Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Eczema Ayurvedic Diet

Eczema, a skin disorder that results in scaly rashes, is a chronic issue that can cause much itching and discomfort. The causes of eczema vary. Likewise treatments for eczema differ according to the stage of eczema. As an alternative, Ayurvedic treatments for eczema are available, which involve no drugs or chemicals of any kind. Ayurvedic medicine and nutrition is a traditional form of medicine and nutrition from India, which attempts to heal through natural means. Note that the effectiveness of this type of diet is not scientifically validated.


Overall Diet


According to an article entitled, "Herbal and Ayurvedic Cures for Eczema Treatment", the way to manage eczema is through an Ayurvedic diet. The Ayurvedic school of thought suggests that eczema is a symptom of bad digestion or constitution, so one way of treating eczema is through a change in diet. With this diet, avoid tart foods like yogurt, tomatoes, pickles, and tamarind. Lemon, however, is not classified as a sour food in the Ayurvedic system. Also avoid salt.


Ghee, or Indian clarified butter, is commonly used for Indian cooking, and Ayurveda recommends cooking only with ghee and not oil. You can find ghee through online Indian grocery stores and at local Indian, Middle Eastern and whole foods stores. Also recommended for eating is turmeric, a common Indian spice often used in curries and sauces. Turmeric also can be found easily at Indian groceries.


Legumes like peanuts and many beans are heavy and slow down digestion, so avoid these foods. Green lentils, however, are easy to digest and can be consumed. Avoid animal foods like mutton, chicken and fish.


Foods that will help get rid of eczema include leafy greens like spinach, cabbage and cauliflower.


Natural Food Topical Remedies


Ayurvedic medicine also recommends numerous food ingredient mixtures to apply topically to your eczema for healing and relief. One treatment is made from grinding whole nutmeg into powder form and then adding water to make a paste. You can then apply the paste to the rash. Applying pure coconut oil is also helpful for clearing up eczema. Simply keep the inflamed area area moist until the rash clears up.


Another helpful topical cure is a linseed poultice, made by mixing equal parts water with lime juice in it with linseed oil.


Neem is a tree found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other areas. If you can find neem, neem is said to be beneficial in treating eczema and good for the skin in general, according to Ayurvedic practitioners. Neem leaves can be applied to eczema, and neem oil can be applied directly onto the affected area. In Ayurveda, neem is considered anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, and moisturizing and is included in many cosmetic and toiletry products in India, such as toothpaste, mouthwash and lotion. You can find neem in many online natural medicine and herbal stores, as well as in Indian groceries. There have been no clinical trials which have proven the efficacy of neem, however.

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