Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is also the only one you can see. By appearance alone, skin conveys information such as approximate age, some idea of ancestry and general health. Diet can affect your skin tone in both a positive and negative ways. Some foods help to correct skin disorders, including skin discoloration, while others exacerbate skin problems.
Identification
Some of the more common skin disorders include hyperpigmentation, which is uneven patches of dark skin, and hypopigmentation, patches of white skin. Atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, is characterized by dry, red, scaly skin. Dermatitis herpetiformis causes small clusters of red, itchy blisters. Liver spots, also known as age spots, are characterized as dark spots on the skin.
Causes
Both hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation occur as a result of a disruption in the production of melanin, the substance that gives skin its color. Too much melanin results in hyperpigmentation and too little causes hypopigmentation. Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a reaction to a food allergy. A food allergy is when the immune system reacts to common proteins that are harmless to most people. The most common triggers of food allergies are peanuts, eggs, cow milk and shellfish. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, dermatitis herpetiformis although often confused with skin allergies, is actually associated with celiac disease, a sensitivity of the intestine to gluten in the diet.
Prevention/Solution
Large, dark skin discolorations are referred to as melasma and are due to hormonal changes such as pregnancy. Age or liver spots occur after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays. The "Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists" reports that including protective foods in your diet, improving the fat quality of your diet and increasing your intake of mono-unsaturated fat can prevent UV skin damage. Eliminating foods that cause an allergic reaction that leads to eczema is one way to reduce an eczema flare-up. A gluten-free diet will reduce the symptoms of dermatitis herpetiformis.
Examples
Fruits and vegetables protect your skin because they contain antioxidants that prevent skin from aging prematurely by fighting free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that attack healthy cells and cause cellular damage. Antioxidants are key to reducing the aging affects of UV rays. Essential fatty acids such as salmon, almonds, avocados and olive oil help regulate cell function, which improves skin tone. "American Family Physician" suggests eliminating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, oat and rye, if you have dermatitis herpetiformis.
Expert Insight
Data from a study conducted by an international team of researchers and published in the 2001 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" showed that, of 453 subjects, those with less skin damage had higher intake of vegetables, olive oil, fish and legumes. Those with more skin damage ate a diet high in dairy foods, butter/margarine and sugar products.
References
- "American Osteopathic College of Dermatology": Dermatitis Herpetiformis
- "Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists": Food & Skin
- Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America: Dermatitis Herpetiformis
- "American Family Physician": Manifestations of Food Allergy
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition": Skin Wrinkling: Can Food Make a Difference?
