Experts say the right diet may be the key to treating skin disorders.

Up to 90 per cent of Australians - or 18 million people - will suffer from skin ailments at some time in their lives, including acne, eczema, skin cancer and psoriasis , according to figures from the Australasian College of Dermatologists. Almost one-quarter of children have eczema, compared with about 10 per cent a decade ago and about 85 per cent will have acne. Although most acne clears after adolescence, up to 20 per cent of adults may continue to be affected.

It is no surprise, then, that the medicated skin care market is experiencing unprecedented growth, but some practitioners believe what we put inside our bodies is more important than smearing our skin with expensive treatments. Nutritionist and author Patrick Holford says: "Your skin is affected by how well you are internally and is therefore a remarkable barometer of your overall health. Getting your body's systems working optimally is crucial to addressing skin problems. Diet is key - eating foods that nourish your body while limiting those that contribute no nutritional value is important."

Many skin conditions are thought to be a reflection of hormone imbalances and the inability to absorb nutrients and eliminate the byproducts of digestion. Helen Sher, founder of the natural skin care company Sher, says: "The majority of our clients have been on courses of antibiotics to banish spots and rosacea, but this is not a long-term solution." She points out that antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as bad, which can damage the digestive and immune systems.

In the case of rosacea (an inflammatory condition that affects 45 million people worldwide, in which the face becomes flushed and itchy), there is evidence that many sufferers produce insufficient stomach acid and the resultant incomplete digestion of food is the main factor.

If skin disorders are the body's way of expressing its imbalances, then treating a skin problem using topical creams and gels is the equivalent of applying a hot flannel to the tip of an iceberg. Robin Logan, author of The Homoeopathic Treatment Of Eczema, explains why it is important to view the body as a whole: "Suppressing eruptions [topically] can lead to the development of more serious internal complaints. This is typically seen in the eczema/asthma syndrome."

According to Michael Franklin, founder of Britain's Allergy and Nutrition Centre, food allergies play a considerable part in many skin complaints. "Psoriasis is usually extremely difficult to treat, yet if more patients and practitioners knew of the links with bowel toxicity, there would be fewer problems. Liver detoxification is an important part of treatment. With rosacea, a lack of B vitamins may play a role."

Not everyone subscribes to the idea of treating your biggest organ from the inside out. Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, says: "In general, diet has little influence on skin, though there are a few exceptions. Alcohol and spicy foods seem to make rosacea worse.

"As for acne, there is some evidence that foods with a high glycaemic index [which measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels] may worsen the condition in some people."

What to avoid

Dr Jonathan Wilkin, of Britain's National Rosacea Society, says foods that might trigger flare-ups include liver, yoghurt, cheese (except cottage cheese), chocolate, vanilla, vinegar, spicy foods, coffee or tea.

The most documented reactive foods for eczema sufferers are milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, seafood and seeded fruits. Nutritionist Patrick Holford suggests that with skin complaints you should limit your intake of sugary foods, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) and anything fried.

What to eat

The skin is the last place nutrients will arrive after they have serviced the rest of your body so it is vital to get enough of the things we know help the skin to heal and regenerate.

Proper hydration is vital to a healthy system. Helen Sher recommends drinking six or seven glasses of water daily. Vitamins C and E are important for skin health - mainly as antioxidants - so include organic fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially black grapes and blueberries. Apricots, oranges, peppers, carrots, strawberries and broccoli are rich in the carotenoid pigments, which your body converts to vitamin A.

Nutritionist and author Michael van Straten says: "Carrot juice is bursting with beta carotene; one glass a day, fresh if possible, works wonders for the skin and is a powerful antioxidant."

The naturopathic nutritionist Charlotte Fraser suggests increasing your intake of essential fatty acids to help treat dry skin conditions and acne. Eczema and psoriasis sufferers will benefit from the anti-inflammatory effect of omega 3 found in oily fish.

Evening primrose oil is a source of gamma linoleic acid, which promotes healthy skin, hair and nails.

