Understanding And Treating Eczema With An Alkaline Plant Based Diet And Herbs
Understanding and Treating Eczema
Controlling inflammatory responses is key to treating eczema. Eczema is a condition where inflammatory reactions cause specific skin irritations.
A combination of gene responses, environmental triggers, immune system issues, and dry skin can result in various forms of eczema.
Eczema[2] is associated with a mutated gene that limits to production of the filaggrin protein.
This protein serves as a protective barrier on the top layer of the skin. Without enough of it, the skin becomes vulnerable, leaks moisture, and allows bacteria and viruses to enter.
Your approach to and level of success in treating eczema may differ depending on the type and severity of eczema.
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. People who have this type of eczema also often have asthma and hay fever.
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory reaction often on the face, and in the creases of the elbows and knees. But it also can appear anywhere on the body.[1]
The symptoms include dry, itchy, broken, bumpy, leathery, and scaly skin.
Research indicates[2] that eczema is associated with a mutated gene that limits to production of the filaggrin protein.
This protein serves as a protective barrier on the top layer of the skin. Without enough of it the skin becomes vulnerable, leaks moisture, and allows bacteria and viruses to enter.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis consists of two groups: irritant dermatitis and allergic dermatitis.
Irritant dermatitis: Release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from keratinocytes, usually in response to chemical stimuli. Usually happens quickly.
Allergic dermatitis: T-cell mediated inflammation of the skin caused by repeated skin exposure to a substance. Usually happens within 24-72 hours.
“Females, infants, elderly, and individuals with atopic tendencies are more susceptible to irritant contact dermatitis…Overall contact dermatitis is most common in people with red hair and fair skin. Women are more likely to develop contact dermatitis because of the use of jewelry and fragrances.”[3]
Can result from coming in contact with detergents soaps, hair dye, latex, metal, nickel, jewelry, paint, and solvents.
They result in itchy skin, reddened skin, bumps, hives, and fluid-filled blisters. The skin can become scaly and thicken over time.
Dyshidrotic eczema
The medical industry also refers to this form of eczema as pompholyx. It results fluid-filled lesions (blisters) that form on the sides or palms of the hands, or soles of the feet.[4]
The inflammatory response to allergens can also cause the skin to crack and flake.
Nummular eczema
Itchy coin-shaped spots that develop on the skin and can become thick and scaly.[5]
Dry skin, or an allergic reaction to an insect bite, metal, or chemical triggers an inflammatory response.
Stasis dermatitis
Usually occurs in the lower legs. Pressure causes fluid to leek out of veins into the skin causing an inflammatory reaction.[6] This results in swelling, redness, scaly, itchy skin.
Addressing Eczema
All forms involved inflammatory responses that caused damage to healthy cells.
Science points to the lack of production of filaggrin molecule[2] as the underlying culprit for developing eczema. This molecule acts as a protective barrier in the top layer of the skin.
Lacking this molecule, the skin is vulnerable to environmental toxins. The vulnerable skin interacts with environmental toxins, which can result in different forms of eczema.
This molecule also helps with the shedding of old skin cells. The Lack of this molecule in the skin contributes to the buildup of scaly skin.
There are two parts to addressing eczema. One, putting the body in the best position to heal itself. Two, controlling the inflammatory process.
Fortunately we can address both, simply with dietary choices.
The Body Optimally And Naturally Heals Itself With Alkaline Plant Based Foods
Please watch this animated video which illustrates how the body heals itself when fed the ideal foods: An Alkaline Plant Based Diet Heals
Nature designed to body to heal itself even when confronted with genetic obstacles. Science has shown that eating a diet loaded with natural minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients can positively modify the expression of faulty genes.[7,8,9,10]
Removing toxic food from the diet (meat, dairy, and processed foods), allows the body to optimally use the minerals, vitamins, and phtyonutrients in plants to clean and restore compromised cells on the intracellular level.
Healthy Modulation Of Genes
This helps to restore healthy cells from damaged cells. Eating solely foods that help the body to heal provides the body with the best environment to address genetic deficiencies.
Eating an alkaline plant based diet based on the Dr. Sebi nutritional guide can optimally support the healthy expression of genes.
It provides the body with minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients that help repair cell damage and stop cell damage from occurring.
The natural combinations of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients optimally support the modulation of genes to support healthy function of cells.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
You help to support the positive expression of genes through eating natural alkaline plant based foods based on the Dr. Sebi nutritional guide.
An alkaline plant based diet is also an anti-inflammatory diet. A pro-inflammatory diet centers on the consumption of meat, dairy, and processed foods.
Inflammation is a natural process where the body sends white blood cells to an infected or damaged area of the body. The white blood cells are able to kill and isolate bacteria, viruses, and toxins.
We do need some inflammation in the body, as it serves as part of the body natural inflammatory response to kill disease.
But too much inflammation also kills healthy cells. An alkaline plant based diet naturally controls the inflammation process so that it is too extreme.
The diet helps to regulate the immune response to conditions that cause eczema, to lessen the severity of eczema reactions.
Treating Eczema
Depending on the severity and dedication to treating the disease, people with eczema have reversed or severely reduced their eczema.
- Eat an alkaline plant based diet based on the Dr. Sebi nutritional guide to help support the positive expression of the faulty gene involved in causing eczema. Focus on eating mostly fruits and vegetables on the guide.
- Eat and anti-inflammatory alkaline plant based diet based on the Dr. Sebi nutritional guide to control inflammatory responses to eczema. Learn how to optimally approach applying the diet by reading my diet book, Alkaline Plant Based Diet.
- Drink the recommended gallon of spring water daily to keep the body properly hydrated. This helps keep the skin properly hydrated.
- Use herbs in the Dr. Sebi methodology like burdock root, blessed thistle, and hydrangea, to assist the body in cleaning the blood, kidneys, liver, digestive tract, and lymphatic system to assist in reversing eczema. Read my herbal book to gain a comprehensive understanding of using herbs, Alkaline Herbal Medicine.
- Women’s hormonal changes during menstruation and menopause can contribute to eczema flareups. Taking Dr. Sebi’s “Estro” product helps to balance women’s hormones and minimize flareups.
- Apply coconut oil, or raw shea butter, or a combination to the affected area to sooth and repair the dry skin.
- Apply Dr. Sebi’sEva Salve to the affected areas to protect against disease, nourish the skin, and to provide antioxidants to protect against cell damage.
- Consume Sea Moss to support skin health and elasticity
- Apply sea moss gel to the affected areas to promote healing
- Wear loose clothing to not irritate the affected skin.
Sources:
[1] Atopic dermatitis – NCBI
[2] One remarkable molecule: Filaggrin
[3] Contact Dermatitis – NCBI
[4] Dyshidrotic eczema: relevance to the immune response – NCBI
[5] Nummular eczema – NCBI
[6] NCBI – Stasis Dermatitis: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management.
[7] Diet Can Trump the Alzheimer’s Gene ApoE
[8] Nutritional regulation of gene expression
[9] Associations between dietary patterns and gene expression profiles of healthy men and women: a cross-sectional study
[10] Nutritional Modulation of Gene Expression: Might This be of Benefit to Individuals with Crohn’s Disease?
