For the most part, dietary fiber is pretty bland stuff. It’s indigestible, not very reactive and, when dissolved in water, it's known and prized for its ability to thicken gels without interfering with the chemistry of foods, medication or skin care products.
An exception to its ordinarily inert nature is my all-time favorite source of fiber, a fascinating biochemical called Beta Glucan (BG). Beta Glucan is produced in copious amounts by all plants, bacteria, yeast and fungi. Unlike other forms of fiber, Beta Glucan (a type of cellulose and one of the most common substances in the natural world) reacts quite readily with biological cells. In particular, Beta Glucan reacts with the “macrophages”, one of the most prominent players of the human immune system. In fact, Beta Glucan is, according to Dr. Arcie Mizelle, possibly “the most ubiquitous macrophage activator in nature”.
Technically speaking, Beta Glucan is a long chain of glucose molecules. Pieces of glucose molecules (also known as blood sugar) can transform from a source of quick energy, to an incredibly beneficial health tool, when they’re linked up into a long chain called a “glucan”. (They can also be a source of trouble when the body loses its ability to handle glucose molecules.) Once the little nuggets of glucose are strung together into a biochemical necklace, they can no longer be used for energy or stored as fat. Rather this new “glucan” structure can be arranged into a shape (scientists have dubbed “beta”) that becomes one of nature’s most important medicines in helping strengthen the body’s immune system, lower blood fats and lower cholesterol. It also supports skin health, anti-aging and wound healing.
Dry skin (technically called xerosis) is one of the most common of skin health complaints. Moisturizing products account for nearly 10 billion dollars in annual sales. Even though, according to the National Health Interview Survey, 3 or 4 percent of the population suffer from xerosis, it’s tough to find an adult American who doesn’t have at least some degree of skin dryness. Even kids are susceptible to the condition. According to an article published the September 2006 issue of Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, atopic dermatitis, a cutaneous disease characterized by dry skin, affects 10-20 % of American children.
Yet, despite its ubiquity, dry skin should never happen! The skin is exquisitely equipped with various mechanisms that are supposed to assure the tissue remains hydrated. When that doesn’t occur, something in the ordinarily resilient and responsive cutaneous biochemistry is tweaked. In other words, dry skin is much more than a superficial cosmetic concern. As insignificant as it may seem, it’s a fully-fledged health care issue. Dry skin is a symptom, and symptoms are the smoke which indicate a biochemical breakdown fire.
In this way the symptomology of xerosis is a message; it’s a harbinger and indicator that somewhere in the body something is wrong or something is missing. In this way, skin dryness, like other symptoms, should be regarded as a friend; it’s an announcement of increased risk of other, more significant health care challenges including heart disease, autoimmunity and even cancer!
Though all of the above diseases can be associated with xerosis, most of us believe that the symptoms of xerosis are merely superficial. So, to deal with the itchy flakes and uncomfortable dryness, we merely put a moisturizer on and forget about the matter. Even skin care professionals are entranced by the illusion. Dermatologists, estheticians and cosmetologists, like their patients, address skin issues by working topically.
