Foods to Avoid for Eczema and Psoriasis
Psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema are common skin diseases that afflict their victims with crusty, itchy, scaly patches of reddened skin. Eczema is a particular kind of dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, while psoriasis is a disease all its own that makes the skin on the scalp, knees, and elbows thicken and flake.
Those who suffer from these conditions need to do all in their power to "manage" the skin problem since it will likely be with them chronically or even permanently. One of the most important ways to manage skin diseases is to eat the right foods and to avoid eating the wrong foods.
10 foods that should be avoided by those with irritated or inflamed skin:
1. Alcohol Will Dehydrate Your Body, Including Your Skin
Alcohol dehydrates you in two ways. First, it inhibits the secretion of hormones that help keep you hydrated. Second, it causes excessive water loss through your skin pores. The American Academy of Dermatology considers heavy alcohol consumption to be a contributing cause to acute cases of psoriasis. A study conducted by Brigham and Women's Hospital found that just two or three non-light beers a week upped the risk of getting psoriasis, and many sufferers know all too well how alcoholic beverages can make this disease flare up.
2. Fat-Laden Meats Can Cause Inflammation
those with eczema, in particular, are advised by the University of Maryland Medical Center to avoid high intake of fatty meats. The reason is that the saturated fats found in sausages, ham, non-lean hamburger, and other "fatty meats" tend to promote inflammation. The omega-3 oils in salmon, tuna, and sardines actually have the opposite effect- they fight inflammation.
3. Milk, Cheese, and Dairy Products Can Be Triggers
Drinking too much milk and eating too many dairy products has been shown to clog skin pores due to high sugar content. Hormonal additives and high saturated fat levels also do their damage. A 2008 report in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics found alarming connections between eczema and lactose intolerance. In moderation, milk and its derivatives may not cause a flare-up, but skin-disease sufferers would do well to use soy milk and dairy replacements as a rule.
4. Lighten the Glycemic Load
"Glycemic load" is a quantity that measures the effects a food has on glucose levels in your blood stream. This, in turn, spikes insulin levels and causes skin irritation. Acne, for example, was recently linked to high-glycemic foods in an Australian study. Food to avoid include: pastas, white bread, and other processed carbohydrates.
5. Enriched Flour Is Poor
This point is similar to the above glycemic load problem in that it applies to many of the same products, most notoriously white bread. However, the issue here is that refined flours empty bread products of their whole-grain goodness. That leaves behind a substance that the University of Maryland Medical Center has suggested increases inflammations and may well aggravate dermatitis symptoms as well.
Those who suffer from these conditions need to do all in their power to "manage" the skin problem since it will likely be with them chronically or even permanently. One of the most important ways to manage skin diseases is to eat the right foods and to avoid eating the wrong foods.
10 foods that should be avoided by those with irritated or inflamed skin:
1. Alcohol Will Dehydrate Your Body, Including Your Skin
Alcohol dehydrates you in two ways. First, it inhibits the secretion of hormones that help keep you hydrated. Second, it causes excessive water loss through your skin pores. The American Academy of Dermatology considers heavy alcohol consumption to be a contributing cause to acute cases of psoriasis. A study conducted by Brigham and Women's Hospital found that just two or three non-light beers a week upped the risk of getting psoriasis, and many sufferers know all too well how alcoholic beverages can make this disease flare up.
2. Fat-Laden Meats Can Cause Inflammation
those with eczema, in particular, are advised by the University of Maryland Medical Center to avoid high intake of fatty meats. The reason is that the saturated fats found in sausages, ham, non-lean hamburger, and other "fatty meats" tend to promote inflammation. The omega-3 oils in salmon, tuna, and sardines actually have the opposite effect- they fight inflammation.
3. Milk, Cheese, and Dairy Products Can Be Triggers
Drinking too much milk and eating too many dairy products has been shown to clog skin pores due to high sugar content. Hormonal additives and high saturated fat levels also do their damage. A 2008 report in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics found alarming connections between eczema and lactose intolerance. In moderation, milk and its derivatives may not cause a flare-up, but skin-disease sufferers would do well to use soy milk and dairy replacements as a rule.
