the trunk, as well as the scalp. Other forms include psoriatic arthritis that causes inflammation and swelling in the hands and feet. However, if it is severe enough; it can also affect your knees, elbows, as well as your spine.

Psoriasis Causes and Vitamins:

Although there is still no known cure, it is strongly suggested that psoriasis can be managed and controlled with the usage of vitamins and other nutrients. To suggest that vitamin D alone can cure it or even control this disease has no documentation to support this claim.

However, when other vitamins as well as nutrients are combined, there have been some very positive results as it is suggested that nutritional deficiency may be the actual cause of the disease.

In making decisions about psoriasis and vitamins, one of the first issues to look into is Omega-3 fatty acids. It is believed that this disease may partly be due to the way that your body handles oils in the diet, or more specifically, the lack of it.

There have been several studies that have suggested that EPA, also known as eicosapentanoic acid, may provide some relief. EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid that is found in fish. Most of the vegetables that we eat are made primarily of Omega-6 fatty acids, not Omega-3. However, Omega-3 is found abundantly in linseed oil, soybean oil, and green leafy vegetables.

There have been studies that the Asian countries that eat a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids not only have much longer lifespans, they also have very few reported cases of psoriasis.

It is documented that Omaga-3 fatty acids work into each of our cell membranes very easily, and this helps several functions in the body, including improving the immune system as well as keeping skin cells operating properly and not over growing.

Psoriasis Causes and Zinc :

The next possible connection with psoriasis causes is with Zinc, even though it is a mineral and not a vitamin. The skin in the human body contains roughly twenty percent of the total zinc supply, but according to the Nutrition and Diet Therapy, 7th ed, page 253, most of the American population may have a zinc deficiency of some type.

The US RDA requirement is only 15 milligrams a day, but if you are not supplementing with a multi-vitamin in liquid form or tablet form, you are not reaching this recommendation.

Vitamin D:

Psoriasis causes and vitamins next helpful potential step will include vitamin D. By adding vitamin D to milk products several years ago, it has been credited with eliminating rickets in children, but it is also believed to help with psoriasis. It is held in some circles that this vitamin can help to slow psoriatic cell growth in skin cells, which is what is believed to be one potential cause of the disease.

However, as Dr. Holick suggests, this vitamin alone cannot cure it or slow it down. In fact, very high dosages can raise the calcium levels in your body, which in turn, can cause kidney stones.

Vitamin A:

The next association with psoriasis causes and vitamins is with Vitamin A. In very severe cases, a super potent form of vitamin A is used to treat this disease, but it is only available by a prescription.

However, Vitamin A taken orally does appear to help skin cells grow to maturity before they shed, but again, it does not work on its own. It must be combined with fatty acids, vitamin D, and zinc to be effective.

Summary:

Psoriasis causes and vitamins do seem to have a connection, but it is not one vitamin, one fatty acid, or one mineral. It is believed to be a combination and this can only be found in a very good multi-vitamin supplement.

Liquid vitamins are considered to be much more effective as they absorb not only quicker but much more efficiently in your system. If you do suffer from this very painful disease, vitamins may help, but do not rely just on Vitamin D.

Natural Treatments for Psoriasis Causes

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