Psychic's diet improves psoriasis severity
Altern Med Rev 2004; 9: 297-307
US investigators report that a dietary regimen, based on the "readings" of Edgar Cayce, a 20th century psychic who took a holistic view to health, reduced disease severity in five patients who followed the diet for 6 months.
"There is no cure for psoriasis and the multiple treatments currently available only attempt to reduce the severity of symptoms. Treatments range from topical applications, systemic therapies, and phototherapy; while some are effective, many are associated with significant adverse effects," observe Amy Brown (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu) and colleagues.
They add: "There is a need for effective, affordable therapies with fewer side effects that address the causes of the disorder."
The researchers therefore investigated using the Edgar Cayce-based dietary protocol to treat five patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.
Patients initially underwent a 10-day live-in program, during which a physician assessed their psoriasis symptoms and bowel permeability, followed by 6 months of continuing the protocol at home. The diet comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables, small amounts of protein from fish and poultry, fibre supplements, olive oil, saffron tea and slippery elm bark water, while red meat, processed foods and refined carbohydrates were avoided.
The researchers report in the journal Alternative Medicine Review that Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores decreased over the 6-month period in all five patients' from an average of 18.2 before treatment to 8.7 afterwards, while scores on the Psoriasis Severity Scale improved from 14.6 to 5.4. Furthermore, patients' pre- and post-study scores on the lactulose/mannitol test of intestinal permeability improved from 0.066 to 0.026.
Brown et al conclude: "These results suggest a dietary regimen based on Edgar Cayce's readings may be an effective medical nutrition therapy for the complementary treatment of psoriasis; however, further research is warranted to confirm these results."
