have you ever wondered why the best doctors and Specialists never talk about the ideal diet for eczema this video breaks down everything you need to know about the top dietary practices for calming eczema from the perspective of a surgeon and gut microbiome specialist in this video I'll share some key highlights I've gained over 10 years of helping patients manage eczema these tips could be a GameChanger if you're battling stubborn flareups and want real solutions that work stay tuned you're not going to want to miss this [Music] hi I'm Dr chanas a surgeon focused on reversing inflammation driven by gut microbiome imbalances over the past 12 years I refined what we call the Mind gut immunity method which has helped thousands of patients overcome autoimmune disease and digestive disorders without relying on medication I know it might sound surprising but when you view autoimmune inflammation through the lens of gut health it's clear that gut microbiome dysfunction is often at the root if you're curious about how we do it and want to hear real success stories click the link in the description below or visit mgic clinic.com to schedule a discovery call I'll share some practical tips to get you started and you can explore our patient success stories for insights that you can apply to your own life let's dive in here's a 2022 study that  analyzes the role of nutrition in immun mediated skin diseases here's another study from 2024 that evaluates the effects of nutritional and dietary interventions in children with with eczema and another 2023 study that explores the relationship between the gut microbiome and eczema so in this  video we're going to explore the ideal diet for managing eczema whether you're dealing with persistent flareups or trying to keep your skin calm and clear finding the right foods can be challenging especially if you're looking to avoid harsh medications over the years I've helped many people reverse their eczema symptoms and reduce inflammation naturally without relying on creams or steroids but what makes their approach different many dermatologists might tell you that ezema is something you just have to live with offering temporary fixes that don't address the root cause or they'll give you a really strong medication with a lot of side effects from my own experience in research I can tell you that there's a lot of this advice that misses the mark in this video I'll share with you the best dietary strategies for eczema common mistakes to avoid and how to achieve lasting skin Health all right  first major point is the importance of phytonutrients there's a wealth of research showing how crucial phytonutrients are in managing and healing eczema here's a 2021 study on the relationships between the gut microbiome probio iotics and their interaction in the treatment of eczema this 2023 study analyzed the use of polyphenols as neutraceuticals for treating Dermatological conditions such as eczema and here's one from 2020 discussing coratin and its bioactive effects on inflammation oxidative stress and wound healing in eczema there are countless studies showing the impact of phytonutrients on skin health and inflammation especially in conditions like eczema I could spend hours diving into the science but let me give you a quick summary of why this really matters phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds found in foods like fruits vegetables and herbs that have been found to have a profound effect on reducing inflammation these include antioxidants flavonoids and other micronutrients that play a crucial role in skin Health when it comes to eczema optimizing your intake of these phytonutrients can make a huge difference in calming flares and soothing irritated skin phytonutrients  are divided into several key categories you have Tarpin phenols chlorophyll and prebiotics among others each of these groups supports your body's ability to  fight inflammation and maintain healthy skin unfortunately many people with eczema have a deficiency in these essential compounds which can disrupt the skin gut immune connection the goal is to maximize and diversify your phytonutrient intake from everyday foods and by doing this you give your body the tools it needs to combat the root causes of eczema eating a diet low in phytonutrients leaves you vulnerable to chronic inflammation and more severe flareups but on the flip side a diet rich in these compounds can help you reduce inflammation naturally I strongly recommend incorporating phytonutrients in every meal and think of every meal as an opportunity to nourish your skin hither your gut and support your immune system this is especially crucial for those struggling with eczema because the right foods can help balance your gut microbiome which is directly connected to your skin Health the bottom line is that phytonutrients can help modulate your body's response to inflammation giving you a better chance of managing eczema more effectively if your diet is lacking in these compounds it's no wonder that eczema symptoms persist a balanced gut microbiome is key to fighting skin inflammation and phytonutrients are a huge part of  achieving that balance second point is your nutritional needs and macronutrient counting over the past few years intermittent fasting has gained a reputation as a way to reduce inflammation but I'm here to tell you it's not all that it's cracked up to be especially when it comes to skin conditions like eczema fasting for extended periods of time isn't just ineffective it can also be harmful in fact a recent 2024 study shows that intermittent fasting increases the risk of cardiac death by staggering 91% people are literally putting their health at risk by not eating yet there are still plenty of folks even those dealing with eczema who believe that fasting is the right answer sure in the short term skipping meals might make you feel better because you're not feeding