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Does a vegan diet help cure allergies or sensitivities for you?
Started
by Elizabeth Arnold
on November 4, 2009
Hi everyone, I am curious if a vegan diet has helped anyone with any kind of allergies or sensitivities. I've heard that itchy scalp and dandruff can be remedied with a vegan diet because dairy, eggs, and meat can aggravate the condition. I've also heard dairy can exacerbate eczema. Has anyone found that a vegan diet has helped clear up any of these conditions as well as sensitive tendencies (i.e. being easily irritated by products or the weather), acne, or rashes?
It is a known fact that dairy contributes to the asthma condition. It also helps aggravate allergies. It causes more mucous in the body. When I stopped eating dairy I got so many compliments on how good my skin looked. I didn't have acne but usually a pimple or two. My periods weren't as painful either. Not sure about the affects of dairy and eczema. To Your Health!-Temple
Hi Elizabeth - I am sort of trying out a vegan diet and cut way back on my dairy intake starting Sunday night. Three days later I wake up and have not a pimple in sight. I usually have a couple or so on my face and more on my shoulders, chest and back. But they are all gone now. Not sure if its correlated or not. I wouldn't think it would clear up in just a few days but you never know! We'll see if it lasts.
I found that my scalp stopped itching when I switched to a shampoo without fragrance. My skin stopped itching when I switched to perfume and dye free laundry soap.
You might try a little experiment...
Hi....i started a vegan diet about 6 months...yes, definitely i think my skin is clearer but what i have noticed more than anything is that i get less headaches and i used to get episodes of palpitations but dont any more after going vegan!...i definitely think there is a link between diet and allergies/sensitivities or general complaints!....i think eating a vegan lifestyle seems to give a certain amount of calmness to the body. What does other people think?
Jennifer- was the shampoo you were using before you switched fragranced with essential oils or conventional fragrance? I can't use anything with synthetic fragrance and most essential oils do bother me (I'm using Aveda shampoo and conditioner right now for itchy scalp). I have to use fragrance free everything though, unless it is just rose or chamomile essential oils, my skin can tolerate those. I haven't tried fragrance free shampoo or conditioner yet. I was thinking about Earth Science or Desert Essence (conditioner only since the shampoo seems to contain dioxins). I've tried california baby and didn't like that for my hair and it made my skin dry, red, and itchy. What do you use?
The brand I use is Jason Daily Fragrance Free Shampoo. There is a conditioner, too.
I was using Head & Shoulders, to control the itch, but it always came right back, and now I know why, because I'm not itchy anymore and I don't have dandruff either.
Good luck!
I've been vegan for about a year now and I can definitely tell a difference with my health. I was constantly congested before- but when I cut out dairy, it completely went away. 
I also just felt like crap everytime I had cheese or milk or ice cream- always running to the bathroom, stomach cramps etc. I'm assuming this was due to a lactose intolerance, but all of that has stopped since being vegan.
I completely agree with the dairy and asthma connection! I've had asthma all my life where I had to be on the strong medications to control it and a lot of headaches and when I took dairy completely out of my diet they both are pretty much gone! I only use the ventolin on occasion and headaches are super rare! So happy! :) Oh and my digestive system is much happier too! It is amazing to see how what we eat affect us so much!
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