Eczema in older people is often due to low levels of key nutrients. This may be because the diet is deficient or because the gut is no longer working efficiently, or both. The herbalist’s approach to adult eczema is usually fourfold:
- Dietary advice about which foods to avoid/reduce and which to increase (see table below).
- Herbs to improve the health of the gut to increase the absorption of nutrients and to reduce the absorption of toxins.
- Herbs to improve the blood supply to the skin to improve the delivery of nutrients and the removal of toxins.
- Herbs to improve the elimination of toxins through the gut and urinary tract.
Zinc and vitamin B are particularly important as they affect the metabolism of essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are important in the regulation of a range of inflammatory responses, including skin eruptions such as eczema.
| Meat Full-fat cheese and butter Sugar Alcohol Caffeine: coffee, cola, ordinary tea Additives and refined ingredients |
| Omega-3 oils: cold-pressed hemp seed, flaxseed Cold water fish: salmon, herring, halibut Fruit and vegetables Beta-carotene: carrots, beetroots Nuts and seeds Water, fruit juice, herb tea, redbush tea |
| Oysters | 148.7 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 7.5 |
| Ginger root | 6.8 |
| Pecan nuts | 4.5 |
| Dried split peas | 4.2 |
| Brazil nuts | 4.2 |
| Whole wheat/rye/oats | 3.2 |
| Peanuts | 3.2 |
| Almonds | 3.1 |
| Walnuts | 3.0 |
| Hazel nuts | 2.4 |
| Peas | 1.6 |
| Turnips | 1.2 |
| Parsley/potatoes | 0.9 |
| Garlic | 0.6 |
A high percentage of people with eczema have low levels of Omega 3 in relation to Omega 6 and should therefore increase their intake of foods such as cold-water fish and flax-seed oil.
If there is an associated food intolerance (such as gluten or dairy) or an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a specific diet for these conditions is likely to help the skin condition.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| HHCEczema-in-Adults.pdf | 31.58 KB |