What's the solution for acne? I'm an otherwise healthy adult.
Given that your skin is a major organ of elimination and good barometer of your internal health, I would start by looking at your internal detoxification capacity and elimination processes - that is, your liver and your gut. I usually find a remarkable improvement in people's skin from cleansing these.
Diet-wise, avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, fried foods, excess animal fats and sugar. Increase your intake of water, fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and proteins from fish, chicken, soya and lean meat. Keep your digestive tract moving with a good intake of fibre from wholegrains, vegetables, beans and lentils. If you get constipated, soak a dessertspoon of organic golden flax seeds overnight in a glass of water and drink the mixture. I recommend a good colon and liver cleansing programme involving herbs and fibres. Supplementing 20mg of zinc and up to 5,000mcg of vitamin A can help, although you need to limit your vitamin A intake to 3,000mcg (or 10.000iu) if you're pregnant.
Quote from 500 Health and Nutrition Questions Answered - Patrick Holford
What can you do to stop oily skin?
Your skin normally produces a substance called sebum. Some people, however, produce an excess, which usually causes very oily skin. Although this can be hereditary, it's also affected by diet and hormone balance.
Diet-wise, reduce saturated fats, mainly from meat and milk products. These fats can interfere with the body's processing of the important essential fats found in oily fish, fresh nuts and seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower. I also recommend supplementing flax seed oil - 1,000mg, twice a day. And it's important to reduce your intake of sugary foods such as sweets, chocolate, desserts and biscuits, and sugar in drinks such as coffee, tea or fizzy drinks, because sugar feeds infections.
People with oily skin can also be tempted to overclean their skin, but this only stimulates more oil production. It's best to get the advice of a skincare professional about what is best for your skin.
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How can I get rid of dark circles under my eyes?
Dark circles under the eyes are usually linked to some sort of allergy or sensitivity to a particular food, which causes inflammation in the tiny blood vessels under them. Wheat and milk products are the two biggest culprits, although different people react to different foods, including alcohol. The easiest way to find out if a food is triggering reactions is to avoid it for 10 days and see if there is any difference and then, when you start eating it again, to take note of any changes. Wheat is in most bread (choose 100 per cent rye instead), most cereals (choose corn or oat-based types), pasta, pizza, biscuits and so on. Instead of milk, have soya or rice milk.
There can be other reasons for those dark circles, however. Apart from needing more sleep, they could indicate poorly functioning kidneys. Following a kidney-friendly diet by drinking at least 2 litres of bottled or filtered water ever day, eating more raw foods (aim for 75 per cent) and reducing your intake of animal proteins, as too much can put stress on the kidneys. Alternative protein sources include peas, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, millet, quinoa, soya and wholegrains. Foods that support the kidneys include garlic, potatoes, asparagus, parsley, watercress, celery, cucumbers and papaya, plus lentils, seeds and soya, which contain kidney-friendly arginine. It's also important to reduce your intake of potassium and phosphates. Avoid salt and potassium chloride (a salt substitute), beet greens, chocolate, cocoa, eggs, fish, meat, spinach, rhubarb, Swiss chard and tea, and limit your consumption of bananas to no more than three a week.
Additional considerations include checking for heavy metal toxicity, as heavy metals are very harmful to the kidneys and need to be eliminated if present. A nutritionist can arrange a hair mineral analysis to check this. Note that if you have severe back pain, this could indicate kidney stones or other problems with your kidneys; you should see a doctor immediately to check for these. However, by far the most common cause of dark circles is an allergy.Quote from 500 Health and Nutrition Questions Answered - Patrick Holford
I suffer from dermatitis. Is there a diet connection?
The word dermatitis literally means skin infammation. It's a condition similar to eczema, where the skin can be irritated, swollen, red and itchy. Usually the term dermatitis is used when the primary cause appears to be a contact allergy - that is, you've touched or worn something you're allergic to. Consider all possibilities, such as metals in jewellery, watches, perfumes, cosmetics, detergents in the washing-up liquid, soaps, shampoos or washing powders.
Where there is a contact allergy, there's often a food allergy too, the most common being to dairy products and wheat. Sometimes only a combination of eating an allergy-provoking food and contact with an external allergen will trigger the symptoms. It's a good idea to do elimination tests on all these allergens, both edible and nonedible. Cut out each one for 10 days and see what happens. Even better is to test yourself for food intolerances.
Another predisposing factoris a lack of essential fatty acids from seeds and their oils, and oily fish, which control inflammation in the body. Try supplementing starflower or borage oil; 1,000mg provides roughly 250mg of the essential fat GLA, which is what you are looking for. GLA has been proven to help reduce skin inflammation and is widely available in healthfood stores.
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Are there any natural remedies that can help psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic disease in which cells in the outer layers of skin reproduce too fast, causing the skin to scale. There is also usually inflammation, and can be pain, itching and restricted movement in some joints. Some natural health therapists say that psoriasis can be linked to stress and psychological issues, so it's important to address this aspect of your life. There is a link between a build-up of toxins in the bowel and psoriasis, because the toxins can increase the speed of skin cell regeneration.
First, make sure you're digesting well, to avoid leaving toxins in the gut. Taking a digestive enzyme supplement with each meal will help. It's important to cleanse the bowel by following a high-fibre, high-water diet. But rather than wheat bran, take a spoonful of flax seeds soaked in water and drink this daily alongside colon-cleansing herbs such as Oregon grape or oregano. Eating foods rich in essential fatty acids such as oily fish, nuts and pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement (1 or 2 1g fish oil capsules a day) can help reduce the inflammation and moisture the skin.
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What do white marks on your fingernails mean?
This is a classic sign if zinc deficiency, as are ridges that run across the nail. If you've got white marks or stripes on three or more nails, this is a clear sign that you are not getting enough zinc. Zinc is rapidly depleted by stress and in men, by excessive sex - semen is zinc-rich! So supplement with 15mg of zinc a day, and eat foods rich in the mineral. Luckily, it's a delicious array. If you like oysters, these are far and away the best source, but you have plenty of other options: fresh ginger, lamb, pecan nuts, fresh green peas, dried split peas, haddock, shrimp, turnips, Brazil nuts, eggs, wholegrains such as rye and oats, and peanuts and almonds.
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What are parabens in cosmetic creams?
Parabens are synthetic preservatives that are used not just in cosmetic creams, but also in shampoos, conditioners, hair styling gels, make-up and deodorants. They may cause skin irritation, dermatitis or allergic skin reactions. Some research suggests that long-term exposure from leave-on products (make-up and skin lotions) enables migration via skin into the bloodstream, and this can have oestrogenic effects that can interfere with hormone balance. Look out for good alternatives - naturally produced skin care products.
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