Experts say the right diet may be the key to treating skin disorders.

Up to 90 per cent of Australians - or 18 million people - will suffer from skin ailments at some time in their lives, including acne, eczema, skin cancer and psoriasis , according to figures from the Australasian College of Dermatologists. Almost one-quarter of children have eczema, compared with about 10 per cent a decade ago and about 85 per cent will have acne. Although most acne clears after adolescence, up to 20 per cent of adults may continue to be affected.

It is no surprise, then, that the medicated skin care market is experiencing unprecedented growth, but some practitioners believe what we put inside our bodies is more important than smearing our skin with expensive treatments. Nutritionist and author Patrick Holford says: "Your skin is affected by how well you are internally and is therefore a remarkable barometer of your overall health. Getting your body's systems working optimally is crucial to addressing skin problems. Diet is key - eating foods that nourish your body while limiting those that contribute no nutritional value is important."

Many skin conditions are thought to be a reflection of hormone imbalances and the inability to absorb nutrients and eliminate the byproducts of digestion. Helen Sher, founder of the natural skin care company Sher, says: "The majority of our clients have been on courses of antibiotics to banish spots and rosacea, but this is not a long-term solution." She points out that antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as bad, which can damage the digestive and immune systems.

In the case of rosacea (an inflammatory condition that affects 45 million people worldwide, in which the face becomes flushed and itchy), there is evidence that many sufferers produce insufficient stomach acid and the resultant incomplete digestion of food is the main factor.

If skin disorders are the body's way of expressing its imbalances, then treating a skin problem using topical creams and gels is the equivalent of applying a hot flannel to the tip of an iceberg. Robin Logan, author of The Homoeopathic Treatment Of Eczema, explains why it is important to view the body as a whole: "Suppressing eruptions [topically] can lead to the development of more serious internal complaints. This is typically seen in the eczema/asthma syndrome."

According to Michael Franklin, founder of Britain's Allergy and Nutrition Centre, food allergies play a considerable part in many skin complaints. "Psoriasis is usually extremely difficult to treat, yet if more patients and practitioners knew of the links with bowel toxicity, there would be fewer problems. Liver detoxification is an important part of treatment. With rosacea, a lack of B vitamins may play a role."

Not everyone subscribes to the idea of treating your biggest organ from the inside out. Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, says: "In general, diet has little influence on skin, though there are a few exceptions. Alcohol and spicy foods seem to make rosacea worse.

"As for acne, there is some evidence that foods with a high glycaemic index [which measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels] may worsen the condition in some people."

What to avoid

Dr Jonathan Wilkin, of Britain's National Rosacea Society, says foods that might trigger flare-ups include liver, yoghurt, cheese (except cottage cheese), chocolate, vanilla, vinegar, spicy foods, coffee or tea.

The most documented reactive foods for eczema sufferers are milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, seafood and seeded fruits. Nutritionist Patrick Holford suggests that with skin complaints you should limit your intake of sugary foods, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) and anything fried.

What to eat

The skin is the last place nutrients will arrive after they have serviced the rest of your body so it is vital to get enough of the things we know help the skin to heal and regenerate.

Proper hydration is vital to a healthy system. Helen Sher recommends drinking six or seven glasses of water daily. Vitamins C and E are important for skin health - mainly as antioxidants - so include organic fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially black grapes and blueberries. Apricots, oranges, peppers, carrots, strawberries and broccoli are rich in the carotenoid pigments, which your body converts to vitamin A.

Nutritionist and author Michael van Straten says: "Carrot juice is bursting with beta carotene; one glass a day, fresh if possible, works wonders for the skin and is a powerful antioxidant."

The naturopathic nutritionist Charlotte Fraser suggests increasing your intake of essential fatty acids to help treat dry skin conditions and acne. Eczema and psoriasis sufferers will benefit from the anti-inflammatory effect of omega 3 found in oily fish.

Evening primrose oil is a source of gamma linoleic acid, which promotes healthy skin, hair and nails.

The most important B vitamin for the skin is biotin, which is found in bananas, eggs and rice. Zinc deficiency can be a factor in psoriasis and acne. Good sources of zinc are sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

專家們說正確的飲食有望是治療皮膚病症的關鍵。

根據澳大利亞大學皮膚病學者的數字統計：在澳大利亞，90%的人(1千800萬)在他們的生活中都會碰到一些皮膚問題。包含痤瘡，濕疹，皮膚癌和牛皮癬。和前十年相比
，現在近1/4的兒童患有濕疹(十年前隻有10%)

，近85%患有痤瘡。大多數痤瘡在青春期過會都會消失
，然而仍會有20%的成年會一直受到感染。

yaowuxingpifuhulishichangzhengkongqiandizengchangyebuzuweiqile，danyixiecongyezhexiangxin，hehuadalianghulituzaipifushangdedongxixiangbi，womenchijinqudedongxigengweizhongyao。yingyangshijianzuozhepatelikehuofuwushuo：你吃的東西的好壞影響著你的皮膚，因此皮膚也是你健康的“晴雨表”。讓你的身體係統更好地工作對解決皮膚問題至關重要。飲食是關鍵---吃對你的身體健康有利的食物
，控製攝入沒營養價值的食物這一點很重要。

