If you suffer from chronic eczema, you probably thought about the correlation between eczema and diet many times. And it is likely that you are staying away from the foods commonly identified as allergens: dairy, peanuts, soy, etc. The idea of completely overhauling your entire diet to 100% raw or paleolithic might have occurred to you. But all the information on what is the best diet for eczema can be confusing and downright contradictory.
Rather than not taking any action, it is always better to take small steps towards changing your diet, one food at a time. Drinking a glass of carrot juice once a day is a simple way to set things in motion. It is not expensive, takes little time to prepare, and the health benefits are endless.
What are some of the ways drinking carrot juice help reduce your eczema?
1. Improve skin health
Betacarotene is an organic compound and a substance in carrots that colors them orange. It is considered a pro-vitamin because it can be converted to active vitamin A. Vitamin A is a well-known aid in skin health, by reducing inflammation and bacteria on the surface of the skin. Since vitamin A deficiency is linked to dryness and damage to the skin, supplementing your diet with carrot juice every day is a good way to counter dry skin that inevitably causes itchiness.
2. Improve vision
You might wonder what improving vision has anything to do with eczema and diet, but people with atopic eczema have a higher chance of getting cataracts. The constant rubbing of the eyes can also cause a condition called keratoconus, which thins the shape of the cornea. Foods high in betacarotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E are all antioxidants that are related to cataract prevention and reversal.
It is easy to prepare carrot juice. You don’t need to get fancy and buy them organic, although that would be the best. Just get a regular bag of carrots, give them a light scrub (peeling is not recommended as many of the nutrients are contained in the top layer), cut off the stems, and juice them. About 4 to 6 carrots (approximately 6 inches in length) make an 8 oz. glass of juice. It should be drank immediately.
One word of caution: it is not good to drink large amounts of carrot juice in a day. Over-consumption of carotene can lead to your skin turning yellow-orange, a condition know as carotenoderma. Limit your consumption to 8 to 16 ounces a day, and no more than 8 oz. in one sitting.
