Rosacea
Rosacea
It may come in handy when you’re making like Santa Claus, but this chronic skin condition usually leaves you anything but jolly. rosacea causes the nose and cheeks to suddenly turn beet red, often after eating spicy foods, drinking alcohol or a hot beverage or being out in hot weather.
While its cause is unknown, rosacea affects about 5 percent of the population, most often women between ages 30 and 40. It can cause permanent redness of the skin, sometimes with tiny pustules that resemble acne. In men, it can lead to a reddened, bulbous nose, à la W. C. Fields. Generally, a lengthy antibiotic treatment can suppress symptoms. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help those with rosacea, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When...
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Food Therapy
“Don’t drink alcohol, because it makes rosacea worse,” says Allan Magaziner, D.O., a nutritional medicine specialist and head of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He explains that alcohol causes blood vessels in the skin to dilate, making rosacea much more noticeable. For the same reason, he says, it’s also wise to avoid hot beverages and hot or spicy foods. Instead, Dr. Magaziner suggests that you try eating more dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, asparagus and spinach. He points out that these foods are high in vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids, which can improve rosacea by strengthening capillaries and boosting the immune system. (For other food sources of vitamin A and vitamin C, see “Getting What You Need” on page 142.)
Juice Therapy
Both apple and dark grape juices may be beneficial to those suffering from rosacea, says John Peterson, M.D., an Ayurvedic practitioner in Muncie, Indiana. Drink the juices at room temperature and at a time other than mealtime, he advises. And, he says, you can dilute the juices with water if they taste too strong.
For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.