4. Lighten the Glycemic Load
"Glycemic load" is a quantity that measures the effects a food has on glucose levels in your blood stream. This, in turn, spikes insulin levels and causes skin irritation. Acne, for example, was recently linked to high-glycemic foods in an Australian study. Food to avoid include: pastas, white bread, and other processed carbohydrates.
5. Enriched Flour Is Poor
This point is similar to the above glycemic load problem in that it applies to many of the same products, most notoriously white bread. However, the issue here is that refined flours empty bread products of their whole-grain goodness. That leaves behind a substance that the University of Maryland Medical Center has suggested increases inflammations and may well aggravate dermatitis symptoms as well.
6. Salt As Skin Irritant
Salt, particularly iodized salt, can cause tissue swelling and irritate your skin. It is only in high doses that this danger is present, but since packaged foods are almost always over-loaded with sodium, it can be challenging to avoid "salt overdose." The best you can do is to drain canned goods, cut down on salty foods, and avoid using the shaker as much as possible.
7. Your Sweet Tooth May Be Damaging Your Skin
White sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and all of the many products that contain them will all heighten your blood glucose level. We have already seen above that this then leads to insulin problems, which lead to skin irritations.
8. Chocolate and Coffee Must Be Limited
The earliest studies were on sweetened chocolate, but recent studies conducted on the purer breed have indicated that it is not just the milk and sugar thrown into the mix that functions as a skin irritant. The main culprit seems to be caffeine, which therefore, also cast doubt on the wisdom of drinking large amounts of coffee if you have a skin condition. Caffeine has a pore-clogging tendency, and this appears to be the reason it gives your skin so much trouble.
9. Soda is Doubly Bad for Your Skin
The high sugar and high caffeine content found in soft drinks, in light of the problems too much sugar and too much caffeine can cause your skin, make it a doubly poor choice. Exceptions are, of course, diet drinks and caffeine-free flavors.
10. Avoid Processed Foods
While it may be nearly impossible to totally escape eating out of a can in today's society, you should strive to do it as much as you can. This is especially true if you have a skin condition. Processed foods lack the nutrients your body and skin need to keep healthy. They also are high in sugar, salt, refined flour, and practically the whole list of things to avoid when you have eczema or psoriasis.
As mentioned earlier, be sure to avoid chemical filled cosmetics and do your best to find a steroid cream alternative for eczema as they are shown to weaken your skin in the long run.
Salt, particularly iodized salt, can cause tissue swelling and irritate your skin. It is only in high doses that this danger is present, but since packaged foods are almost always over-loaded with sodium, it can be challenging to avoid "salt overdose." The best you can do is to drain canned goods, cut down on salty foods, and avoid using the shaker as much as possible.
7. Your Sweet Tooth May Be Damaging Your Skin
White sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and all of the many products that contain them will all heighten your blood glucose level. We have already seen above that this then leads to insulin problems, which lead to skin irritations.
8. Chocolate and Coffee Must Be Limited
The earliest studies were on sweetened chocolate, but recent studies conducted on the purer breed have indicated that it is not just the milk and sugar thrown into the mix that functions as a skin irritant. The main culprit seems to be caffeine, which therefore, also cast doubt on the wisdom of drinking large amounts of coffee if you have a skin condition. Caffeine has a pore-clogging tendency, and this appears to be the reason it gives your skin so much trouble.
9. Soda is Doubly Bad for Your Skin
The high sugar and high caffeine content found in soft drinks, in light of the problems too much sugar and too much caffeine can cause your skin, make it a doubly poor choice. Exceptions are, of course, diet drinks and caffeine-free flavors.
10. Avoid Processed Foods
While it may be nearly impossible to totally escape eating out of a can in today's society, you should strive to do it as much as you can. This is especially true if you have a skin condition. Processed foods lack the nutrients your body and skin need to keep healthy. They also are high in sugar, salt, refined flour, and practically the whole list of things to avoid when you have eczema or psoriasis.
As mentioned earlier, be sure to avoid chemical filled cosmetics and do your best to find a steroid cream alternative for eczema as they are shown to weaken your skin in the long run.