Improving The Health Of America
We have all experienced occasional dry skin, or maybe a parched mouth after forgetting our water bottle. It’s not very pleasant, and can even be painful. But for some people, dry skin, mouth, and eyes are a daily burden. Skin cracks and bleeds, or eyes are chronically inflamed, or everyday meals become swallowing challenges. Vaginal dryness can greatly interfere with intimacy. All these tissues are particularly reliant upon moisture for proper functioning. But drinking healthy amounts of water and adhering to a nutritious diet may not be enough. There are many causes for excessive skin and mucous membrane dryness. Age can certainly contribute, but also many medications, autoimmune disorders (i.e. Sjögren’s Syndrome), inflammatory skin reactions, hormonal imbalances, and even diabetes can be to blame. People with problematic dry skin and mucous membranes are at greater risk for infections, tooth decay, chronic inflammation, eye (cornea) damage, and swallowing problems. In this issue of Terry Talks Nutrition, we are going to learn about an amazing berry and seed extract with published clinical studies that can make a world of difference for people with excessive skin and mucous membrane dryness.
Tags: 6, 7, 9, Dry eyes, Dry mouth, dry skin, Dry vagina, fatigue, Gastric ulcer, Hippophae rhamnoides, keratitis sicca, omega-3, Post-Menopausal dryness, Sea Buckthorn Oil (SBA 24), Sjögren’s Syndrome, Vaginitis, xerostomia
Q. Dear Terry, “I have very dry, scaly skin. I tried every kind of cream and even a doctor’s prescription. My mother had the same problem when she was living. Do you think this is hereditary and what can I do to moisturize my skin? — Donna L., Birmingham AL
A. Dear Donna, It’s always hard to say what’s hereditary or not. Sometimes we inherit a problem because we actually inherit the lifestyle of our parents. Perhaps your mother avoided fats, both good and bad, and in doing so, she could have been deficient in essential fatty acids, and you may have just adopted her eating pattern. I’m a big believer in using healthy fats in the diet. I would recommend 1-3 tablespoons a day of an extra virgin olive oil. You can use it in your food, on your salads or just take it directly off the spoon, like a supplement. You may not get all the oil you need, even when it’s on a salad or in your food. Therefore, you might want to add a couple tablespoons of a high quality coconut oil, again taking it off the spoon. Another supplement that I really like a lot for dry, scaly skin is a very high quality sea buckthorn oil in capsule form that can be taken as a daily supplement to nourish the skin. It also has wonderful benefits for improving the health of all mucous membranes, particularly dry eyes, dry mouth and dry vagina. And sea buckthorn oil has been clinically studied and shown effective for an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome. This disease causes very dry eyes and mouth, sometimes so severe it leads to ulcerations in the cornea of the eye and difficulty tasting/swallowing food. By improving the moisture level in the mucous membrane tissues, these symptoms can be much improved or even eliminated. Give the sea buckthorn oil at least 2 to 3 months to work. Even though you might see visible changes in your skin before that, you will see more improvements as you use it longer. Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally
Tags: coconut oil, Dry eyes, Dry mouth, dry skin, Dry vagina, essential fatty acids, extra virgin oil, fats, moisturized skin, mucous membranes, scaly skin, Sea Buckthorn oil, skin rashes