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Dark circles under the eyes
What causes dark circles under the eyes? Will treating candida help?
Traditional Chinese Medicine uses facial signs as a diagnostic tool. Dark circles under the eyes are said to relate to kidney deficiency and bowel congestion (especially if puffiness is also present). According to Western facial diagnosis it may be an indication of iron deficiency, wheat or gluten intolerance and adrenal fatigue (stress and nervousness).
Many people who experience this complaint do well by eliminating gluten from their diet which includes foods such as wheat, barley, rye and oats. Following this diet for a period of at least 2 weeks will help ascertain whether these foods are a contributing factor to the complaint.
Please observe any other symptoms such as stress, tiredness and diet which will help to determine the cause of the dark circles under your eyes. Are you burning the candle at both ends or under a lot of pressure (work, fatigue, commitments, family) which deplete kidney energy reserves, adrenal function and increases the production of stress hormones such as Cortisol and Adrenaline?
Are you a vegetarian? Sometimes vegetarians have difficulties maintaining a diet to avoid deficiencies in important minerals such as B Vitamins, Zinc and Iron. It is possible to maintain sufficient levels of these nutrient on a vegetarian diet as long as you include foods such as legumes, eggs, green leafy vegetables, peas and wholegrains.
If you are currently experiencing the following symptoms - bloating, constipation, decreased digestive function, skin rashes. If so then treating Candida may help to reduce the appearance of the dark circles. This is because the presence of Candida will drastically reduce digestive and kidney function as well as reducing the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals from the diet.
For further information see the Ask a Naturopath.com webpages concerning Candida, digestion and Iron