Cure for Psoriasis

I have had psoriasis for as long as I can remember. I developed it some time in my early twenties and have lived with the ritual of creams, lotions and balms for so long the applications seem as much a part of my life as cleaning my teeth. I am not thrilled about having psoriasis, but in the great scheme of things it seemed like a small burden to bear. Unlike excema, psoriasis doesn’t generally irritate or weep and although the creams and lotions are annoying, they have managed to arrest the condition keeping it  from developing into something akin to the singing detective.  

Psoriasis is however, mentally debilitating. The batting away of crass, awkward remarks from friends and constant shaking of the shirt to remove flakes can undermine your confidence. After all, we all suffer from vanity in varying degrees. Just like port wine stains and birth marks, psoriasis is an ugly badge you would rather take off.

Like most psoriasis sufferers, I have endured every cream and lotion known to man. Many is the night I have gone to bed oiled up like a long distance swimmer, covered from head to toe in coal tar and steroid cream. I have also tried to tackle the condition through diet and supplements. Evening primrose oil, olive oil, cod liver oil, vitamin E, etc. I dropped dairy, cut out wheat, stopped drinking coffee; Hell, I even tried giving up drinking. No matter how conscientious I was,  nothing seemed to change. My psoriasis would still come and go regardless of any diet or lifestyle changes I made. Then, a month ago, I started adding flax to my diet. Being a man of a certain age I have, like the rest of the population over forty, a cholesterol problem. Flax is apparently “one of the most powerful cholesterol controllers yet discovered” and for this reason I  started adding it to my granola. 

Flax is a rich source of alpha linolenic acid, the plant version of omega 3. The oil in flax seed is 50%  alpha linolenic acid. Canola or walnut oil, the next best sources  have only 10%. This super injection of omega 3 has hopefully lowered my cholesterol, but one much more noticeable result of this minor dietary change can be seen in my skin. Taking two tablespoons of flax every day has cured my psoriasis.  

My skin is noticeably healthier. I have no scaly patches whatsoever. I’ve even stopped dusting my shoulders. All this in under four weeks. Even if this cure is unique to me, which I doubt, adding flax to any diet is so easy It must be worth a try. If you have psoriasis I implore you to try this. Adding a little flax to your cereal is a lot easier than rubbing yourself down with coal tar or steroid creams and if nothing else, it will lower your cholesterol and increase your fiber intake. As you can probably gather, I am now a keen advocate of the ‘miracle food’ flax. I am such a fan that if you know me, you may be getting a packet this Christmas!