Liver Health and Eczema

Not only does the liver produce the agent which stops you from dying of blood loss every time you get a paper cut, but it is also a giant filter... among other things.

This filter is charged with cleaning your body of toxins, pollution, medications etc. and eczema sufferers will generally have a lot more to process through the liver as their bodies are taking in a lot more toxins and allergens through their skin and also from a leaky gut, as well as harmful medications, more so than the person without eczema.

Eczema and the liver

When the liver can no longer break down the toxins properly or fast enough, it will become overloaded and the result is that it sends the excess to the biggest elimination organ of the body; your skin. After a time, enough build up of toxins within the skin layers will lead to inflammation, which can present itself as eczema, dermatitis and hives, just to name a few.

Supporting the liver is important for an eczema sufferer because if the liver is not working at peak performance, the skin will suffer as a result.

Nutrients such as vitamin D, zinc and omega 3 supplements, which I have also written about are great for supporting the detoxification and elimination of toxins. However there are many other strong ingredients which can assist your liver in helping relieve any overload.

Some good ingredients to look out for in supplements are milk thistle, artichoke and dandelion root, to name just a few. You may find the ingredients listed on the labels only show the scientific name, for example milk thistle may be listed as 'Silybum Marianum seed'. So it is always worth checking out the ingredient list on the label for this reason and also to make sure there aren't any additives to your product.

As always, diet is the first method of keeping your body healthy.

Best foods to support your liver

  Avocados
  Apples
  Good oils such as hemp seed oil, flax seed oil and olive oil
  Leafy greens
  Grapefruit
  Teas such as green tea and dandelion root tea
  Broccoli and cauliflower
  Kale
  Lemons
  Turmeric

Environment

As fundamental as the diet is to our health, there are some other areas to consider when thinking about how to minimize the overload in the first place. Environmental factors such as allergens like pollen's and seeds or pollutants from the cities we live are just areas we cannot fix. However we have much more control within our own homes and should always be looking for ways to improve the amount of chemicals we are exposed to.

Some areas to look at are the water we drink and bathe in. Does it contain poisons such as chlorine or fluoride? If so, you are putting an extra burden on your skin and liver.

The quality of air you breathe is also very important especially for people with allergies or sensitivities to dust mites and animals (probably most eczema people!). Unfortunately we cant 'see' the quality of the air we breathe, which is why a good quality air purifier can do wonders for eczema and asthma sufferers. I will go into more detail on these in another article however.

Another area to examine is what are you putting onto your skin? Your skin is not plastic, it is a sponge and everything you put on your skin will be absorbed and have to be processed by your filters. A huge amount of skin products on the market contain many harmful and allergenic ingredients which will also compound the issue of liver overload so it is wise to become savvy with ingredient names and adjust your cosmetic collection accordingly.

Medications

Lastly, medications. There is much to be said about medications and their role to play in our era. The double edge sword is responsible for countless deaths and addictions, as well as countless saved lives. First it giveth, then it taketh it away!

Without getting into 'this' discussion, the main thing I want to convey here is that medication still needs to be eliminated from the body. Why? Because it is not required by the body, in a dietary sense. And so the person who takes medication, eats all the wrong foods, covers their skin with chemical laden products etc etc... you get where I'm going with this.

Your liver is going to suffer, big time. So evaluating your medicine cabinet to see what could possibly just be replaced by a clean lifestyle is definitely in the interest of everyone, including those with skin issues.

That being said, boosting the liver's ability to do the job is always going to be warmly received by your body and of the products I have tried, Mediherb and Livton Complex have proven the most effective and shown to be of a high quality. They also rate highly among their users.