Trust me, it’s not just you. Friends of friends complain of those pesky upper arm bumps. They never seem to go away!
Equivalent to biting your nails — you pick at those papules when watching your favorite heart-racing series. You don’t even recognize you are doing it until the credits roll and realize you did enough scraping with your fingernails your whole upper arm is red. Whoops!
If you are like the rest of us and have tried to exfoliate, dry brush, moisturize and still can’t seem to get rid of the bumps completely, it may be time to start looking at what your body is lacking internally.
Note: I am not speaking of Keratosis Pilaris. This is a common identification to those bumps that often don’t have anything to do with diet but rather a genetic predisposition or a buildup of keratin. One of the easiest ways to find out if it is Keratosis Pilaris is asking your doctor who can simply tell by physical examination.
If Keratosis Pilaris is not identified or you would rather try other natural tactics before going to the Doc, try increasing these three skin nourishing vitamins that your diet may be lacking. Let’s put an end to these bumps, shall we?
Vitamin A
Widely known for its aid in our vision, Vitamin A regulates growth in our bodies through gene transcription. Through gene transcription, it also aids in our skin, bone, and teeth growth.
Along with reproductive health, red blood cell production and immune function, Vitamin A is kind of an overlooked vitamin. Although underrated, there is no need to supplement Vitamin A as we can get our intake abundantly through diet.
Below are various plant-based sources to include in your diet for Vitamin A.
Essential Fatty Acids
Ah, essential fatty acids, specifically Omega-3’s, known to keep our mind sharp and skin looking fresh!
The good news is essential fatty acids are found in foods we know and already love. Given their molecular structure and the fact we cannot produce them ourselves, we must get these fatty acids from what we eat. We need to intake both omega-6’s and omega-3’s.
It should be noted, in America, our intake of omega-6’s are highly importunate than our omega-3s intake. Knowing this we should look to Omega-3’s for EPA, for its regulation of skin oil and DHA for our minds to stay sharp.
Below are plant-based foods to help increase your Omega-3’s.
For my fellow plant-based loves experiencing bumps, I highly recommend supplementing if you recognize your diet is not conducive to the recommended intake. Curious what vegan Omega-3 supplements to take with all the recent news report? I got you covered.
B Vitamins
Leaving the best for last — B vitamins! The B vitamins consist of B1-thiamin, B2-riboflavin, B3-niacin, B5-pantothenic acid, B6-pyridoxine, B12-cobalamin, folate, and biotin. These eight vitamins work together and offer a multitude of support. From synthesis of DNA and RNA to dopamine synthesis to DNA repair, you can bet vitamin B’s work in your favor.
Yes, biotin and niacin stand out from the B vitamins when it comes to your skin but remember, several other key B’s are doing the legwork on the back end for your skin. This is helpful as this group of vitamins is found together in many food sources pictured below.
For my fellow plant-based loves experiencing bumps, I highly recommend supplementing B12 if you recognize your diet is not conducive to the recommended intake. Check out this article for supplementing B12.
One last thing to consider! If you are still struggling after putting all the effort in increasing your vitamin intake through food, those bumps could indicate an allergy. Anecdotally, people have shown improvement of inflamed skin reactions once they eliminate gluten from their diet. This has not been scientifically researched but It is worth trying to see if your physical symptoms lesson for a month without gluten.
Many things to consider when adding or eliminating from your diet to see what works best for you. After consuming all the added skin nourishing vitamins from food, your upper arms will be thanking you in no time!