Androgenix Blog

What is the body’s largest organ?

It might surprise you to think of your skin as an organ. Indeed, it plays a vital role in the health and well-being of the body and is considered an organ. “The skin plays important barrier and immune functions, maintaining homeostasis between the external environment and internal tissues. It is composed of two major layers: epidermis and dermis.” The epidermis is the top layer of the skin and is the thinnest. The dermis is the middle layer of the skin and is the thickest.

Your skin has several functions: it regulates temperature, it perceives pain and helps fight against bacteria and germs entering the body and the bloodstream. The epidermis makes new skin cells replacing older skin cells forming a new covering approximately every 30 days. The dermis helps the body sweat through sweat glands and finally supplies nutrients to the epidermis through blood vessels. The dermis has collagen, a protein that makes the skin cells strong and resilient. The roots of hair follicles are found in the dermis as well. Additionally, in the dermis, oil glands help regulate the absorption of water into the skin.

Correlation between Vitamin Deficiencies and Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Psychological, physiological, and environmental conditions are stressors that can cause severe inflammatory skin conditions. Vitamin deficiencies can wreak havoc on the body as well. For example:

• A lack of vitamin B12, is associated with hematologic, neurologic, psychiatric, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and cardiovascular conditions.
• While in the past, vitamin D deficiencies were not associated with inflammatory skin diseases, recent studies are exposing a likely correlation or a partial involvement between vitamin D deficiencies and psoriasis, allergic conditions of the skin and other inflammatory and autoimmune activity.
• As with vitamin D, new research reveals a strong correlation between vitamin C and skin health. Lack of vitamin C found in the skin leads to poor wound healing, subcutaneous bleeding (bruises and contusion of the skin), and a thickening of the outer layer of the epidermis. Vitamin C acts as a factor in stabilizing the collagen structure in the dermis.

 Amino Acids Role in Health

The human body uses amino acids to make proteins that help the body break down food for nutrient absorption, assist in growth, and repair body tissue, make hormones and brain neurotransmitters, maintain healthy skin, build muscle and more. Additionally, amino acids can be used as a source of energy. For this reason, many trainers will use amino acids to help athletes.

There are three types of amino acids:

• Essential: these amino acids can only be absorbed through the intake of food
• Nonessential: these types of amino acids can be produced by the body
• Conditional: these amino acids are not generally needed except in times of illness or severe stress

Foods called complete proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids and include poultry, beef (a limited amount), fish, eggs, dairy, and soy. There are more foods, but these are the basics. Foods that contain partial essential amino acids include nuts, seeds, and beans.

These three types amino acids are significant in the well-being of an individual’s skin health. For example, some types of skin ulcers (pressure ulcers) require additional conditional amino acids as the body is unable to produce the amount of conditional amino acids to heal the ulcer.

“Amino acids significantly impact the appearance of the skin. Amino acids are important nutrients required for (a) wound healing promotion and repair of the damaged skin; (b) acid-base balance and water retention in cellular layers, such as stratum corneum; (c) protection against sunlight damage; (d) maintenance of an appropriate skin microbiome.

What to do if you have Skin Inflammation

It is crucial to have all skin conditions properly diagnosed and treated. Because inflammation of the skin may represent infection, allergic reactions, psoriasis, and other skin conditions– self-diagnosis is not recommended. Blood tests can reveal a metabolic disturbance, which can identify if there is an underlying disease or condition. Allergy skin tests can indicate if there is an allergic reaction to food or environmental toxins. A skin biopsy (a scraping) may be necessary to rule out other conditions.

If you are suffering from skin inflammation and it is accompanied by fever, swelling, redness, and rashes, you should see a doctor immediately. If you are experiencing a drop in blood pressure, rapid heart rate, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and the inflammation of the skin area, you should go to the ER.

There are many causes of skin inflammation. However, most are not life-threatening– though they may be uncomfortable and unattractive to see. Sometimes topical ointments may be used to resolve a slight rash. Regardless, persistent skin inflammation usually requires medical attention. Do not let shame over the appearance of a skin inflammation stop you from living your life. According to the Harvard Health Newsletter, 7.5 million Americans suffer from eczema, and dermatitis, with another 7.5 million suffering from psoriasis. 12.5 million adults have seborrheic dermatitis (which includes dandruff). Clearly, you are not alone. There is no one-size-fits-all treatments, nor should you look for such a treatment.

One should always remember that diet is a critical factor in the health of the body. What you drink, what fruits you eat, and what proteins you consume can all assist in the body’s ability to fight inflammatory skin disease.

Androgenix Advanced Health and Wellness Center is poised to help you sort out your health issues. The services provided at our facility are supervised by our medical doctor and assisted by qualified staff. If you believe you are suffering from a vitamin deficiency, or if you are lacking energy and drive, schedule a visit to speak with one of our caring staff members. Whether your hormone levels are low, or your body is suffering from rashes, etc., the team at Androgenix can help sort it out and provide you with a workable treatment plan.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21901-epidermis#:~:text=The%20epidermis%20and%20the%20dermis,the%20thickest%20layer%20of%20skin.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10978-skin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5997090/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm#:~:text=The%20human%20body%20uses%20amino,Repair%20body%20tissue
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01090076
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32761577/