ECZEMA
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There is some evidence to suggest that eczema is linked to a food allergy in up to half of reported cases, or even more where the sufferers are children; the main culprits are thought to be milk and eggs. However, other potential links between this skin ailment and diet have yet to be proved.
There are two types of eczema: contact eczema, which is more commonly known as contact dermatitis, and atopic eczema. Contact eczema develops on people whose skin is sensitive to particular irritants, for example wool or nylon clothing, metal, make-up, detergents, various chemicals or sunlight; food irritants include raw fiish, gaarlic and onions. Atopic eczema often affects people with a family history of asthma, hay fever or hives (also known as uticaria or nettle rash). Eczema inbabies and small children is often atopoc; fortunately many children do eventually grow out of it.
In both types of ecxzma, the symptoms include redness of the skin, severe itching, pinhead-dized blisters anybody with eczema should consult a doctor, who may prescribe skin creams or ointments.
ECZEMA AND ALLERGIES
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The importance of the link between eczema and allergies is still the subject of fierce debate. apart from eggs, milk and other dairy procuce, suspect foods include fish, shellfish, wheat, tomatoes, nuts, soya products, yeast and certain additives. If you eliminate such foods completely from your diet for two weeks and the condition improves, it suggests that a food might be contributing to the problem. Reintroduce the 'banned' foods slowly. one by one, and if the eczema returns, there is a good chance that you have found the food which contains the allergen triggering you dermatitis.
Some babies develop eczema when their mother stops breastfeeding and starts to give formula milk, which may inicate an intolerance tocow's milk. If, however, a baby who is being breastfed develops exzema, the mother should consider consulting a dietician about her own diet since bebies rarely react to the mother's milk itself.
CABBAGE POUTICE
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Although there is no scientific evidence to support the claim, traditional medicine has hong held that fresh green cabbage leaves (especially Savoy cabbage) can help to relieve eczema. Wash, pound and warm the leaves, then use a bandage to hold several layers of them in place on the affected areas everymorning and nitght.
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EPILELSY
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Oine in every two hundred britons has epilepsy, a disorder triggeted by imbalances in the brain's electrical impulses. Epilepsy may be caused by brain damage resulting from injury before, during or after birth, by a tumour, a childhood fever, or by an infection. It is sometimes hereditary, but occasinally no cause can be found.
A lack of vitamins appears to spark some epileptic attaks, which has prompted doctors to look more closely at the possibility of treating the ailment through diet.
Epileptic seizures vary in intensity and their frequency ranges from brief spells of memory and concentration loss known as absences (previosly called peteit mal) to convulsions that may occur several times a day. Stress, tiredness, too much alcohol, a bout of fever, and menstruation are all potential triggers of an attack.
Drugs are used to treat all forms of epilepsy. In fact, medication keeps 80 per cent of people with epilepsy free from deizures. However, because some of the drugs can have harmful side effects, there is growing support among doctors for drug therapy to be used in conjunction with dietary methods in the control of epilepsy.
Some studies show that in rare cases a lack of vitamins B6 and D can propt epileptic attacks. Vitamin B6 is supplied by meat, whole grains and pulses. Vitamin D is found in most oily fish and some animal products, particularly in cheese and fortified milk. Anyone suffering from epilepsy should take vitamin supplements only under medical supervision.
Certain minerals also appear to help some individuals. Magnesium (abunddant in wholemeal flour, millet, figs, meat, fish, nuts and pulses); zinc (in meat and offal, wheatgerm, nuts, crab, oysters and letils); and calcium (mainly found in milk and milk products) have all been found to help to prevent convulsions in some people.
While it is still highly controversial, preliminary evidence sggests that there may be a link between congenital seizures and a deficiency of the trace mineral manganese in the mother's diet. Good sources of manganese include rice, wholemeal bread, wheatgerm, buckwheat, lima beans, nuts, cockles, sardines, blackberries, figs and pineapple.
In small number of cases, nutritional deficiencies and low blood sugar have been implicated in epileptic seizures. people with epilepsy should therefore maintain their blood sugar levels by eating normal, well-balanced meals at regular intervals.
Mixed salads and raw fruit are said by some alternative practitioners to be particularly effective in reducing the number and intensity of attacks.
Excess alcohol consumption may precipitate an attack in some susceptible people with epilepsy.Evening primrose oil has also been found to trigger attacks in some individuals, and for this reason is best avoided.
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TAKE PLENTY OF :
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- Pluses and meat to supply vitamin B6 zinc and magesium.
- Calcium-rich dairy procuce, especially milk that has been fortified with vitamin D
- Rice, wholemeal bread, pineapple, blachberries and figs, for manganese.
AVOID:
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- Excessive amounts of alcohol.
- Evening primrose oil.
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