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Flaxseed capsules for Psoriasis?

I had to laugh :lol: when I read the thread about the man who went to the health food store and was concerned about the pale sickly looking clerks. That was exactly my impression when I went to a health food store last week. Couldn't hardly believe I was taking advice from such an unhealthy looking creature! (Looked kind of "wormy"!)

That aside - I have scalp psoriasis. I have been to several dermatologists over the last 8 years and have been treated with the rountine medications. The only thing that really has worked is Betamethasone Lotion - basically a steriod oil that I rub into the area. These past 3 months, nothing really works. Also, I was told that I should not be using it when I am pregnant - which I am not, but would like to be soon.

The sickly clerk told me to use flaxseed oil - I opted to use the capsules as opposed to the sprinkles. (I know myself and doubt I would ever use it everday! She also told me to cut out red meats. YIKES! I know from reading the Protein Plan red meats can cause problems with whatever kind of deposits - loaned out my book and can't remember the exact name. However - I had this problem WAY BEFORE I ever started the diet. BTW - my dad has a similar problem.

I sure would like some "expert advice" and hear from anyone who has successfully treated themselves for this. I have been using tea tree oil and emu oil lately - but to no avail!

HELP! :help:

Thanks!
MaryB

Hi Mary,

I had a bad case of psoriasis (scalp, nails, and elbows/knees) and I think I found my remedy, finally! it's watercure (watercure2.com). I am taking 1/8tsp of celtic sea salt with every 16oz of water that I drink. My whole skin has reacted very positively: oily and dry skin patches are normal now, wrinkles around my eyes have disappeared, and no more psoriasis on scalp and nails (in 2 weeks) and I have only one tiny patch left on my knee. we have a thread on atkinsfriends.com challenges board called Salty Foxes for people who are doing watercure for weightloss and health benefits and share their experiences. one man reported that his psoriasis nearly disappeared as well with this remedy. hope this helps, Mila

I too have psoriasis and have had for many years. Nothing helps. Am going to this web site and check this out.

Thanks for the info. :wave:

hi Mary,

The caution against red meat isn't against the meat itself, it's because the FAT in red meat and in egg yolks contains arachidonic acid (AA), which can trigger inflammations in susceptible people. From the Protein Power FAQ's:

Quote:

Can I really eat all the red meat and egg yolks I want?

Most people can. However, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. First, you can’t do the Protein Power Plan halfway. You can’t increase your protein foods haphazardly and continue to eat carbohydrates as you do now and expect to see results. In fact, you’ll be worsening your problems if you do so.

Second, there are some people who may have problems with large amounts of red meat and large quantities of egg yolks. These people: have elevated blood pressure and/or cholesterol, retain abnormally high amounts of fluid, and/or suffer from inflammatory conditions such as skin rashes, asthma, allergies, bursitis, or arthritis.

It’s not the cholesterol in red meat and egg yolks that is the problem. It’s the fact that they are high in arachidonic acid, which can promote or worsen the above conditions.

Here is the strategy for these folks to follow: Eliminate red meat and egg yolks from your diet completely for three weeks. At the end of the three week period, take stock of your health. Has it improved? Eat a large portion of red meat and eggs for a couple of meals and observe what happens. If your problems reappear of get worse, you are sensitive to arachidonic acid and should have these foods only once in a while. When you do have them, make sure to remove as much of the fat from the beef as possible. Grill the beef. This will reduce the arachidonic acid by as much as 35%. Another option is to marinate the meat in a combination of red wine and olive oil or light sesame oil for 24 hours before grilling.

As far as eggs are concerned, have no more than one or two whole eggs at a sitting, and eat egg whites the rest of the time. Also, you should avoid margarine altogether (as everyone should).

Besides doing the recommended 3-week elimination test to see if this may or may not be a problem for you, the Eades also suggest that you could choose very lean cuts of red meat, with little or no marbling. Trim off all visible fat. Lamb could be a good choice because the fat is generally on the outside of the meat, and therefore easily trimmed away. Ground meat obviously is out of the question. Grill on a rack, so the fat drips away, then use melted butter or olive oil to dress the meat for serving. They also suggest that you marinate red meat in red wine and olive oil for 24 hrs before cooking. Discard the marinade .. this can reduce the arachidonic acid content by 30%.

hth,

Doreen

Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the replies!

Doreen - thanks for that clarification of AA.
That was what I was thinking of because I tried the marinade and hated it! Waste of a good steak! :( Maybe I didn't have the right kind of red wine. My husband and I grill year round - so I assume I could actually be worse if this is the problem and we quit grilling out, eh?!? Yikes!

Mila - I spent some time looking into the sea salts - certainly worth my time to try it I think - I've tried everything else! :exclm: There is some interesting reading on the subject and can't wait for my order to get here! Thank you so much in advance and I hope that it continues to work for you!! Just curious - when you mix "the recipe" does it taste salty? Do you find it palatable or is it difficult to stomach?

Thanks again,
mb

Arachidonic Acid

I was having trouble with this arachidonic acid - made my face and neck terribly itchy and flaky. A real attractive look! After reading protein power, I began to take fish oil capsules - 2 three times a day for a total of 6 a day. Works wonders! I t gets the different types of fatty acids back into balance. You might give it a try. It certainly won't hurt you.

Mary,

I do not dissolve salt in water, I get my coarse celtic sea salt on the tongue and swallow it as I drink water. other people put salt in capsules (size 0, they get them in walmart) or mix salt with a tablespoon of yogurt and swallow like that.

nopie's advise on supplementing with fish oil is very good too. I am taking 9-20g of fish oil as well, but for me this is just a part of the zone diet, so I haven't isolated its effect on psoriasis specifically.

Mila

My dad has really bad psoriasis, he gets a new treatment at Mass General called phototherapy, it seems to work great. He also uses this prescription lotion, which i can't remember the name of right now. His psoriasis was bad it covered a good portion of his body though. As far as flax seed to help it, I dunno.

Dark Lotus,
I'm curious exactly what type of light rays it requires for the phototherapy!? I've even started tanning becasue I heard that helps...

Thanks everyone, for all the advice - I received the sea salt in the mail yesterday and will try to find some fish oil tablets today.

mb

I do't know what kind of light it uses, but it's supposed to be new technology. It's a fairly new therapy that is done at Mass General Hospital that I know of.

My dad has his own tanning bed and used to use that during the winter, it helped a bit, he would lie out in the natural sun light whe it was warm. If you have a bad psoriasis problem, I urge you to ask your doctor about the phototherapy, it is also a very fast treatment, it only takes a few seconds. Hope this helps you out some.

I have it all over my hands but Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules make a huge difference. I no longer get to the stage where my hands are bleeding. I read somewhere that it is an imbalance in the oils in your body and you need more Omega 3. I take 2-3 x 1000mg Natural fish oil with EPA & DHA per day.
I never noticed before but it says on the bottle:
"Uses: Helps in the maintenance or improvement of general wellbeing. Assists in the maintenance of peripheral circulation. May provide temporary relief from the pain of arthritis. Assists in the treatment of minor skin disorders including the symptoms of eczema." I would suggest it is worth a try.
Melberry
:)