Is there a natural cure for psoriasis?

Psoriasis is skin condition characterised by raised, red, scaly patches of skin. Although the precise cause of psoriasis is unknown, in practice I have found that certain natural approaches can help. Sufferers of psoriasis tend to have raised levels of a fat known as arachidonic acid in their blood streams.

Arachidonic acid tends to encourage inflammation in the body, and some scientists believe that this may be an important underlying factor in psoriasis.

In the body, arachidonic acid can be formed from what are known as omega-6 fatty acids, such as those found in many margarines, vegetable oils, processed foods, fast foods and baked goods such as muffins, cakes, biscuits and patisserie.

It makes sense for you to avoid these foods. Other foods to be limited in the diet include those that are rich in arachidonic acid including dairy products and red meat.

While arachidonic tends to encourage inflammation in the body, other fats, known as the omega-3 fatty acids, tend to do quite the reverse. Omega-3 fats are found main in oily fish (such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines) and flaxseed (linseed) oil. Interestingly, it has been noted that Greenland Eskimos who have a high intake of omega-3 fats from fish also have a low incidence of psoriasis.

Some studies have found that fish oil supplementation can help reduce the severity of psoriasis. Consuming plenty of oily fish in the diet may be of benefit to sufferers.

In addition, it might help to supplement with two or three grams of concentrated fish oil each day. If you don't eat fish, take one tablespoon of flaxseed oil each day.

In some psoriasis sufferers, toxicity in the body appears to be an important underlying factor. In practice, the purging of toxins from the system does seem to have the ability to improve the symptoms of psoriasis in many people. Eating a detoxifying diet is important, as is supporting the liver - the body's primary organ of detoxification.

The diet should contain an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only do these foods tend not to tax and stress the liver, they also contain an abundance of nutrients such as vitamin C and carotenoids (e.g. beta-carotene) which can support liver function. Foods which contain a lot of either fat or protein should be downplayed in the diet, as they require quite a lot of chemical processing in the liver.

Red meat, dairy products and foods rich in damaged fats such as processed, fried and fast foods should be kept to a minimum in the diet. Alcohol should also be avoided, as this stresses the liver, and studies show that it can worsen the symptoms of psoriasis. Water helps detoxification, and sufferers should aim to consume at least 1½ - 2 litres of this (mineral water is best) each day.

In addition to these dietary measures, it can help to offer the liver specific support. One herb which is renowned for its ability support and strengthen liver function is milk thistle.

Milk thistle is also believed to help reduce inflammation and slow down excessive cell growth. Some research suggests that taking milk thistle can help control psoriasis. The active ingredient in milk thistle is a group of compounds collectively known as silymarin. 70 - 210 mg of silymarin should be taken three times day, with beneficial effects normally coming in about eight weeks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-125161/Is-natural-cure-psoriasis.html

Treat children's asthma naturally with fruits, vegetables, fish oil and probiotics.

(NaturalNews) New evidence suggests that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, probiotics and fish oil may relieve asthma in children, according to a recent study.

"A school-based, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial involving 192 asthmatic children aged 10-12 found that a supplement combining fruits, vegetables, fish oil and probiotics reduced medication use and improved pulmonary function," said a summary of the study, which was conducted by the Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University in Taipei.

According to researchers, the treatment group was given a fruit-and-vegetable concentrate, along with fish oil and probiotics (FVFP supplement), which are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of microflora in your intestines. A control group, meanwhile, was given a placebo.

Participants were evaluated at the start, then at eight and 16 weeks.

Fast food 'may be behind the steady surge in children's asthma'

"Results showed the treatment group experienced significant improvement in pulmonary function parameters and had a significantly reduced proportion of those using short-acting inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, in comparison to the placebo group," said the summary. "Results suggest that FVFP supplements may reduce medication use and improve pulmonary function in asthmatic children."

The results of the study, which was titled, "Reduced medication use and improved pulmonary function with supplements containing vegetable and fruit concentrate, fish oil and probiotics in asthmatic school children: a randomized controlled trial," were supported by other medical experts.

By comparison, separate studies have shown that other types of foods may increase the incidence of childhood asthma, which can be deadly.

Scientists from New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom found that a diet of fast food and other foods with little nutritional value "may be behind the steady surge in children's asthmas affecting the UK and other developed countries," Britain's The Guardian newspaper reported Jan. 14.

The international collaboration of scientists found that younger teens in particular were 40 percent more likely to develop severe asthma if they eat burgers and other fast foods like fries more than three times a week. They said kids aged six to seven were 27 percent more likely to develop asthma if they ate fast food that often.

Meanwhile, researchers said children who ate larger amounts of fast food were also much more likely to develop severe eczema and rhinitis, a condition where the nose gets stopped up or runs excessively and their eyes are itchy and watery.

Researchers said the results could have "major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally," if the link they have found turns out to be causal, not coincidental.

Fast food is the only type associated with development of asthma and allergies

As in the Taiwan University study, eating fruit appeared to protect children and young teens from developing asthma and other allergies. The international research coalition found that eating three or more portions of fruit per week cut the severity of symptoms by 11 percent among teens and 14 percent among younger kids.

The team's results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Thorax, which is part of the BMJ (British Medical Journal) Group. They "came out of a large collaborative project called the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), which involves nearly two million children in more than 100 countries, making it the biggest of its kind," The Guardian reported.

The study involved a relatively small portion of the total number of children taking part in ISAAC, from two age groups: 319,000 13 to 14-year-olds from 51 countries and 181,000 six to seven-year-olds from 31 countries.

Fast food (the authors specifically mentioned burgers only; however, because that is the reference to fast food most people are familiar with) was the only type of food that has been associated with the development of asthma and allergies, across all age ranges and in all involved countries, the study said.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038777_asthma_children_probiotics.html