Eczema affects approximately 31 Million Americans in varying degrees. The winter season can be particularly brutal on those living with the condition, as the cold temps, and drier air can exacerbate an already dry skin condition.
Redness, rashes, dry patches that can leave the skin with a scaly texture, and extreme itching are just some of the possible expressions of this condition. But what if your gut health could be a key to successfully managing the condition?
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a form of atopic dermatitis, resulting from an overactive immune system.
This immune response causes disruption to your skin’s natural barrier function resulting in dry skin that can itch like crazy.
Although not contagious, the symptoms can be uncomfortable and leave post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation behind which then takes weeks if not months to fade.
Eczema can show up anywhere on the body once this immune response kicks into overdrive.
So what exactly causes Eczema?
Potential causes for Eczema can vary. Genetics can play a part in that some of us naturally have a deficiency in what is known as filaggrin deficiency. This is actually a protein that helps to hold onto moisture in the skin.
Those with this genetic predisposition will naturally deal with drier skin that tends to itch more.
Allergens are also a known cause. External allergens like ingredients in certain laundry detergents, shampoo thickeners, fragrances, and cleaners can all contribute to triggering eczema.
Changes in temperature and humidity levels.
There’s a reason your eczema may flare up during the changing season and particularly in winter. It’s hard for your skin to adjust to any change in the air around it. Your body does amazing things to help understand what’s going on around it, and then regulate your body based on the hot or cold environment around you.
Your skin is your body’s first defense when it comes to this.
When your skin can’t keep up it will respond and your body goes into protection mode which can trigger your immune system. In some people, that response goes into overdrive and results in eczema conditions.
And what about that gut thing?
Yep so to add to the potential list of causes, we now come to the impact your gut can have on your Ezcema.
Allergens can be internal as much as external, and food sensitivities trigger inflammation in the body and gut. Your body kicks into gear to handle it and the result can be an Eczema flare.
This is why it’s truly a good idea to get an allergy panel done by your physician every 10 years or so as this has been linked to changes in your allergies as you age.
Our typical American diet has lots of inflammatory foods, processed, lactose, sugar, and gluten; these can all adversely impact your gut.
Tip: Keep a food journal and see if you can track changes in your skin to the foods that you eat!
There has been researching showing a connection between eczema expressions and low bacteria diversity in the gut. This research is continually being studied to further confirm the connection between the gut and other sensitized conditions such as Rosacea, Psoriasis, and Acne.
As a result of this research remedies for adding probiotics to help balance the microbiome of the gut have been suggested. Some sources can be from foods like yogurt, fermented foods like Kimchi, and probiotic supplements.
Check out this article in Well + Good talking about the benefits of Kimchi on Eczema. In it Board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, states.
“Kimchi and other fermented foods contain probiotics, like lactic acid, and vitamins from fermentation that are known to have immunostimulating effects,”
Dr. Engelman, MD goes on to say that the benefits of Kimchi help to prevent bad bacteria and promote good bacteria in the GI tract. And that the lactic acid bacteria acts as an anti-inflammatory ingredient which reduces the risk of eczema flare-ups.
Pretty cool huh?
Have you tried anything within your diet that you have seen beneficial results in your Eczema? Let us know!
I do not have eczema, but some of my students do. Thank you for this information. It is very enlightening.
Very interesting article about the key to your Eczema in your gut could be a cause. My niece struggles with eczema and stomach issues. Very interesting about a connection. I’ll be sure to share this information with her.
Wow – THIS is interesting! I hadn’t considered a connection between eczema and your gut, but it absolutely makes sense. Thanks for sharing!