Will The Paleo Diet Help My Child’s Eczema?

The paleo diet is one of the most popular diets among people who are trying to heal their lives of a variety of diseases from inflammation and obesity to mood and blood sugar level issues. This diet helps take our bodies back to basics by focusing on foods that are easy to digest and that don’t require the body to work hard to extract nutrients. Foods that have been processed, preserved, or that have inflammatory properties are avoided. The paleo diet has been shown to be helpful to people experiencing a wide variety of health concerns, but what can it do for kids who are dealing with eczema?

The main benefit of using the paleo diet to treat eczema is inflammatory control. Cutting out foods that are known to cause inflammation in the body can help dramatically cut down on how severe eczema flare ups are, or if they even happen at all. Since eczema and inflammation are closely related in many kids, this one aspect of the Paleolithic diet can create some pretty amazing changes.

Another aspect to the paleo diet that can help kids with eczema is the preservative and processing free aspect. This diet encourages people to cut out foods that may be rich in chemical preservatives, foods that have been prepared and stored for a long period of time, or foods that have been far removed from their natural form. Cutting these ingredients out can help give the immune system a break so that it can focus on more important things – like eczema flare ups. Many preservatives, artificial ingredients, flavorings, colorings, and dyes are known to trigger immune response – something that’s very unwelcome when eczema is a problem.

If you decide to try the paleo diet for your child with eczema, there are a few things you may want to keep in mind:

• Kids do better on special diets when the whole family participates. The paleo diet will exclude your child from enjoying many of their favorite foods, so getting everyone on board can help make them feel like they’re missing out a little less.
• A natural detoxification process can follow the beginning of any healthy diet. Your child may experience a few days of mild sickness, headaches, stomach aches, mood swings, or even catch a cold more easily. This is all a natural part of the body cleansing itself and it shouldn’t cause too much trouble.
• Going above and beyond to choose organic foods when using the paleo diet is extremely helpful. It’s counterproductive to cut out synthetic ingredients but still eat fruits and veggies that may have been contaminated with chemical pesticides.
• It’s a good idea to study several points of view about how to follow the paleo diet before you get started. There are several schools of thought, so find the one that fits best with your family’s needs.

Have you tried the paleo diet to help with your child’s eczema?
Share your experiences with us in the comments below!