Believe it or not, consuming a healthy diet you can greatly improve the condition of your skin. Surely you remember a friend or family member telling you back in high school about French fries and chocolate causing acne, and dismissed it as a myth at the time. But in fact, they were right. What you eat does impact your skin health, and dietary changes can often make living with eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea, dandruff or severe acne much easier.
Increased awareness of what you are putting into your body every day is a great starting point in recognizing possible pitfalls. Currently American people are consuming a sort of acne diet, typically full of processed and fast foods, white flour, refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and several artificial flavourings and colors. The methods of ultra-processing the aliments we eat often eliminate valuable vitamins and nutrients and substitute them with artificial ingredients that can exacerbate already existing inflammatory conditions.
Some experts believe that toxic build-up in the body is the cause of dermatitis, acne and other skin problems. Some believe that, due to the toxic nature of many of foods commonly consumed and a weak intestinal lining, our blood can contain a build-up of poisons. The liver and kidneys cannot keep up with the level of filtration needed to rid the body of these toxins. Other organs such as the skin take the role of the fail-over filter. And this can produce skin outbreaks.
Curiously, those with psoriasis seem also to have an increased chance to suffer from food allergies and sensitivities. Gluten and dairy are the most common food allergens. That may not mean you have overt lactose intolerance or celiac disease, but a milder sensitivity harder to identify. If you suffer from psoriasis, it can be a good idea to exclude dairy and gluten from your diet and see if your skin responds. Although a vegetarian diet is advised, a few fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries, and eggplant can often worsen your symptoms and should be avoided. Other items like fried foods, caffeine, heavily processed foods, soda, and alcohol may exacerbate the inflammation, and you must absolutely avoid them if you suffer from psoriasis. If you detect any reaction from other foods, it would be wise to stay away from them as well.
A healthy skin diet, rich in fruits and vegetables and their juices, plus the adequate natural skin care products, can help to mitigate some of the discomfort associated not only with psoriasis, but other skin conditions as well, such as acne and rosacea. In addition to liberal water amounts, at least 8 glasses each day, individuals should aim to complement most of their diet with fresh fruits such as mangoes, grapes and peaches, and vegetables such as cucumbers, squash and lettuce. Very reduced portions of eggs, meats and low-fat dairy products, and olive oil are also recommended. Eating these kinds of aliments is not only beneficial to those suffering from skin conditions, but is also a great method for people not currently affected to keep their healthy skin and prevent future conditions from forming.