Skin Problems

Are you suffering from dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis?

The skin reflects the general health of the body, and skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis are a clear sign that all is not well on the inside. It is a good indication that you are either not eating or absorbing foods properly, or are exposing your skin or your entire organism to something it doesn't like.

Practitioners are seeing an increasing number of dermatitis and eczema cases with as many as 1 in 4 children suffering from skin problems! Sometimes linked to allergies, eczema may often be accompanied by asthma and hay fever or may simply be present as contact dermatitis.

Orthodox treatments tend to concentrate on the external application of certain creams, often harsh preparations based on steroid and cortisone, which carry the risk of being absorbed through the skin resulting in long term side effects.

Dermatitis

Dermatitis literally means skin inflammation, and is similar to eczema. The primary cause appears to be contact allergy. You could be allergic to metals in jewellery, perfumes or cosmetics, detergents in shampoos, soaps or cleaning products. If you suffer from contact allergy it is most likely that you have a food allergy too. Dairy products and wheat are the most common allergens. Symptoms will be more aggressive if you lack essential fatty acids in your diet.

What can you do?

Choose organic produce and try to avoid meat. Fish, especially oily ones like salmon and mackerel are fine, but a vegetarian or vegan diet is preferable. Avoid dairy produce and wheat for a couple of weeks and see if there is any improvement. Try a cleansing herbal supplement or a cleansing diet. Add linseed oil and evening primrose oil to your diet and make sure you get enough zinc, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.

Eczema

The most common triggering factors are a combination of food allergies, lack of essential fatty acids and environmental factors. The environment is increasingly considered to be a serious trigger, starting in-utero when the baby is conceived.

Sandra - born with Eczema

"My own daughter, Sandra was born with eczema. It took me two years to realise and accept that even though I had been eating and drinking healthily, I had still been in contact with a vast amount of synthetic chemicals during my pregnancy affecting my developing baby.

I ate plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and a good balanced diet during my pregnancy, but, was unaware of the organic argument, and therefore absorbed many hidden toxins from the food I thought of as healthy.

I wish that someone had made me aware of the problems of hidden toxins and the solutions before I got pregnant so that I could have given Sandra an even better start in life.

Sandra is now 12 years old - a happy kid. Apart from a few dietary restrictions - such as; no citrus fruits or tomatoes - a limited intake of dairy produce and wheat products and a daily supplement of omega 3 fatty acids and Hawthorn & Artichoke Formula (a cleansing tonic) - she is living a perfectly normal life."

Childhood Eczema

Childhood eczema can in most instances be improved by making changes to the diet and lifestyle.

What can you do?

Breast-feed instead of bottle-feed

Research has shown that babies who are bottle-fed are much more likely to suffer from eczema.

Babies that are breast-fed and not given any solid foods or cow's milk or eggs in the first 4 months are less likely to develop eczema. Breast-milk contains the perfect balance of essential fatty acids and natural antibodies. Previous studies have shown that eczema sufferers have significantly lower levels of essential fatty acids compared to non-sufferers.

Scientists in Canada have found that an isolated soy-protein formula used as a replacement for cow's milk can significantly decrease eczema symptoms.

Avoid smoking

Parental smoking has been found to be a significant risk factor for allergic eczema.

Enrich your diet with omega-3 essential fatty acids

The Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce itching and scaling. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in Linseed oil (Flax) 54%, Echium oil 45%, Chia oil 30%, Hemp seed oil 20%, Pumpkin seed oil 15%, Soya bean oil 7%, Walnut oil 5% and Wheatgerm oil 5%. Use only organic cold-pressed oils. Only to be used cold try it on your salad, rice, pasta or potatoes.

Help the digestive system with lactobacillus acidophilus

A poorly functioning digestive system causes the proliferation of toxins in the intestines and some of these toxins have been shown to contribute to the development of atopic eczema. Lactobacillus Acidophilus found in live natural yoghurt, is a friendly bacterium that colonises the intestines and can help correct the situation.

Increase the intake of Folic Acid

Eczema and psoriasis sufferers have been shown to have low levels of folic acid. Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables and brewers yeast.

Avoid Gluten

Several studies have shown that a gluten free diet can have remarkable effect on the skin lesions of eczema and psoriasis sufferers. Gluten is a sticky protein found in bread and other wheat and rye products. Rice and corn are gluten free foods.

No thanks to fats from meat

Meats and dairy products contain arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that contributes to the inflammation experienced in eczema and psoriasis as well as rheumatism and arthritis. Animal fats can aggravate itching and irritation. Many people experience an improvement in their symptoms after introducing an adequate supply of important nutrients such as essential fatty acids from fish and evening primrose oil. Others experience a difference after adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Allergens to avoid

Examples of common allergens in food are; oranges, chocolate, eggs and dairy foods, wheat, peanuts, tomatoes and food additives. Avoiding exposure to dietary allergens for a period of minimum 6 weeks can produce significant improvements.

A standard elimination diet avoiding cow's milk, egg, tomatoes, colours and preservatives can help up to three-quarters of eczema sufferers..

Choose bottled water not tap water

Tap water with its high content of inorganic minerals, nitrates and nitrites, hormones and other "toxic" compounds has shown to make the eczema sufferers symptoms worse. Plenty of pure, clean spring water is of great importance to our health.

Avoid chemical loaded personal care products

Try to avoid soaps and detergents as they remove natural lipids from the surface of the skin and make the skin even drier. Chose products made from truly natural ingredients, rich in plant oils and free from perfumes, petro-chemicals, artificial preservatives and foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate. Products containing herbal extracts and essential oils of chamomile, lavender and sandalwood will often help soothe dry eczema.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a completely different kind of skin condition from eczema or dermatitis and does not respond as well to nutritional interventions. Psoriasis may come and go.

What can you do?

Start with a cleansing tonic followed by a cleansing diet. Ensure that you get plenty of essential fatty acids. Limit your intake of meat and dairy produce - fish is all right. Supplement your diet with essential oils such as linseed and evening primrose oil. Make sure you get sufficient amounts of zinc, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E, and give yourself the chance to relax and de-stress.

By Charlotte Vøhtz, Founder of The Green People Company Ltd.
© 2001 - The Green People Co Ltd - All Rights Reserved