The trouble with eczema is trying
to diagnose its type. Different eczema's are caused by different
nutritional deficiencies. If you don't know what eczema you
have how are you going to fix it? It is this very complication that
makes eczemas difficult to cure. A true cure would get the body
to stop producing eczema and start making healthy cells. That is
the bottom line. Instead of putting your attention on what name
or label your particular eczema is a better approach is to get your
skin to do what it should & defend you.
Eczema is an indication that the body's biggest defense system
& the skin - is in trouble. If you go to a medical doctor you
will generally be given a cream containing the synthetic steroid
hormone, cortisone. Cortisone will clear up most eczema whatever
their origin within a few days. Unfortunately if you go off the
synthetic cortisone the skin condition usually re-appears, sometimes
a little worse than before as your body had to burn up sorely needed
nutrients when detoxifying the synthetic hormone. Detoxification
of drugs requires nutrients and the chemistry of cells is an intricate
interchange of nutrients and wastes. Add more drugs and you place
more pressure on the cell to rid itself of the waste.
Although cortisone is a naturally
occurring hormone in the body, synthetic cortisone is produced in
a laboratory. It is chemically similar to the natural steroid but
the synthetic produces wide and varying side effects. You end up
swinging between no eczema and side effects and the reverse.
There are two main sources that
create eczema:
Dermatitis or contact eczema. This is inflammation of the skin from
coming into contact with an irritant - either chemical or cosmetic.
Withdraw the irritant and the eczema vanishes.
Atopic eczema & a mild, chronic inflammation of the skin that
gets worse occasionally then reverts back to its chronic state.
It is the second type of eczema that is caused mainly through malnutrition.
Skin is the largest organ of the body
and demands its own specific nutrients to create new cells. When
these nutrients are missing the skin reacts by displaying damaged
cells in various ways, hence, eczema. Thousands of people suffer
from eczema every year. Often you will find one member in a family
all eating the same food has eczema. This is possible because certain
individuals have higher requirements of a particular nutrient than
others.
The solution to eczema is diet and
nutrition. The word "diet" means different things to different
people and often we assume that the reader knows what is meant by
diet. In this article, diet is the food you currently eat, not just
the slimming food you eat but all the food you eat. To solve the
ailments of the skin you have to provide that food which healthy
skin needs to reproduce itself exactly. When skin reproduction is
faulty you can deduct that the skin is not obtaining the nutrients
to reproduce itself as it should. Like any recipe, if you supply
half of the ingredients or the wrong ones and you end up with a
disappointment.
Eating Correctly:
The first step to retuning
your skin to health is to examine what you are currently eating.
Food is a major factor in any approach to improving a skin condition.
You have to throw out or limit what doesn't build good skin
cells and start to add what does. The quality of the food you put
into your mouth is also a factor. You have often heard that you
must eat fresh vegetables and fruit. The reasoning behind that is
those plants supply you with fibre ( good for colon health), nutrients
and enzymes. However they are as susceptible to nutrient deficiency
as we are. Your food may be grown on depleted soils; over chemicalized
from non-organic fertilizers; poisoned with insecticides, fumigants
and weed killers; denuded of trace elements. The food is then picked
green, transported and stored for long periods then sent to ripening
sheds. All this delay from picked to reaching your table ensures
that vitamins and nutrients are lost. "Fresh" has been
redefined by the transportation and storage technology available
today. Eating these foods is better than living on refined flour,
hormone and antibiotic laden meat and vast quantities of sugar.
However if you truly want to build healthy skin, you must search
out quality food.
Certified organic food is the best
choice when trying to regain health. Buy what you can within your
budget and concentrate on those that are specific to skin building.
Eat a wide variety within the skin building group. This action will
at once start to provide you largest organ with the nutrients to
correct itself.
Vegetables and Fruit:
Vitamin A is an important nutrient for skin. It can be found in
substances called carotenoids which are a group of compounds related
to Vitamin A. Yellow and green fruit and vegetables contain carotenoids.
Refer to Table A to see what fresh vegetables and fruit you should
be concentrating on.
Table A
- Green-
Asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, collards, dandelion greens,
kale, dulse, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens and watercress.
- Yellow-
Cantaloupe, carrots, yellow peaches, pumpkin and yellow squash.
Fish liver and fish liver oil supply
pure Vitamin A.
Essential Fatty Acids ( EFA)
These nutrients are key ingredients in feeding the skin. The best
EFA's come from seed oils that have not been refined in any
way and are expelled mechanically from the seed without solvents.
These oils are heat, light and oxygen sensitive so buy small quantities
at a time, keep them in the ‘fridge and in their original containers.
Take at least a tablespoon a day. You can take it neat, it's
quite palatable or stir into yoghurt, muesli or use as salad dressing.
In his book "Fats that Heal and Fats that Kill" Udo Erasmus
gives the top three oils as Hemp seed, Flax and Pumpkin. In fighting
eczema you must have EFA's as part of your healthy skin building
strategy.
Vitamin B Complex
Eczema sufferers have been dramatically helped by taking B complex.
There is a reason for the B vitamins to be classified as a complex.
This group of vitamins must be taken together. If you have a deficiency
of biotin, one of the B vitamins, by taking that nutrient alone
you can cause other B deficiencies to develop. The B vitamins work
together by making each other more efficient. Choose a supplement
from a reputable vitamin company with a proven track record. Different
brands of B complex supplements can have widely differing quantities.
If you are new to choosing supplements go to a few health shops
and ask lots of questions. You'll soon gather enough product
information to make an informed decision. The B vitamins are water
soluble and need replacing at least two or three times per week.
Topical Applications
Vitamin E oil mixed with a little Lavender essential oil can be
helpful in soothing itching irritated skin. However most creams
advertised to calm eczema contain cortisone. Learn to read labels.
How Much Do I Take?
Every person has different needs. A highly stressed thirty-year-old
executive breathing air conditioned air and sitting at a desk will
need different quantities to a teenage girl who is still growing,
has started to menstruate and rushes around with her daily chores
and school commitments. The only way you can answer "how much"
is by reading widely and consulting with a Naturopath or health
care practitioner who specializes in nutrient therapy. The more
you know about the building blocks of your body, the less effect
you'll be of the stresses of today's living and the better
you'll be able to think with the information you receive.
Eczema does not have quick fix. Yes
you can suppress the symptoms with drugs but there is no repair
of tissue and cortisone use long term just condemns you to living
with side effects. Eczema can be banished if you are prepared to
provide your body with the foods and nutrients it needs to build
healthy cells. It takes about four months to start repairing damage
so don't look at this in the short term .
Improving your nutrition has overall
long term health benefits. By using good quality supplements, consulting
with practitioners trained in vitamin and mineral therapy, buying
the best quality food you can afford and planning your meals to
include eczema fighting components you'll be on the right track
to repair cell damage and eventually conquer the ailment.- Annetta
Holmes
