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This 15-minute chocolate cake is one of my absolute favourites. Not only is it dairy free, grain...
After a TikTok about this topic went viral, and the comments became increasingly flooded with sceptical and angry rebuttals about blood types, body temperature and sweat, I felt it was only right to elaborate on my reasoning for making this claim.
After all, chronic inflammation is not be taken lightly, and lies at the root of many hormonal, gut and skin conditions that I see in practise every day including acne, PCOS and seborrheic dermatitis.
Mosquito bites, although arguably not as harmful, can be equally as frustrating, and I am sure I am not the only one who has spent many a summer holiday swatting away at these pesky insects.
In this article, I'll explain why you might be such a mosquito magnet, what this says about your health, and which action steps you can take today to support your body against chronic inflammation.
In this article:
Why are mosquitos attracted to some people and not others?
How can your diet affect how much mosquitos bite you?
Could a highly acid-forming diet be contributing to your mosquito bites?
How can mosquito bites indicate chronic inflammation?
What are the best foods to prevent excess acidity?
Mosquito Bites and Inflammation Key Takeaways
If you feel like mosquitos seem to flock to you, while leaving everyone around you in peace, there are a number of established explanations that may give you some peace of mind.
Studies suggest that around 20% of women consider themselves "mosquito magnets" and the science attributes this to:
- Skin bacteria
With certain strains seeming to attract more mosquitos than others. - Body temperature
With higher temperatures seeming to correlate with higher numbers of bites, which may explain why pregnant women seem to attract more mosquitos as they naturally run a little warmer. - Genetics
With some studies suggesting up to 85% of mosquito attraction may be attributed to gene expression. - Blood type
With O Blood Types seeming to attract more bites than other blood types. - Clothing colour
With darker clothing colours increasing the chance of being bitten. - Menstrual cycle phase
Studies suggest in the ovulatory phase higher levels of blood oestradiol may attract mosquitos. - High lactate
Higher levels of lactic acid are linked to more attraction from mosquitos.
However, it was only when I started to notice a pattern in my own clients, who were changing their diet to improve their hormonal, gut or skin conditions and mentioned casually that they suddenly no longer seemed to be attracting mosquitos the way they used to, that I wondered what the link between our diet and mosquito bites might be.
The women who noticed that they attracted fewer mosquitos after changing their diet, all had one thing in common - now that they had made dietary adjustments with me, they were eating fewer acid-forming foods.
These are foods that are broken down in our body to produce building blocks called fatty acids, which our body uses for energy.
However, when we consume these foods in greater amounts than our bodies can cope with, our body is unable to efficiently process them and the amount of free fatty acids in our blood rise.
Interestingly, studies suggest that when free fatty acids in the blood are high, lactic acid is also high, and as you may remember this was one of the established "mosquito-attractants" - which may explain why mosquitos are drawn to women with these diets rich in acid-forming foods.
Another thing all these women had in common, was that they all suffered from two or more of the following signs and symptoms:
- acne
- dermatitis
- dandruff
- indigestion after eating fatty meals
- signs of oestrogen dominance (PMS, endometriosis, short cycles, sore breasts, lower belly fat)
- food intolerances
- seasonal allergies
- signs of low thyroid function (cold hands/feet)
If you struggle with any of the above skin conditions, you may want to check out my Skin Glow Meal Plans, which work to help you heal skin issues from the root cause using food, addressing issues such as blood sugar balance, detoxification and the gut microbiome - but also inflammation and fatty acid metabolism.
Although seemingly unrelated, what all these conditions have in common is excess acidity. If you experience any of the above signs or symptoms, it's likely this excess acidity is contributing to mosquito's affinity to you.
The problem with excess acidity, is that it prevents your body from properly metabolizing glucose.
When there are too many fatty acids in the blood, they clog the system to to speak, and make it harder for glucose to be taken up and used by the cells for energy.
The result of this is that glucose sits in the blood stream, leading to increases in blood sugar.
If you have engaged with much of my content before, you will know that balanced blood sugar is the basis of balanced hormones, and a key component of good skin and gut health.
This is because high blood sugar is linked to low grade chronic inflammation, which in turn, is linked to many women's health conditions including:
- endometriosis
- PCOS
- gynaecologic cancers
- uterine fibroids
- reduced fertility
- pregnancy complications
- autoimmune conditions
Which means, if high acidity is at the root of your frequent mosquito bites, you are likely living a state of constant low grade inflammation.
So what can you eat to help your body get better at processing excess fatty acids, and thus prevent chronic inflammation and mosquito bites?
Research suggests that several foods can help us more effectively buffer against the impact of a diet rich in acid-forming foods.
- Salmon
Salmon is a rich source of Omega 3s, which have been found to support your body in metabolizing and breaking down excess fatty acids more effectively. - Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are a great source of niacin, a substance which prevents more fatty acids from being released from fat cells into the blood stream, hence reducing the overall load. - Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar activates an enzyme that promotes the breakdown of fatty acids. - Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are rich in a compound called DIM, which helps our body eliminate excess oestrogen. High oestrogen is linked to higher acidity in the body. - Lemons
Lemon juice contains a key factor in fatty acid metabolism that can help us process and eliminate excess fatty acids.
Key Takeaways
- Mosquitos can be attracted to different people for many reasons and excess acidity may be one of these.
- Excess acidity happens when we are consuming more acid-forming foods than our body is able to cope with.
- The problem with excess acidity is that it can cause rises in blood sugar and consequent inflammation.
- Excess inflammation can contribute to several gut, hormone and skin conditions including acne, PCOS, endometriosis and food intolerances.
- Certain foods can help us process fatty acids more effectively and hence help prevent excess acidity, therefore reducing inflammation and our susceptibility to mosquito bites.
Next Steps
Book a Free Discovery Call
If this article resonated with you and you would like to make some changes to your health, you are more than welcome to book in for a consultation with me, or book a free Discovery Call below to discuss how I may be able to help.