Flush Food Allergies and Relieve Rosacea

Anti-inflammatory GLA helps clear your skin and can even help relieve PMS.
Do you blush easily? Have small, red bumps on your face? Or irritated, crusty eyes? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have rosacea.
Up to 100 million people worldwide do, says the International Rosacea Foundation. Most at risk are people with fair skin, light-colored hair and eyes, particularly women between 30 and 60—especially if you’re undergoing perimenopause or menopause. It’s no wonder that rosacea is one of the leading topics on dermatology websites.
A chronic condition, rosacea occurs when hundreds of tiny dilated blood vessels become inflamed. Commonly undiagnosed, this inflammatory condition is easily mistaken for acne or eczema.
Sadly, rosacea has no cure. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat it—rosacea won’t clear up on its own and may eventually require surgery.
First off, use only gentle, natural cleansing agents on your skin—no cosmetics or facial care with alcohol.
Next, pay attention to when your face starts to flush. Stress, nutrient deficiencies, lack of sleep, anxiety, and infections are common triggers, as is simply eating a heavy meal. But I’m sorry to say that what brings on rosacea in one person may be very different for others.
Food Sensitivities?
While the underlying cause of this inflammatory facial condition eludes scientific research, I strongly suspect food allergies and sensitivities.
Certainly, experts have linked both high-glycemic carbohydrates—white bread, pasta, and sugary foods, as well as other recognized allergens in chocolate, citrus, fermented alcohol, malt, tomatoes, and yeast—with rosacea. And research published in Dermatology Online Journal shows that people with facial flushing and red spots target allergenic foods (dairy, gluten, sugar, and yeast) as culprits.
Aspartame and NutraSweet in sugar-free drinks, Jello, and other processed foods cause noticeable flushing in 30% of people with rosacea. Avoid these synthetic sweeteners—and watch facial redness fade!
Periodic detox can help relieve rosacea, as can eating plenty of whole foods, including sea vegetables. Herbs like milk thistle, which supports the liver, and nettle, which helps relieve allergies, are also useful.
GLA Fights Inflammation
What’s the surest way I’ve found to treat rosacea in my clinical practice? The anti-inflammatory omega-6 fat, gamma linoleic acid (GLA) works as well for rosacea as it does for eczema and other allergic skin reactions. It even relieves psoriasis and irritated, dry eyes.
To moisturize your skin from the inside out—and alleviate redness—take two softgel capsules of GLA-90 daily, preferably with meals, or as directed by a health care professional. Not only will your skin clear up, but you may also notice that PMS symptoms and hot flashes disappear.
A new study in Reproductive Health shows that GLA helps ease PMS—affecting 80 to 95% of women (35% of whom have severe enough symptoms to interfere with everyday activities). My patients happily report that, when they began taking GLA, their mood swings and cramping during their menstrual cycle disappeared.
What’s not to like about that?!
-Edge On Health, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman