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On the other hand, those in the control group (50 individuals) who reported eczema problems said that their skin condition got about 33 percent worse after following diets of their own choosing. Interestingly, both groups reported nearly the same level of skin trouble at the beginning of study. "While the individuals on the Food Intolerance Test diet consistently performed better than the control group in all disease-symptom categories, eczema was the only condition in which the control group actually reported worse symptoms while on diets of their own choosing." said Dr. Kaats, director of the Health and Medical Research Foundation, an independent research organization in San Antonio.
For the past several decades many researchers from around the world, all known for their special interest in atopic eczema, have independently described the value of food intolerance as a therapy for chronic skin conditions. Among them, Dr. Alfred Rowe in 1951 found a correlation between food allergies and atopic dermatitis in infants and children. In 1966, Dr. G. Hagerman examined the importance of food factors in atopic dermatitis. In 1978, Dr. P. Juto found a strict elimination diet effective in the treatment of infantile atopic eczema. Michael Pike, Research Fellow, Institute of Child Health, London, found a measurable improvement in skin problems using elimination diets.
He said: "These data do provide evidence that, in at least some individuals with atopic eczema, ingestion of certain foods will provoke a reaction of some kind, be it eczematous or urticaria. We are often asked by skeptical [sic] colleagues, "Do you really believe all this 'food business'?" It remains one of the sadder aspects of mainstream medicine that we should see such an important problem as a question of "belief" or "non-belief." What is actually needed is an open, inquiring attitude, and careful, critical investigation. By failing to study the relationship between foods and atopic eczema, we might deny ourselves the opportunity of understanding and thus eventually overcoming this common and distressing disease.
Medical experts who recognise food intolerance believe in this therapy as an effective option for many skin condition sufferers. "There is growing evidence that what goes into the mouth can produce a reaction in the skin, and that food is an important factor." says Dr. Brostoff.
Dr. Stephen Schimpf, the preventive medicine and immunotherapy doctor who treated Austria's Olympic skiers, said that by eliminating intolerant foods, in accordance with test results, one patient with severe psoriasis was cured of all his allergic-like symptoms including severe itching and skin so hot at night that he couldn't sleep. "Now he's able to get a good night's sleep. We've seen many patients' allergic-like symptoms go away when they eliminate their allergenic foods."
No discussion of fat or overweight would be complete without some reference to cellulite. So poorly understood, and yet so hated, cellulite is the result of modem lifestyles to a great extent. According to Dr. Elizabeth Dancey in her book The Cellulite Solution, 95% of women have or believe they have cellulite.
It is hard to believe that there is as yet no known cure for a condition that affects such a large segment of the population. Since no established medical treatment protocol exists, most physicians avoid treating cellulite. Cellulite is found only in fatty tissue. But one does not have to be overweight to have cellulite. Cellulite in women most frequently appears on the hips, buttocks, and thighs. Men will tend to develop cellulite on the upper body.
Fat storage in the body is controlled by special receptors in each fat cell. These receptors are called alpha2 receptors. Various hormones may stimulate alpha2 receptors and open the doors into the fat cell to allow the deposit of more fat into the cell. The most prominent of these hormones is insulin. Insulin in the blood encourages more fat to be deposited into storage. On the other hand beta-receptors open the figurative back door of the fat cells to allow fat out into the bloodstream. Hormones that stimulate the beta-receptors are thyroxin and adrenaline. As Dr. Dancey poignantly points out in her book, "not all fat is created equal".
In women the fat cells around the hips, thighs, and buttocks have six times as many alpha2 receptors as beta-receptors. This implies that fat can be stored six times as fast as it can be released from these areas. Many women will attest to this truth. Elsewhere in the body there are six times as many beta-receptors as alpha2 receptors. This means fat will be lost six times as fast from these areas. Therefore, physiologically, if fat is to be gained, it will most likely show in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. And when fat is lost, it will come from the upper body in most women. This is truly the worst of both worlds and explains a lot. No matter the reason for the weight gain, the overweight will appear on the hips, thighs, and buttocks of most women and on the upper body on men. Find out and eliminate your reactive foods.
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