DEFINITION: Psoriasis usually appears as a sharply-bordered red rash covered with overlapping silvery scales, resulting from an over-production of skin cells; they produce so quickly (often over 1,000 times faster than normal cells) that there is not time for the old cells to slough off. Many cases occur within a month after a very stressful event.

AGGRAVATED BY: Alcohol, animal fats and dairy foods (all of which cause bowel toxins); also, stressful situations can aggravate the condition.

CAUSED BY: Incomplete protein digestion/absorption; bowel/colon toxemia (gut-derived toxins); over-stressed liver and stress in general.

OFTEN CORRECTED BY: A large intake of fresh fruits & vegetables every day. A good bowel and liver cleanse. Elimination of alcohol, animal fats and dairy products. Foods rich in fiber. Drinking lots of good water. Adding cold-water fish to the diet & on the days when you cannot eat fish, supplementing with 1 Tbs. of good-quality Flaxseed Oil. Also, lots of sunshine and ultraviolet rays are good for psoriasis!.

DIETARY SUPPLENTS: Vitamin A, Zinc. Vitamin E and plenty of onions and garlic.

HERBAL SUPPORT FOR A PSORIASIS-LADEN BODY: Sarsparilla Tincture (Sarsparilla binds to bowel toxins & helps to eliminate them); Goldenseal (not to be used daily; use 7 days on and 7 days off for a maintenance herb). Yellow Dock Root, Horsetail, Red Clover, Nettles, Chickweed, Burdock, (whole herb) & Our Lady's Bestraw (Cleavers). CLEANSE THE LIVER AND BOWEL. Note: All of these herbs can be combined wihout danger and taken in tea, tincture or in capsule form. (We do not, however, recommend capsules because the age of the encapsulated herb is not able to be determined and it could very well be old and the properties dissipated. Dried herbs should be discarded after a year.)

TOPICAL APPLICATIONS: Cayenne, Chamomile, Burdock, Licorice Rt., Our Lady's Bestraw. (Mystical Rose Herbal's Eczema/Psoriasis salve contains these herbs).