荷爾蒙分泌不平衡，營養物質無法吸收和消化的副作用都認為和許多皮膚問題有關。自然皮膚護理公司的創始人海倫說：我wo們men的de大da多duo數shu客ke戶hu都dou使shi用yong抗kang生sheng素su來lai除chu斑ban和he紅hong斑ban痤cuo瘡chuang，但dan這zhe並bing不bu是shi一yi個ge長chang期qi可ke行xing的de辦ban法fa。她ta指zhi出chu這zhe些xie抗kang生sheng素su類lei的de藥yao殺sha掉diao有you害hai細xi菌jun的de同tong時shi也ye會hui殺sha掉diao有you益yi菌jun體ti
，這zhe樣yang就jiu會hui破po壞huai消xiao化hua和he免mian疫yi係xi統tong。

紅斑痤瘡這一例(世界範圍內有4千5百萬人感染這一種紅腫的症狀，它會使臉發燙，發癢)有證據表明胃酸不足繼而引發的食物消化不完全是主要因素。

如果皮膚疾病是身體表明其失調的一個方式
，那麼僅片麵地使用局部性的藥膏無異於隔靴搔癢。<濕疹順勢療法>的作者羅賓羅根解釋了把身體看作一個整體的重要性：抑製出疹(局部性)會導致更為嚴重的內部問題。最典型的就是濕疹/哮喘綜合症.

英國過敏症與營養中心的創始人富蘭克林說
，食物過敏在許多的皮膚病症中扮演著一個重要角色。“tongchanglaishuo，niupixuanshihennanzhiliaode。yaoshixuduobingrenhecongyedounengzhidaozheyibingzhengyuchangduyouguan
，yexuwentijiushaoyixiele。liyongganzangjiedushizhiliaodeguanjian。zhiyuhongbancuochuang，zhuyaozeshiweishengsuB缺乏所致。”

僅一部分人同意徹底治愈需從內部著手。英國皮膚專家協會的裏娜高德說：“大體來說，飲食對我們的皮膚並沒有多大的影響。但也有一些特例。像酒精和辛辣食物就會使紅斑痤瘡惡化
；關於痤瘡,有證據說明,含高血糖指數(即衡量碳水化合物對血液中葡萄糧含量作用的物質)的食物會加重此症狀.”

我們不應該吃什麼

英國國家紅斑痤瘡學社的強納森博士說，諸如肝髒

，酸奶，起司(脫酯起司除外)
，巧克力
，香草，醋，辛辣食物，咖啡和茶都有可能惡化病症。

記(ji)載(zai)最(zui)多(duo)的(de)治(zhi)療(liao)濕(shi)疹(zhen)的(de)食(shi)物(wu)包(bao)括(kuo)牛(niu)奶(nai)，雞(ji)蛋(dan)，堅(jian)果(guo)
，黃(huang)豆(dou)，麥(mai)皮(pi)，海(hai)產(chan)和(he)有(you)籽(zi)水(shui)果(guo)。營(ying)養(yang)學(xue)家(jia)帕(pa)特(te)裏(li)克(ke)建(jian)議(yi)我(wo)們(men)應(ying)該(gai)控(kong)製(zhi)攝(she)入(ru)糖(tang)類(lei)食(shi)物(wu)，精(jing)煉(lian)碳(tan)水(shui)化(hua)合(he)物(wu)(像精麵麵包)和油炸類食品。

我們應該吃什麼

皮膚是營養物質的最後一站。因此我們有必要了解足夠的信息來使皮膚重新煥發光彩。

適當的水分攝入對於健康係統很是重要。海倫推薦每天飲用6-7杯水。維C和維E作zuo為wei抗kang氧yang化hua劑ji都dou對dui皮pi膚fu健jian康kang很hen重zhong要yao。因yin此ci多duo吃chi有you機ji水shui果guo和he蔬shu菜cai特te別bie是shi紅hong葡pu萄tao和he藍lan莓mei很hen好hao。杏xing
，橙cheng，辣la椒jiao
，胡hu蘿luo卜bu，草cao莓mei和he花hua棷棷菜cai富fu含han類lei胡hu蘿luo卜bu素su
，它ta能neng在zai體ti內nei轉zhuan化hua是shi維weiA。

營養學家兼作者麥可說：胡蘿卜汁含有很多BETA胡蘿卜素，每天一杯，新鮮的更好，它富含抗氧化物質，對營養肌膚很有效。
自然療法營養學家卡洛特建議每天適當增加脂肪酸的攝入對於皮膚幹燥和痤瘡的治療很有效用。濕疹和牛皮癬則應該多攝入OMEGA-3這種存在於魚油中的元素。

夜來香油是GAMMA亞油酸的主要來源，它對皮膚，頭發和指甲都有好處。

對皮膚最為重要的B族維他命要數生物素了，它在在於香蕉，雞蛋和大米裏。缺鋅是引發牛皮癬和痤瘡的一個因素。富含鋅的食物有芝麻，葵花籽和南瓜籽