Psoriasis can be intensely aggravating, unsightly and embarrassing. You could easily exhaust the anti-itch creams, salves and ointments available at your drugstore while trying to obtain relief, which is why patients turn to alternative treatments such as quercetin. Fortunately effective treatments do exist, although it may require patience as your doctor tries to find which is best for you. Avoiding sunburns, stress and other triggers help prevent flare-ups.
Quercetin
Quercetin is found in apples, tea and buckwheat. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that quercetin might have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties. It inhibits cyclo-oxygenase, an enzyme involved in causing inflammation. Most of the studies that suggest positive benefits are in vitro test tube studies, so additional work is needed, notes MSKCC.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition in which new skin cells are formed at the surface of the skin before the old ones are ready to slough off. In many cases, psoriasis goes away and then flares up again repeatedly over time. This causes intense itching and scaly skin the color of pink salmon. This chronic condition comes and goes, often disappearing for long periods of time.
Research
As of 2011, there is only one peer-reviewed, evidence-based research study on the use of quercetin for psoriasis. The 1992 "Skin Pharmacology" reported the tails of mice were treated with drugs to induce a psoriasis-like condition. Quercetin and other substances were applied to the tail. Researchers observed that quercetin had no effect.
The chief drawback of this study was that it involved a model of psoriasis, not true psoriasis. Although there are no indications that psoriasis is helpful, additional research is needed before it can be eliminated from consideration.
Treatment
While quercetin is not a recognized treatment for psoriasis, effective treatments do exist. Mild cases can be treated with cortisone ointments and creams. Prescription medicines containing vitamin D or vitamin A may be effective. If these fail, treatments involving application of UV light or immunosuppressants may help.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that taking 3 g of fish oil may be beneficial. Check with your doctor before taking fish oil because it might interfere with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants.
References
- PubMed Health: Psoriasis
- Mayo Clinic: Psoriasis
- "Skin Pharmacology"; Testing of Lipoxygenase Inhibitors, Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors, Drugs With Immunomodulating Properties and Some Reference Antipsoriatic Drugs in the Modified Mouse Tail Test, an Animal Model of Psoriasis; B. Bosman; 1994
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Quercetin
