Vegan Nutrition with Martey Davey

Marty Davey is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition from Marywood University. Currently, Marty is working on a book for elderly vegetarians/vegans discussing daily nutrition needs and including issues with acute and long term facility care when following a plant-based diet. A website is being built for Marty to further educate people about plant-based diets. She also has a private practice specializing in assisting clients transitioning from the conventional Western foods to a plant-based regime.

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I have a baby girl she is 5 months old and she is suffering from eczema. I have heard about flaxseed oil that it helps to cure eczema. What is your opinion and how much do I have to use?

Dear Danielle,

There is a lot of unscientific writing about flax and eczema. Nevertheless, it did make some sense and there were peer-reviewed articles cited as references, (albeit a little old in the tooth for my taste). At www.nutrasanus.com, it was stated that "Flaxseed oil can be applied externally to soften dry skin. Also for skin application, a poultice can be created by mixing whole or crushed flaxseed with about three times as much hot water as the amount of flaxseed and then letting the mixture stand until it makes a thick gel. A soft cloth is then covered with the gel, possibly heated, and applied to an aching or injured area of skin surface."

I did read an article in Veterinary Dermatology (April, 2001) by Rees, Bauer, Burkholder, Kennis, Dunbar, and Bigley, which stated that there was a positive effect of flax ingestion on the coats of dogs. So, if your daughter barks and has a wet nose this may be of use. On the other hand, dogs' coats are very susceptible to changes in fat intake like human skin is for people.

I am wondering if you are breastfeeding or using formula. Of course, breast is best, but each family works its own way. If you are breastfeeding are you ingesting enough? You need about two tablespoons a day. If my kid started having eczema, I would increase that to four tablespoons ingested throughout the day and see if there was any effect. I would also mix up the poultice stated above; making sure that the temperature of the poultice was not too hot for a baby's skin. We all know how wiggly babies can be, so you might try it as your daughter is dropping off or during a nap. The warm cloth may feel great. I found that 3:1 ratio of water to flax on a few different websites. Flax meal would be a better bet instead of the whole seed, as the oil really doesn't permeate the hull of the seed. You can easily make flax meal in a $10 coffee grinder and keep it in the frig. Another article I read in the Annals of Agricultural Environmental Medicine (2000) by Skorska, Mackiewicz , and Dutkiewicz, addressed respiratory issues from farmers harvesting seeds due to organic compound on the seeds. I wouldn't worry very much about this, still you may feel better if you rinse and let the seeds dry before grinding.

This question deals more with the properties of flax and you may want to read it to fill in your gaps on actually how flax works in the body.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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