the pro-inflammatory bacteria in your gut but as the weeks and months go by problems start to emerge you could have muscle loss and weight loss thyroid dysfunction elevated stress hormones like cortisol sleep disturbances nutritional deficiencies that slow down healing and make inflammation worse that digestive issues like nausea and bloating that decrease appetite and severe and ongoing fatigue when these problems develop eating becomes even more challenging you might feel very bloaty gassy lethargic low on energy after meals and these symptoms can deter you from eating adequately in the future creating a vicious cycle that's difficult to break especially if you're underweight being underweight and that  means with a body mass index of 18 or lower can be particularly problematic you can easily calculate your BMI using this BMI calculator which is on our website by entering your height and weight if your BMI is below 18 and you have eczema then you're at serious risk and I've treated patients with BMI as low as 13 which is very severe when you have low BMI and eczema it means that your body is in a catabolic State breaking down protein rather than building it up which hinders your Skin's ability to heal the solution to fixing your gut microbiome and controlling eczema flareups isn't to avoid food it's to address the inflammation first and then maintain a balanced nourished diet many people give up on finding the right foods for the condition and end up skipping meals alt together which just makes the situation worse when it comes to figuring out ideal macronutrient  balance for eczema you want to focus on fats carbs and proteins if reducing inflammation is your goal I recommend getting about 50% of your daily calories from fat 25% from carbs and 25% from proteins while there isn't a specific study to back this up this ratio is based on my experience working with countless patients if you're going to lose weight lower carbs and fats while also increasing protein can help on the other hand if you need to gain weight bumping your overall calories and finding a better balance between carbs and fats is key tracking these macronutrients may take some effort but it's well worth it by dialing in your nutrition you can significantly improve your skin health and overall well-being in the long run the balance of macronutrients you consume fats carbs and proteins can have a huge impact on your gut microbiome which plays a critical role in managing eczema the  bacteria fungi in your gut thrive on sugars starches and fiber all of which are carbohydrates and here's the tricky part simple sugars like glucose and fructose fuel the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi making eczema flare-ups worse processed starches like those found in refined flour do the same but on the flip side if you have complex or resistant starches you promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and if you have more fiber you can selectively encourage good bacteria to thrive now I know this sounds complicated and you might just be thinking why not just cut out carbs alog together well that's  where the carnivore diet comes in this diet is basically all meat no fiber whatsoever and includes some electrolytes you have animal Meats which include red meat white meat organ meats and you also have fish and seafood this diet completely eliminates carbs including fiber lactose starches and sugars which is beneficial for eczema but unlike keto or low carb diets they might still include problematic carbs a strict carnivore approach Cuts them out totally if you follow the carnivore diet strictly you'll exclude all Dairy and fiber creating an environment in your gut where harmful bacteria can't Thrive because they have no sugar carbs or Fiber to feed on this approach can be especially useful during flare ups when inflammation is at its peak but here's the catch while the carnivore diet can be effective for short-term relief it's not a sustainable long-term solution for everyone the original paleo diet which evolved into the carnivore diet was actually more plant-based with the occasional meat which is more aligned with the phytonutrient diet for eczema that I advocate for so while going through carnivore might help reduce eczema inflammation during a flare it might not be the best strategy for long-term microbiome health and I have a full video dedicated to this topic so be sure to check it out if you're curious remember there are also other diets out  there that focus on eliminating certain carbs but it's all about finding the right balance that works out for you one approach some people look at for managing eczema is the specific carbohydrate diet the S aims to reduce inflammation by cutting out certain types of carbohydrates that are harder to absorb and tend to ferment in the gut leading to bacterial overgrowth and histamine production some of the allowed foods include meat and cheese and even Dairy you can also have certain types of vegetables and fruit you can also have nuts and seeds oil and certain oils and fats however the foods to exclude are grains and starchy vegetables and sugars and sweeteners you also have processed foods and certain legumes that you have to hold so one of the principles here is carbohydrate restriction and the SCD eliminates complex carbs like disaccharides and polysaccharides which can contribute to gut imbalances and flare-ups I've actually put together a full video comparing the SCD with the phytonutrient diet approach that I recommend for managing eczema from my experience for eczema it's far more effective to address the gut microbiome issues with targeted probiotics and then support them with a diverse array of phytonutrients the SAT diet lacks the Precision needed in often delivers inconsistent results now let's discuss  the low histamine diet this diet can help people who have eczema triggered by histamine intolerance which is when