Vitamin D3, the sunshine vitamin, is commonly prescribed by dermatologists in the form of topical foams, creams, and ointments for the treatment of psoriasis. Many doctors and dermatologists are now beginning to recognize what has previously been known, that oral vitamin D supplementation can also make a considerable difference in easing the symptoms of this condition.
What the Research Shows
In October, 1986, a study was published in the British Journal of Dermatology which indicated that there was a notable decrease in psoriasis symptoms when vitamin D3 treatments were taking orally.
In August 2013, a study in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment indicated that oral vitamin D remains an option that can help to overcome psoriasis symptoms, as opposed to using the topical treatments. It claimed that this form of supplementation is commonly forgotten as an option but that it is a very promising one. The researchers pointed out that this treatment is both easily available and highly inexpensive, while being a viable treatment option for the condition.
These benefits were reiterated when a similar study was conducted and found comparable results, published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment in January 2012. What they determined in the second study was that the nutrient could have important immunomodulatory effects on the skin disease. It concluded that Vitamin D deficiency may be common in patients with psoriasis.
What You Can Do
If you suffer from psoriasis, it is possible that an underlying cause is a Vitamin D Deficiency. Please have your vitamin D level tested right away, and work with your doctor to bring your levels up to an optimum range. Vitamin D3 is very inexpensive and readily available. Expensive prescription versions of it are not necessary. It may take three months or so to correct the deficiency, but that may be all it takes to end your psoriasis.
To learn more about the link between Vitamin D and psoriasis, please visit the Vitamin D Council.
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Sources
Mayo Clinic – Psoriasis Treatments and Drugs: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psoriasis/DS00193/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2013 Aug;24(4):261-7 – “Oral vitamin D, still a viable treatment option for psoriasis”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22103655
The British Journal of Dermatology. 2012;166(3):505-510. – “Vitamin D Status in Patients With Chronic Plaque Psoriasis”: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10699.x/abstract
The British Journal of Dermatology. 1986 Oct;115(4):421-9. – “An open study of vitamin D3 treatment in psoriasis vulgaris”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3022784
American journal of clinical dermatology, February 2013, vol./is. 14/1(49-53), 1175-0561- : Principal determinants of the length of remission of psoriasis vulgaris after topical, NB-UVB, and PUVA therapy: a follow-up study”:
