Living with psoriasis means dealing with persistent skin inflammation and discomfort. New research looked at how adding certain plant-derived compounds to standard treatments affects the severity of the condition. The study analyzed data from over 7,500 patients across many different trials to see which combinations worked best.
Researchers found that combining these plant ingredients—specifically glycyrrhizin, tripterygium glycosides, and total glucosides of paeony—with standard therapies performed better than using the plant compounds alone. For example, a combination of tripterygium glycosides with topical therapy showed the greatest reduction in skin severity scores. Other combinations were found to be particularly effective at targeting specific immune markers like IL-23 or TNF-alpha.
While these results are promising, there are some important notes. The study did not have many direct head-to-head comparisons between individual compounds, and we still need more long-term data to confirm how well these treatments work over time. Most reported side effects were mild, such as skin dryness or stomach issues.