The most important B vitamin for the skin is biotin, which is found in bananas, eggs and rice. Zinc deficiency can be a factor in psoriasis and acne. Good sources of zinc are sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

专家们说正确的饮食有望是治疗皮肤病症的关键。

根据澳大利亚大学皮肤病学者的数字统计：在澳大利亚，90%的人(1千800万)在他们的生活中都会碰到一些皮肤问题。包含痤疮，湿疹，皮肤癌和牛皮癣。和前十年相比，现在近1/4的儿童患有湿疹(十年前只有10%)，近85%患有痤疮。大多数痤疮在青春期过会都会消失，然而仍会有20%的成年会一直受到感染。

药物性皮肤护理市场正空前地增长也不足为奇了，但一些从业者相信，和花大量护理涂在皮肤上的东西相比，我们吃进去的东西更为重要。营养师兼作者帕特里克霍福物说：你吃的东西的好坏影响着你的皮肤，因此皮肤也是你健康的“晴雨表”。让你的身体系统更好地工作对解决皮肤问题至关重要。饮食是关键---吃对你的身体健康有利的食物，控制摄入没营养价值的食物这一点很重要。

荷尔蒙分泌不平衡，营养物质无法吸收和消化的副作用都认为和许多皮肤问题有关。自然皮肤护理公司的创始人海伦说：我们的大多数客户都使用抗生素来除斑和红斑痤疮，但这并不是一个长期可行的办法。她指出这些抗生素类的药杀掉有害细菌的同时也会杀掉有益菌体，这样就会破坏消化和免疫系统。

红斑痤疮这一例(世界范围内有4千5百万人感染这一种红肿的症状，它会使脸发烫，发痒)有证据表明胃酸不足继而引发的食物消化不完全是主要因素。

如果皮肤疾病是身体表明其失调的一个方式，那么仅片面地使用局部性的药膏无异于隔靴搔痒。<湿疹顺势疗法>的作者罗宾罗根解释了把身体看作一个整体的重要性：抑制出疹(局部性)会导致更为严重的内部问题。最典型的就是湿疹/哮喘综合症.

英国过敏症与营养中心的创始人富兰克林说，食物过敏在许多的皮肤病症中扮演着一个重要角色。“通常来说，牛皮癣是很难治疗的。要是许多病人和从业都能知道这一病症与肠毒有关，也许问题就少一些了。利用肝脏解毒是治疗的关键。至于红斑痤疮，主要则是维生素B缺乏所致。”

仅一部分人同意彻底治愈需从内部着手。英国皮肤专家协会的里娜高德说：“大体来说，饮食对我们的皮肤并没有多大的影响。但也有一些特例。像酒精和辛辣食物就会使红斑痤疮恶化；关于痤疮,有证据说明,含高血糖指数(即衡量碳水化合物对血液中葡萄粮含量作用的物质)的食物会加重此症状.”

我们不应该吃什么

英国国家红斑痤疮学社的强纳森博士说，诸如肝脏，酸奶，起司(脱酯起司除外)，巧克力，香草，醋，辛辣食物，咖啡和茶都有可能恶化病症。

记载最多的治疗湿疹的食物包括牛奶，鸡蛋，坚果，黄豆，麦皮，海产和有籽水果。营养学家帕特里克建议我们应该控制摄入糖类食物，精炼碳水化合物(像精面面包)和油炸类食品。

我们应该吃什么

皮肤是营养物质的最后一站。因此我们有必要了解足够的信息来使皮肤重新焕发光彩。

适当的水分摄入对于健康系统很是重要。海伦推荐每天饮用6-7杯水。维C和维E作为抗氧化剂都对皮肤健康很重要。因此多吃有机水果和蔬菜特别是红葡萄和蓝莓很好。杏，橙，辣椒，胡萝卜，草莓和花棷菜富含类胡萝卜素，它能在体内转化是维A。

营养学家兼作者麦可说：胡萝卜汁含有很多BETA胡萝卜素，每天一杯，新鲜的更好，它富含抗氧化物质，对营养肌肤很有效。
自然疗法营养学家卡洛特建议每天适当增加脂肪酸的摄入对于皮肤干燥和痤疮的治疗很有效用。湿疹和牛皮癣则应该多摄入OMEGA-3这种存在于鱼油中的元素。

夜来香油是GAMMA亚油酸的主要来源，它对皮肤，头发和指甲都有好处。

对皮肤最为重要的B族维他命要数生物素了，它在在于香蕉，鸡蛋和大米里。缺锌是引发牛皮癣和痤疮的一个因素。富含锌的食物有芝麻，葵花籽和南瓜籽