Twenty years ago, pharmaceutical manufacturers did not research plants as a source of medicines. Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies are engaged in such research, and plant sources have become a mainstay in Western medicine. One of the most fruitful sources has been the rainforests – they now supply 25 percent of all cancer-treating drugs, and 70 percent of the plants now identified as having anti-cancer properties. What have not reached mainstream U.S. medicine, although widely used in alternative therapies, are the following plants used for skin disorders. Used with a shielding lotion to protect us from external toxins, these plants are effective psoriasis treatments.

Cat's Claw - a tropical rainforest vine that grows in the rainforest and jungle areas of South America and Asia. The name is derived from the thorns that help the vine cling to trees. South American natives have used Cat's Claw for centuries, and it is already widely used in alternative medicine in the U.S. and other countries to treat a variety of diseases, including skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.

Sarsaparilla - grown in Jamaica, Mexico, and Central and South America, the roots of this vine are used for medicinal purposes and in beverages. It is one of the roots in root beer. Known as a purifier, sarsaparilla breaks up infections in the body by helping eliminate wastes through urine and perspiration. It is widely used by European physicians for all types of skin diseases, and is a common eczema and psoriasis treatment.

Pau D'Arco – the inner park of the Tabebuia avellanedae tree is native to Brazil. Studies have shown Pau D'Arco to have antioxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. A general all-round detoxifier and immune system booster, it is also widely used as psoriasis treatment.

Each of these are available in various extract, herbal and homeopathic forms from health food stores.

The plants above are just a drop in the bucket of what the rainforest has to offer, and is already supplying the rest of the world to contribute to our health. If you've ever wondered what the 'save the rainforest' hoopla is all about, you now have your answer. If you have psoriasis, try these remedies. People all over the world have relied on them for centuries and they might just work. Using them internally, along with a shielding lotion as a topical psoriasis treatment, may be all you need!

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Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for 21st Century Formulations. For more information, visit www.SkinMDNatural.com.