the body struggles to break down histamine causing symptoms like itching hives and skin inflammation you have certain allowed foods like fresh proteins and low histamine producing vegetables you also have certain fruits and Grains however there's three types of foods that are excluded one is high histamine foods like aged cheeses processed Meats fermented foods and alcohol another one is histamine releasing foods such as Tomatoes spinach eggplants and avocados and third you have foods that have amines in them that need to be excluded like bananas chocolates and nuts that compete for histamine breakdown for eczema sufferers this diet focuses on avoiding foods that can either contain or trigger the release of histamine in the body histamine is often the key player in eczema flareup so managing intake of these foods can be crucial  another important diet to look at is the low heavy metals diet heavy metals like Mercury lead arsenic nickel can accumulate in the body and exacerbate eczema symptoms by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation unfortunately there are a lot of foods nowadays with heavy metals so if you're looking at foods to include in the diet think of leafy greens certain types of fruit you have seeds and maybe even some garlic to detoxify some heavy metals beets are also good to support healthy liver function and detoxification but unfortunately many of the root vegetables are high in heavy metals the foods to avoiding include High Mercury items and non-organic produce processed foods the root veggies that I discussed earlier and aluminum containing products this diet focuses on supporting the body's natural detoxification Pathways by reducing exposure to common sources of heavy metals eczema patients especially dis hydratic eczema patients who are sensitive to environmental toxins may find Relief by following this protocol another diet that often comes  up for managing gut rated conditions like eczema is the low FODMAP diet this diet is specifically designed to limit certain fermentable carbohydrates that can trigger gut discomfort and inflammation and let me break it down for you most proteins are allowed but when it comes to vegetables and fruits you have to divide them according to whether they're low or high FODMAP low fod matat vegetables are allowed vegetables like carrots spinach zucchini bell peppers and low fod matat fruits such as strawberries blueberries oranges and Kiwis as far as grains are concerned anything without gluten would probably be okay and lactose-free Dairy alternatives are also allowed now the foods to exclude are all the high fmat Foods so apples pears mangoes cherries you also have veggies like garlic onions cauliflower and mushrooms legumes and pulses and dairy products as you can see there is some inconsistency in terms of the recommendations comparing this diet to all the previous ones I discussed you also want to avoid wheat barley and rye and sweeteners such as honey and high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and manitol so the rational now here is fod maps are short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine leading to fermentation and gut issues and these fermentable oligosaccharides are found in foods like wheat onion and garlic and you can have disaccharides like lactose containing products you can have monosaccharides like fructose Rich products like apples and honey and you have polyols which are sugar alcohols found in things like cherries and plums the elimination phase this diet for eczema involves eliminating all the high fmat foods for four to 6 weeks to see if you get symptom relief and there's a reintroduction phase where these foods are slowly reintroduced to identify specific triggers and tolerance levels  now you may be wondering there are so many diets that restrict carbs and fiber but which ones actually work for inflammation in the gut microbiome the issue with many of these diets is that they don't directly address the root cause which is gut microbiome dysfunction at the core you have a bacteria that processes carbohydrates leading to overgrowth in the production of harmful byproducts this overgrowth is common in conditions like sibo and candida resulting in elevated histamine levels inflammatory cyto kindes and symptoms like fatigue bloating brain fog and lethargy symptoms I've discussed in my other videos so you have a dysfunctional gut microbiome that's digesting carbs sugars and fiber leading to inflammation the diets I've discussed so far address the carbohydrate sugar and fat component but they don't tackle the root cause of the problem which is gut microbiome health and long term this is what matters essentially these diets are temporary fixes that delay the real issue kicking the can down the road the  third point I want to make is the ideal eczema diet should be microbiome specific simply avoiding carbs doesn't get to the heart of the issue gut microbiome dysfunction the only way to effectively manage this is with targeted phytonutrients and specialized probiotic formulations creating the perfect phyto diet requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of how the gut works this is why when the Mind gut immunity approach comes into play we start by recalibrating the gut microbiome with Precision probiotics these aren't your typical store-bought probiotics they're clinically backed and designed specifically for gut related issues you don't need High cfu counts multiple strains or even Refrigeration all you need are four precise strains that establish a protective bofilm in the gut helping to keep bad bacteria in check to maintain these healthy colonies phytonutrients are key and they're mostly found in plant-based Foods  inflammatory foods and the complex protein Theory certain proteins can also trigger immune responses leading to inflammation for instance some complex proteins can provoke flare ups so it's wise