Eczema Bulletin, Issue #033 - Can Gluten Affect Eczema?
Welcome to April's edition of the Eczema Bulletin e-zine, and thank you for subscribing.
This is the 33th edition of Eczema Bulletin. It will bring you articles and news about eczema, and also any updates to what-is-eczema.com. If you would like to add any suggestions for articles or news, or even add your own then I would love to hear from you
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This month's Eczema Bulletin includes
- April's Featured Article – Can Gluten Affect Eczema?
- My favourite eczema news article
- Tip of the Month
- 5 Ways To.....manage nummular eczema
Can Gluten Affect Eczema?
There are a lot of different foods that can trigger a flare up of eczema. There are some foods that are well known to cause the symptoms of eczema to get worse in some sufferers. Dairy and citrus fruits are common irritants.
Gluten is a protein, found in
- barley – found in foods that contain malt, and is also in beer
- rye – found in rye breads and some cereals
- wheat – found in bread, pasta and cereals
One of the compounds of gluten is gliadin. It's been reported that gliadin can cause leaky gut syndrome. It is thought by some that leaky gut syndrome is one of the triggers of eczema in some people. It can cause inflammation in the deep layers of the skin, leading to the symptoms of eczema.
There have been a few studies done to see if there is any link between gluten sensitivity and eczema. One study found that someone with celiac disease is 3 times more likely to have eczema.
It is also thought that
most eczema sufferers have a gluten sensitivity. It is just more prevalent in some than others.
This suggests that if you have eczema then you may benefit from removing gluten from your diet. To find out if it has an impact on your eczema you'll have to remove it completely from your diet.
If it's your child that has eczema I wouldn't recommend removing any food group from their diet without speaking to your doctor.
I'd love to hear if you've decided to have a gluten free diet, and if it had a positive or no effect on your eczema.
Eczema News Article
A new study suggests that some people are more prone to developing eczema because of a lack of a natural acid.
Researchers have found that a shortage of cis-urocanic acid cells can affect how the skin's immune system works. The acid is made from the protein filaggrin. Filaggrin builds a protective barrier in the skin, and it is thought that some eczema sufferers have low levels of the protein.
The acid is made by the skin when it is in sunlight. This is why you may find that your eczema improves when you're on holiday.
One of the skin specialists involved in the research said “Our study suggests the filaggrin protein and the cis-urocanic acid it forms, are important for building protective barriers in the skin.”
I found this pretty interesting, mainly as I find my eczema improves when I'm holiday. I'm going to look into this natural acid some more as I'd like to know more about it and how we can increase our levels.
Tip Of The Month - The Benefits of Marshmallow
Marshmallow is a plant with pink flowers that like areas with moist soil.
It has a few benefits that may help improve your eczema
- helps to reduce skin inflammation
- keeps moisture in the skin
- can help the skin to heal quicker
- can soothe and heal inflammation in the gut, this can help with leaky gut syndrome, which some think is related to eczema
It can be used a few different ways. It can be found in capsules and tea. As both are taken internally they will help with healing from the inside.
It can also be made into a poultice and used on the skin. A poultice is a paste that is made of a beneficial product, in this case, marshmallow herb.
To make a poultice mash the herbs and mix it with enough water so it forms a paste. The paste is then put into a piece of cloth and then placed on the affected area.
Marshmallow can also be found added in creams and lotions, then can be applied
directly to the skin. Just check the ingredients of any creams or ointments to make sure they don't contain any irritant that could make your eczema worse.
