Psoriasis is a noncontagious, skin disorder that can occur on any part of the body. The disease occurs when skin cells replicate too quickly. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale.

Types of Psoriasis 

There are five types of psoriasis. They include:

• Erythrodermic: Intense redness over large areas 
• Guttate: Appears as small red spots on the skin
• Inverse: Occurs in armpits, groin and skin folds
• Plaque: Most common form of the disease
• Pustular: White blisters surrounded by red skin

Psoriasis Statistics

According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

About 10 percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic [sore-ee-AA-tic] arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints.

Causes and Contributors to Psoriasis Flare Ups

The exact cause is remains unknown but the prevailing theory connects the high rate of cell replication to a genetic flaw. This theory is backed up by the large number of cases that run in families. As with most genetic disorders, it's is also an important part in determining the severity and the frequency of the condition or whether you've ever experience it at all. Other possible contributors include:

• Diet. A poor diet, especially one high in processed foods, animal meats, and low in fiber, essential fatty acids (EFAS),  for example, is seen to worsens this condition.
• Food allergies. Food allergies are considered a primary driver for flare ups for many afflicted with this disease. It is the identification and the treatment of food allergies that is often a key treatment methodology for many afflicted with the condition.
• Candida. The over growth of candida albicans and various bacteria by certain food products is also thought to worsen this condition. Along with the overgrowth of these microbes is often an imbalance or a deficiency of a friendly flora, the good bacteria that help detoxify the body.
• Digestive health. Digestive health is also is said to play an important role. Poor digestion, leads to the creation of a toxin known as polyamines, which contribute to excessive skin proliferation.
• Liver function. Liver function is of critical importance, as the body's main filtering system. Optimizing liver function with sound nutrition and nutritional supplements can be helpful.
• Stress
• Fluctuating hormones
• Illness and infections
• Certain medications 

Diagnosing Psoriasis

• Hormone testing (thyroid, DHEA, cortisol, testosterone, IGF-1, estrogen, progesterone) - saliva, blood, or urine
• Digestive function and microbe/parasite/candida testing-stool analysis
• Food and environmental allergies/sensitivities-blood, electrodermal
• Vitamin and mineral analysis- blood
• Intestinal permeability-urine
• Detoxification profile- urine
• Toxic metals- urine or hair

Natural Treatment Methodologies for Psoriasis

What you eat can affect your skin quite dramatically. As with all skin disorders, it is best to eat a wholesome diet, avoiding foods that can affect body chemistry, especially foods that can cause allergic reactions, as well as foods that are highly processed, as well as foods that are hard to digest.  The following diet tips should prove helpful:

• Cleanse naturally with proper food choices. Eat foods that encourage the body to eliminate toxins through the bowls and the urinary tract, rather then through the skin. These would include foods high in fiber and roughage.
• Increase your fiber intake. Eat fresh, whole foods and include whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, or beans at every meal.
• Increase your consumption of veggies. Many psoriasis sufferers are deficient in zinc and vitamin A. Pumpkin seeds for zinc: for vitamin A, eat orange, yellow, or green vegetables.
• Do not eat other foods that are difficult to digest. Fatty, fried, and junk foods all fall into this category, as also do products that are high in refined sugar.
• Get your protein from fish and vegetarian sources like tofu and beans. These sources are much easier to digest than animal proteins are.  
• Avoid red meat, poultry, and milk. People with psoriasis tend to have difficulty digesting protein, and these foods are the hardest on your intestines. In addition, both red meat and milk contain arachidonic acid, which aggravates inflammation.
• Avoid foods that tend to promote inflammation. In some people, psoriasis is brought on by allergic reactions to food. Foods that are known to cause allergic inflammation reactions in some people include: gluten, cow's milk, sugar, and citrus fruits are common offenders.
• Add essential fatty acids (EFAs) to you diet. EFAs reduce inflammation and have been shown to greatly improve psoriasis. Cold-water fish like salmon and mackerel are excellent sources of EFAs, and so are both flax seeds and flax seed oils.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol causes inflammation and triggers it in many people. Drink in moderation and monitor your intake; if alcohol leads to a flare up then you should stop drinking altogether.
• Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine can stress the body if not consumed in moderation. It can also cause inflammation reactions, and affect recuperative sleep, further exacerbating the stress - inflammation cycle. If you must get your caffeine fix, drink in moderation and monitor your intake; if you noted your intake correlating with psoriasis flare ups then you should stop drinking caffeine altogether.
• Go alkaline. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain. The typical western diet largely based around meat, dairy, sugars, alcohol, saturated fats and caffeine, is believed to be able to create a hostile, acidic environment within our bodies. When the bodys' pH level is unbalanced, almost any area within the body can be negatively affected. It is believed that such an environment can contribute to many serious diseases and conditions  such as cancer, heart disease  obesity, weight problems, allergies, skin conditions (such as eczema, and potentially psoriasis),  premature aging, bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones,bone loss, weak and brittle bones, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, constipation, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorder, ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or acid reflux), hormone concerns, immune deficiency realated diseases, irritable bowel disease, joint pain,lactic acid buildup, low energy and chronic fatigue, metabolic acidosis, poor metabolism, slow digestion and elimination,yeast/fungal overgrowth, as well as problems with our nervous system, cardiovascular system and muscles. To minimize this risk, proponents of an alkaline diet suggest the consumption of mainly fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes and avoiding grains, dairy, meat and excess salt, in order to balance the acidity and alkalinity (the "pH balance") of one's body.
  
• Hydrate. Drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water a day. Consider drinking alkaline water. By drinking water consistently throughout the day you can improve the bodys' never functions, improve digestion, flush away toxins more quickly before they ca negatively impact the body, as well as help hydrate the skin. 

Psoriasis Detoxification Cleanse

A cleanse (or body detox) may help reduce toxic waste and return your digestive system to a more efficient working order. You may also discover that fasting brings on an episode of psoriasis or makes an existing flare up worse, but that's because you are shedding toxins at an increased rate. Once your body system is clean again, you may find an improvement in your skin.

Sample Natural Psoriasis Treatment Plan for Psoriasis

• Fish oil. Take 10 grams daily of a high- quality of fish oil.
• Hydrochloric acid. Take 1 to 3 capsules with each meal. It improves protein digestion.
• Milk thistle. Milk thistle improves liver detoxification and reduces cellular proliferation. Take 250mg three times daily of an 80 to 85 percent of silymarian extract.
  
• Sarsaparilla. This herb is said to reduce the effects of bacterial toxins the aggravate psoriasis. Take 500mg or 4ml three times daily.
• Vitamin B12. Vitamin B is important for many biochemical processes within the body. Researchers in Germany have reported using B12 as part of the successful treatment of a variety of skin conditions, such as hives, seborrhea, dermatitis, eczema, shingles and lupus. One journal article describes a successful treatment for psoriasis (source: Ruedemann R. AMA ARch Derm Syphilol 1954 Jun;69(6):738-9.).  Get 1cc injection from your doctor daily for ten days and then twice a weekly. Sublingual B12 may also be helpful, at 400 to 800mcg daily.
• Digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes help you digest food more efficiently. Deficiencies in digestive enzymes like pepsin, and pancreatic enzymes are known to contribute to B12 deficiency through blocked absorption .Researchers have shown that b12 deficiencies can lead to skin conditions (see above). Additionally, poor digestion, can lead to the creation of a toxin known as polyamines, which contribute to excessive skin proliferation. Take 1 to 2 capsules of a full-spectrum enzyme product with each meal.
• Super green food supplement. Take an organic green food, such as chlorella or spirulina, or a mixture of super green foods, each day.

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