Psoriasis II

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Psoriasis II

 

The fellow who has not had any experience is so dumb

he doesn't know a thing can't be done,

and he goes ahead and does it.

(Charles F. Kettering)

 

I had never encountered a case of psoriasis before,

so I looked it up in the Merck Manual while Frank sat

there and waited as patiently as he could.

 

" It says here that there is no cure for psoriasis,

Frank, " I said hesitantly.

 

" That's what everybody has told me, " he said. " But I

think nutrition is worth a try. "

 

I couldn't fault that reasoning.

 

" I've got to do something, " Frank continued. " The

doctors, and I've seen plenty of 'em, say there wasn't

anything they could do except give me these ointments

and lotions. I said the ointments and lotions don't

help. They said I should learn to live with it. "

 

" How do you feel about that? " I asked.

 

" You can imagine how I feel! " Frank answered. " There

is no way I'm going to spend the rest of my life

itching and looking like this. "

 

Frank's psoriasis came and went periodically, but it

was back with a vengeance, and where the world could

plainly see it: on his arms, neck, forehead and face.

 

" What would you be willing to do to get well? " I

responded.

 

" Anything, " he said. " Anything at all, and I'm not

kidding. "

 

Frank was in his late twenties, energetic, and

prematurely bald. And resolute though he was, I

expected that he was about to have his resolve sorely

tested by what I suggested next: a complete change of

diet over to a naturopathic regimen of fresh foods and

loads of vegetable juices, plus lecithin and assorted

vitamins, including some extra vitamin D.

 

He didn't bat an eyelash at this.

 

I sensed that, unlike most people, Frank not only

wanted it all but that he was probably willing to get

his hands dirty to get it. He might therefore be

willing to earnestly try the classic quack cure-all:

fresh vegetable juice fasting. One of my foundational

naturopathic textbooks, Everybody's Guide to Nature

Cure, by Harry Benjamin, N.D., whole-heartedly

recommended fasting for almost anything. Really

hard-core nature-cure quacks, like Benjamin, uniformly

hold to the doctrine that whatever is wrong with a

body, systemic toxemia is the root cause and fasting

is the real cure. I have formed the opinion that

fasting is at least worth due consideration. I don't

believe in going into the ring to fight the champ with

one hand tied behind my back. If fasting could help,

and the fastee was otherwise healthy and otherwise

without options, why not?

 

I presented the idea to Frank, who embraced it at

once.

 

" So I could alternate a week of just vegetable juices

with a week of a mostly fresh-and-raw diet, " Frank

concluded.

 

" That's about it, " I agreed.

 

" How long do I keep it going? Oh, I know, " Frank

immediately said, answering his own question. " Until

I'm symptom free, of course. "

 

" Provided you are feeling good doing it, yes. "

 

So off he went to juice like crazy.

 

Right off the bat, Frank's psoriasis began to fade.

He was much better within days. In little over a

week, there was no trace whatsoever. But Frank's

symptoms had gone away on their own before, so we all

decided to bide our time.

 

Week after week, month after month, Frank stayed

completely free of anything even remotely resembling

psoriasis. He also felt better in unexpected ways: he

said he was happier, sleeping better, thinking more

clearly, had more energy (if such a thing were even

possible for a guy like him) and hadn't a trace of a

cold or any other sickness since he'd begun the

program. He had lost a few pounds, but then his

weight had leveled off automatically. He was one fit

and trim, clear-skinned, happy guy.

 

Years passed, and Frank kept juicing on a regular

basis. He never had psoriasis again. Of course,

there is no cure for psoriasis, so this cannot be.

 

Frank must have been deluded.

 

And yet I've seen this approach work on other people,

too. Part-time vegetable juice fasting, employed

intelligently, is safe and effective for reasonably

healthy,

non-pregnant people. Those who ridicule it should

first meet Frank, who will confirm what it did for

him.

 

Or his dermatologist, who now will, also.

 

Probably.

 

Copyright C 1999 and prior years Andrew W. Saul.

From the books QUACK DOCTOR and PAPERBACK CLINIC,

available from Dr. Andrew Saul, Number 8 Van Buren

Street, Holley, New York 14470.