A doctor said that the condition of the skin on the bottom of the feet can tell us a lot about our health, and may be a warning sign of liver disease.
Although rough skin on the feet is common and may be caused by a vitamin deficiency or wearing ill-fitting shoes, it may be caused by something more serious.
In an episode of the popular podcast Diary Of A CEO, Dr. Mindy Peltz revealed that dry, cracked skin can be a warning sign of liver disease.
“If you notice dry, cracked skin on your feet, you may need to talk to your doctor,” she said. “Dryness and cracking show that you’re not getting proper circulation to your feet. So it could be that your liver isn’t doing a good job of detoxifying and removing toxins. Your circulation isn’t getting freely to the bottom of your feet.”
The liver's function can be divided into four main categories, including digestion, blood cleansing, immune support, and blood clotting. Warning signs of liver damage or failure often appear when the liver is unable to perform its functions, although symptoms can vary from person to person.
People with chronic liver disease may experience itchy skin. The itching may affect just one part of the body, such as the feet, or the entire body.
The affected skin may appear red, rough, with bumps or cracks. Scratching these areas usually does not provide relief, and the itching tends to get worse at night, disrupting sleep.
However, dry, cracked heels can also be a sign of a vitamin B3 or omega-3 deficiency. This is because the liver makes bile, and it is this bile that helps the body break down and absorb fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients.
But if the liver is not working well enough, it will have difficulty producing the amount of bile needed to extract vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin B3 deficiency can also lead to pellagra, whose symptoms include diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia.
Severe dry skin may be caused by cirrhosis, which occurs due to the liver's inability to metabolize vitamin A, an important nutrient for maintaining healthy skin. A study conducted in 2021, which included 125 participants diagnosed with cirrhosis, revealed that 93.5% of them suffered from vitamin A deficiency.
Other symptoms of liver weakness include jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin, swollen feet, fluid retention around the middle, sudden weight change, red palms and decreased brain function.