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 layer. The dermis is the middle layer of the skin. Underneath the dermis lies the hypodermis, which is usually the thickest. The hypodermis is a subcutaneous fat layer.
Your skin has several functions: it regulates body temperature, perceives pain, and helps fight against bacteria and germs that enter the body and bloodstream.
The epidermis produces new skin cells, replacing older ones, to form 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.
It’s a good idea to mention oil glands. They’re also known as sebaceous glands, and they are part of the dermis. These glands make sebum, which lubricates the skin and hair.
Correlation between Vitamin Deficiencies and Inflammatory Skin Diseases
Psychological, physiological, and environmental conditions can be stressors that lead to severe inflammatory skin conditions.
Vitamin deficiencies can also wreak havoc on the body.
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 have exposed a likely correlation or a partial involvement between vitamin D deficiencies and psoriasis, allergic conditions of the skin, and other inflammatory and autoimmune activities.
- As with vitamin D, new research reveals a strong correlation between vitamin C and skin health. Lack of vitamin C in the skin leads to poor wound healing. When vitamin C levels get severely low, it can lead to keratotic follicular papules. Vitamin C acts as a factor in stabilizing the collagen structure in the dermis.
Considering the effects of deficiencies, it’s important to understand the role of vitamins for skin.
Even in cases where there isn’t a specific deficiency problem, some people still explore options like vitamin C benefits for skin, or vitamins for skin health in general. This can often be incorporated into your skincare routine by selecting vitamin-enriched products.
Amino Acids Role in Health
The human body utilizes amino acids to synthesize proteins that facilitate the breakdown of food for nutrient absorption, support growth, repair body tissue, produce 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, 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 legumes such as beans.
These three types of 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.
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 metabolic disturbances, which can help identify underlying diseases or conditions. Allergy skin tests can indicate if there is an allergic reaction to food or environmental toxins.
There are many causes of skin inflammation. However, most are not life-threatening —though they may be uncomfortable and unattractive to look at. Topical ointments may be used to treat mild rashes. 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, approximately 7.5 million Americans suffer from eczema and dermatitis, while another 7.5 million suffer from psoriasis. 12.5 million adults have seborrheic dermatitis (which includes dandruff). Clearly, you are not alone. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment, nor should you look for such a treatment.
One should always remember that diet is a crucial factor in maintaining the body’s health. 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 address your health concerns. 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 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 experiencing rashes, the team at Androgenix can help identify the issue and provide a workable treatment plan.
