Eczema

Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH

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Did you know that one of the most common reasons as to why people go to their doctor is because of skin issues? Things like dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis are the most common reasons as to why people make a doctor’s appointment. Interestingly enough, they usually go to their primary care doctor, who usually doesn’t know quite what to do and refers you off to dermatology. 

We have to think about why that is. A lot of it can come down to inflammation, chronic stress and changes within the microbiome. Certainly we know that nutrient deficiencies can contribute to some of the more common skin disorders and we also recognize that Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids play a huge role into the health of our skin.† 

Our skin is no joke. It’s one of the largest organs when we think about the body. Our skin is a direct communicator, not only with our internal environment, but also our external environment. We always want to be aware of this. We have to understand that skin conditions certainly can contribute to a variety of different problems. Not only can they be uncomfortable, if you have dry or itchy skin, but they can create a lot of emotional problems as well. We’ve all seen the commercials where people were embarrassed because of their psoriasis flaring up.†

I want to talk a little bit about certain things that you can be doing to address a lot of these common skin disorders and how to create a little bit better balance within the skin itself, both externally as well as internally.† 

The basics of skin health

Our skin is not only a barrier to protect us, but it is also a major player in our immune system and helps with the regulation of our electrolyte levels and maintaining proper body temperatures. The skin is made up of different layers. We have the superficial layer called the epidermis, the middle layer called the dermis and the deeper layer called the subcutaneous. Oftentimes, there can be issues that arise within one or all of these layers that drive up the occurrence of different common skin conditions. There are different structural proteins that play a role into the main function of our skin, including things like collagen and keratin. The skin contains many different components like nerve endings, capillaries and elastic components. There are a lot of different ways in which we can have these skin problems that can occur and the manifestation of this can be for a variety of different reasons.†    

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We always have to look at our diet. The Standard American Diet is lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lead to issues with the hydration and proper functionality of the skin. There are many different aspects in terms of metabolic components that can create problems within the skin’s surface itself, such as insulin resistance in the setting of diabetes or pre-diabetes. We certainly know that there are many different areas in which insulin resistance raises major havoc on the skin. When we look at psoriasis, we clearly know that there is a close association between insulin resistance and the exacerbation of psoriasis.†   

Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about the link between skin issues and what’s going on inside your body

What to do for skin issues, Eczema and Psoriasis

Clearly, diet is going to be the first place that we start. A Mediterranean diet can certainly be beneficial for someone who is dealing with any type of a skin condition, including something like psoriasis. Researchers have done clinical research studies showing that higher consumption of those really important healthy fats can lower the severity of psoriasis.†  

Besides just the strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet, we can also look at different interventions with nutrients such as Fish Oil, Krill Oil or flax every single day. There is a strong correlation between Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency and the exacerbation of or the severity of psoriasis, so we know that Vitamin D is very important for those who are dealing with eczema or psoriasis.† 

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Our Tocotrienol with Pine Bark Extract can be a really powerful tool in your arsenal when it comes to common skin conditions because it offers pycnogenol, a very powerful antioxidant, combined with the nourishing, hydrating and antioxidant value of the tocotrienols. This can really give you a good one-two punch. We can also look at Curcumin, which is very targeted towards systemic inflammation across all different spectrums. For people who are dealing with things such as psoriasis and eczema, many times, when they add something like a very powerful Curcumin extract, like our Bio-Curcumin 5-Loxin, this really offers value in terms of the way that their skin is reacting to that.† 

For more suggestions about how to help your skin problems, tune into the full podcast episode. 

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What are some ways you treat your Eczema or Psoriasis? Leave a comment or question below to join the conversation!