Dandruff is well known to everybody. The “snowstorm” effect comes from chronic scaling of the skin of the scalp and eyebrows caused by inflammation similar to that of psoriasis.

Dandruff is very noticeable externally, and is normally considered to be entirely cosmetic. It is normally treated with anti-dandruff shampoos and other applied agents.

These treatments almost never work, and are a further example of the fact that applied potions and lotions will not help against skin problems, nearly always caused by nutritional deficiencies and imbalances.

There are a large number of possible causes of dandruff, any of which could cause the problem, but there is usually a combination of causes.

¨      Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Excessive oil production.

¨      Diet

Insufficient green vegetables

Excess refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar

Excess alcohol, straining the liver

Citrus fruits

Excess animal protein

¨      Allergies

Milk products

Wheat

Citrus fruits

¨      Fats and oils

Most Important: Deficiency or imbalance in essential fatty acids

Excess saturated fats

Excess hydrogenated fats (the type found in most margarines and ready meals)

Excess fried foods

¨      Vitamin and mineral deficiency

Vitamins A, E and the B complex

Zinc

¨      Toxin build-up caused by:

Poor digestion (incomplete breakdown of proteins)

Poor elimination

Poor liver condition

Poor kidney condition

Poor lymphatic drainage caused by lack of physical activity

¨      Fungal infections, internal and external

¨      Nutritional deficiencies caused by poor digestion

You could have a diet very high in essential nutrients, but if your digestion is poor, you will not absorb them. Fats and oils are particularly difficult to digest, and are extremely important to skin condition.

And you thought this was an external problem, needing only shampoos and lotions to treat it?

Skin, hair and nail problems, except for contact dermatitis caused by chemicals, are always a sign of something nutritionally wrong, and should be taken as a warning that correction is needed.

Remember; poor skin condition will be repeated in internal tissues.

Treatment

Diet

A diet low in sugars and other refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white pasta, is essential. Burnt fats and oils, as in fried foods, and hydrogenated oils, found listed in many factory-made foods and margarines, don’t help. Milk products and citrus fruits are the main foods that cause intolerance reactions in the body, and need avoiding.

Chemical sensitivity is another assault on the body, and there is a wide and highly assorted mixture of things in this category. The main materials involved are alcohol, caffeine and food colours, sweeteners and flavours.

All these substances are toxic, and have to be detoxified by the liver, in ascending order of severity:

¨    Alcohol; this is the least toxic of the chemical toxins, but also the one consumed in largest amount, and therefore in many cases has the greatest total effect.

¨    Caffeine; this is rather more toxic than alcohol, but even heavy coffee drinkers don’t consume as much as many regular consumers of alcohol. It does, however, rank high in the list of substances attacking the liver.

¨    Food additives; preservatives, colours, sweeteners and flavours are extremely toxic, and if consumed in the same amount as alcohol could probably kill in one sitting. Fortunately, they are present in extremely small amounts, measurable in parts per million, but constant consumption strains the liver and can cause many health problems.

In order to avoid all the above toxins, it is necessary to follow a diet low in alcohol, low in caffeine (no more than four cups of tea per day), free of coffee, and free from manufactured foods unless the labels clearly state that the products are free from anything other than the food; e.g. peas in water, various pulses in water, wild-caught salmon in water. If any additives whatsoever are listed, the foods should be avoided.

Eat organic foods wherever possible.

Nutritional Supplements

Certain micronutrients are more important than others for skin condition. These are mainly vitamin A, zinc and the B vitamins. These will all be supplied adequately by a high-strength multivitamin/multimineral, supplying at least the following :

¨    B Complex 50mg strength; this will supply 50mg of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, PABA, choline and inositol, and also 100μg of folic acid and 50μg of B12.

¨    A further intake of at least 1000μg of vitamin B12 is advisable.

¨    Zinc 10mg.

¨    Biotin 1000μg is of great importance in all skin conditions.

Essential Fatty Acids

There is always some debate about which nutritional supplements are of most importance to us for any bodily condition. There is now growing evidence that the essential fatty acids are far more important to health than has ever been realised.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are not only important in the structure of every cell wall in the body, but also produce prostaglandins, hormone-like substances which control many functions in the body, including inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The amazing thing to many people is that they can also help burn bodily fat.

From the point of view of dandruff and other skin conditions, their importance is in their role in the integrity of all cell walls; insufficient EFAs cause cell breakdown, with the obvious external sign of flaking skin. So, keep EFA balance right; eat plenty of fish, preferably oily, and seeds, or take supplements that supply the proper balance. The best “artificial” supply is probably organic flaxseed oil, liquid or in capsules.

One last nutritional item; lecithin, preferably in the form of granules, contains two vitamin-like substances, choline and inositol, with effects similar to EFAs.

Herbal

A number of herbs help detoxification:

Liver

¨    Milk thistle is probably the most powerful aid to liver detoxification, and also helps to regenerate a damaged liver.

¨    Artichoke is another powerful liver detoxifier, and aids digestion.

¨    Dandelion root aids detoxification.

Kidneys

Dandelion root and leaves aid toxin elimination through the kidneys.

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