to be cautious with them but it's easy to go overboard take for example  vegan or strictly plant-based diet when it can be beneficial it might also be too extreme for some people the vegan diet is a plant-based regimen that excludes all animal products including meat Dairy cheese and honey it focuses on a variety of plant-based Foods to meet nutritional needs and here's a detailed summary the biggest Pitfall I see is many people who aren't consuming enough protein which leads to protein calorie Mal Nutrition a serious issue when you're trying to heal inflammation especially in the gut your body needs amino acids and protein should make up about 25% of your daily intake another Pitfall is relying too heavily on vegan or plant-based foods that are often loaded with unhealthy processed ingredients like fake Meats fake cheeses fake Dairy and additives with harmful chemicals this approach doesn't deliver the results my clients need a more balanced and sustainable approach could be considered in the Mediterranean diet  the Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of countries across the Mediterranean Sea it focuses on whole unprocessed Foods prioritizing plant-based ingredients healthy fats and lean proteins and here's a quick breakdown one limitation of the Mediterranean diet for Eczema is that it doesn't provide a reliable way for you to track phytonutrient intake additionally it's vital that 50% of your daily calories come from Omega fats which are crucial for maintaining gut microbiome Health while the Mediterranean diet features many beneficial Foods the inconsistency in nutritional tracking can lead to imbalances that hinder progress for my  clients we use a more precise approach for focusing on phytonutrient R diets we meticulously track carbs fats and proteins and micronutrients every single day to ensure that the diet is fully supported and optimizing the gut microbiome this level of targeting is essential for effectively managing autoimmune inflammation and promoting long-term healing from eczema now the  fourth concept is understanding and tracking your individual food sensitivities when it comes to managing eczema the right diet must take into account your personal food triggers I have an entire video dedicated to food sensitivity testing for eczema covering which tests are the most effective and how to interpret the results it's crucial for any diet to address personal food aversions sensitivities and allergies the simplest yet most effective way to track these triggers is by keeping a food diary and I know this might seem tedious but it's non-negotiable for all of our clients one thing to remember is that when you're experiencing a flare up almost every food might seem like it's a problem however as you heal you may be able to tolerate certain foods that were previously problematic this is why it's important to regularly Monitor and update your food sensitivities because they can change over time as your condition improves so the types of food  sensitivity tests and Allergy tests out there are one you have the skin prick test which is your traditional allergy test test the second is your serum IG test you also have a serum igg4 test which will check for sensitivities as opposed to allergies like the IG test and the newest test is a mediator release test that checks for sensitivities I frequently review these results for our clients and guide them through what the findings means for their diet and overall health if you're interested in a deeper dive into interpreting food sensitivity test for eczema I've got a detailed video on that topic as well in it I cover the different types of tests tests their advantages and disadvantages and the best times to get tested for instance it's usually not ideal to test during a flare up due to the high likelihood of false positives testing when you're in a more stable condition provides a clear picture of what's truly causing sensitivities in eczema and the last  diet I quickly mentioned is the autoimmune protocol there's lots of different foods out there that they tell you to avoid and rotate but it's not very specific in terms of avoiding sensitive Foods or increasing phytonutrient diversity it also doesn't do a whole lot to recalibrate the gut microbiome okay here  the recap on the four principles of the ideal eczema diet number one is a diet that's high in phytonutrients we like the phyto diet for eczema number two is the nutritional requirements and here we're talking about the carbs fats and proteins these are macronutrients number three is that the diet needs to address problems associated with microbiome dysfunction so it needs to be microbiome specific and number four you need to account for indiv idual food sensitivities at the  Mind immunity Clinic we spend considerable time developing custom plans for each individual based on these principles we also provide coaching to ensure accountability and compliance which is why we achieve consistently great results for eczema compared to practices focusing solely on medication we teach people how to manage their diet from home offering meal plans food guides recipes and grocery list we also make sure you're on the correct strains of probiotics this support ensures our clients are never lost and can manage their condition effectively from anywhere if you struggle with eczema and have found certain foods that help or certain foods that worsen your symptoms comment below I would love to hear about your experiences all right this wraps up this session be sure to check out my other videos comparing different diets to the phyto diet and see how they measure up if you found this video helpful please share it with others and don't forget to like And subscribe for more content such as this this is Dr Tron udas with a mind gun immunity Clinic thanks for watching and I'll see you next time [Music]

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