Can Itchy Skin Be Caused By Not Eating

Can your nutrition brand your skin itch?

It'southward non exactly a revelation to say that your diet tin have an enormous impact on your on your skin, with certain foods influencing your susceptibility to skin conditions such as acne while other foods can assist to support your skin, preventing problems such every bit dryness or oiliness. When information technology comes to itchy skin though, the part of your diet is more complex and to understand information technology better, it is best to first take a look at what can crusade itchy skin in the first place.

Itchy skin tin can be acquired by a multifariousness of factors simply here are a few of the well-nigh common culprits:

Dry out peel
Eczema
Allergies
Stress
Cosmetics
Hormonal changes
Environmental irritants

As you can see, the listing is quite long and as I've mentioned, these are only the most common issues. Hopefully though, you can commencement to see where your diet creeps into the equation as what you eat can definitely influence atmospheric condition such as eczema or allergies such as hayfever. That's why hither I'm going to have a look at a few of these triggers, the function your diet tin can play in antagonising them and what you can consume to assistance trounce the itch.

Eczema and dry out skin

Dry skin and eczema are closely linked so it makes sense to cover these issues together. Eczema is a dry skin condition that occurs every bit a result of a combination of factors and itchiness is often one of the most mutual and uncomfortable symptoms. It comes about when the nerve endings in your epidermis (your outer layer of skin) are stimulated, either by changes to your skin barrier or external irritants such as harsh chemicals or materials or fifty-fifty allergies.

And so where does your diet come up into the picture here?

Well, every bit I talk over in my blog, 'Change your diet to help control eczema' patients that endure from eczema oft tend to have weaker digestive secretions¹ which can touch on how they breakdown different foods, with some beingness harder than others. It'due south also not unheard of for sufferers of eczema to exist more prone to food allergies, which as I volition discuss shortly, tin influence your susceptibility to a flare-up and the dreaded itch.

Here is the list of foods deemed to be most problematic for eczema sufferers:

Dairy
Soy
Wheat
Candy meat
Nuts – walnuts, cashews, peanuts etc.
Seeds

Equally y'all may have noticed, some of these foods are actually quite healthy and are ofttimes included every bit part of a balanced diet, which is a existent shame. The good news though, is that if these foods tin can contribute to an eczema flare-upward and consequently an eczema itch, then there are foods that you could include in your diet to help ease the problem. Oily fish, fresh fruit and leafy green veg are acme of the list equally these contain benign nutrients such as omega-3, vitamin D and vitamin E which tin can assistance to nourish eczema-decumbent skin, helping to strengthen your epidermis.

Allergies

Allergies tin be a major trigger of itchy skin, with substances such as pollen, dust, brute dander or even sure types of food all stimulating an inflammatory reaction from your skin. When this inflammatory reaction takes place, your body will be flooded with chemicals such as histamine, which can bring on that itchy sensation. How you go about tackling this tin depend on the type of allergy that you suffer from.

Hayfever – Hayfever is a pollen allergy that is extremely common here in the UK. When information technology comes to that tell-tale itch, often histamine is responsible which is why you may wish to avoid foods that encourage the production of this chemical – dairy products, refined sugar, fermented foods and wheat are all mutual culprits. In that location are also foods that can inhibit your production of histamine that you may wish to include more of in your nutrition – garlic, ginger, oily fish and blueberries are good options hither!

Allergic rhinitis – In her blog, 'Could your diet be making your allergic rhinitis worse?' our Allergy Advisor Louise discusses the types of food and potable you may wish to avoid and once once more, histamine-rich foods are at the top of the list. I've already mentioned a few of these just Louise goes into more detail, bringing up drinks such as alcohol and caffeine. She also offers sensible alternatives that may help to ease your allergic rhinitis symptoms, including itchy skin, and so I would definitely go and check her web log out.

Food allergies – Food allergies occur when your allowed organization reacts to specific foods, sometimes bringing about an itchy red rash. This type of allergy is particularly prevalent in children, especially if they accept experienced eczema in their infancy and usually foods such equally dairy, eggs, peanuts or shellfish are the principal suspects. However, if you lot suspect you accept a food allergy the all-time thing y'all tin can do would exist to speak to your doctor offset to identify the underlying trigger foods.

Stress

Itchy skin doesn't just arise as a result of a physical trigger – sometimes it tin can be psychological. If you're experiencing stress or anxiety, it can affect your body in a number of ways. When it comes to your pare, for case, you lot may find that your eczema starts to flare-up or you lot feel an outbreak of spots withal, sometimes it tin likewise brand your pare feel itchier and cause an angry crimson rash to appear. This is considering, when you experience stressed or broken-hearted, it encourages the production if inflammatory chemicals, making your skin more than sensitive and susceptible to irritation.

So where does your nutrition come into the motion-picture show here?

Stress tin can have a noticeable affect on other areas of your body, such equally your sleep patterns and allowed function, which may indirectly influence your skin. You likewise have to consider that stress can bear upon your behaviour and habits, sometimes making you more than prone to food cravings. Unfortunately, these cravings tend to be for unhealthy foods that simply exacerbate the problem.

Our Stress Advisor Marianna addresses this trouble in her blog, '7 suggestions for changing stressful eating habits' which is definitely worth a read if this is a concern for you lot. When it comes to the types of food you tin eat to lower your stress levels, fruit and veg are unsurprisingly at the top of the list. Fruits such every bit bananas and vegetables such as beetroot and spinach are believed to encourage the production of dopamine, a happy hormone which can help to back up your mood.

Hormonal changes

When your levels of hormones such as oestrogen fluctuate it tin have a knock-on issue on your skin. During menopause, for example, when your oestrogen levels start to fall it's non unheard of for your pare to develop an crawling. This is considering oestrogen is important when it comes to regulating the moisture levels in your pare and your production of collagen thus when oestrogen declines, the forcefulness and vitality of your skin tin be affected, making it more decumbent to irritation.

Then where does your diet come into the picture here?

Menopause can exist a turbulent time which means that often your stress levels are elevated and of import habits, such as drinking enough of h2o, often get overlooked. Our Menopause Expert Eileen picks upwards on this in her Menopause Mon video, 'Uncomplicated solutions to ease itchy skin.' In this video, she also mentions that fluctuating blood sugar levels are another culprit which is why it's important to prioritise salubrious snacks.

Sugary and carb-heavy foods might provide a quick release of energy just if you lot want a slow, steady release that'due south not going to upset your blood sugar levels, fibre should exist your become-to. Not but is fibre practiced for your energy levels, it can also keep your digestive system ticking over nicely, which is extremely important for the health of your peel. Good sources of fibre can include oats, beans, legumes and fruits such as bananas.

What else can you do to gainsay the itch?

Okay, and then aside from your diet how else can yous tackle the issue of itchy skin? Well I really comprehend this in more detail in my blog, 'Why the sudden itch?' then this might be a good read if you're looking for more than guidance on natural remedies. You could also try our Soothing Neem Cream, which has been particularly formulated for very dry, acne-decumbent pare. It'south fantabulous at calming irritation, taking the oestrus out of red rashes and rapidly easing any itchiness.

Y'all can apply this cream straight to your skin simply just be careful – information technology may non be suitable if you suffer from whatever ongoing nut allergies.

¹https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/08/15/acne-eczema-psoriasis-yous-need-to-look-at-your-gut-health_a_21451628/