Kukui Oil for Psoriasis

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than five million people in the United States suffer from psoriasis, making it the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the country. Studies have shown that kukui oil is an effective alternative treatment for the management of psoriasis.

Symptoms

According to the National Institutes of Health, psoriasis is an incurable disorder which causes a thickening of skin and build-up of plaque on certain areas of the body, most commonly the elbows, knees and feet. The skin becomes reddened and itchy and can cause considerable discomfort and debility. Many sufferers feel self-conscious about the physical appearance of psoriasis.

Causes

Psoriasis is a disorder of the immune system which causes white blood cells, or T cells, to move to the skin as though they are healing a wound or infection. This causes an over-production of skin cells and inflammation. There is currently no cure for psoriasis. Treatment aims at managing the disorder and reducing the amount of flare-ups.

What is Kukui?

According to Mountain Rose Herbs, the oil of the kukui nut has been used in Hawaii for decades. This essential oil is highly valued for its moisturizing effects on the skin, particularly very dry and aging skin.

Kukui and Psoriasis

Because the skin readily absorbs kukui nut oil, it is a beneficial treatment for psoriasis. Kukui nut oil also contains vitamins C, A and E which are powerful antioxidants. This can be important in the treatment for psoriasis because, according to a study published in the Journal of the European Accademy for Dermatology and Venereology by Yildrim et al., researchers at the University of Suleyman Demirel Faculty of Medicine in Isparta, Turkey, psoriasis sufferers have higher levels of oxidants than non-sufferers. The anti-oxidants in kukui oil may help to rebalance the oxidant-antioxidant levels and reduce inflammation.

Warning

Further research conducted by Brown et al., at the department of human nutrition, food and animal sciences at University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, studied the effects of kukui oil directly on psoriasis. The conclusion was that the nut oil did not show any significant improvement to this particular skin condition. However, the research team notes that the study group was very small and so the results can not completely rule out the effectiveness of kukui oil on psoriasis. Larger studies need to be conducted.