Does anybody know exactly why Whole30 reduces dark circles under the eye?

[Katya]

Hi there,

I'm three weeks in and have noticed a reduction in the dark circles under my eyes as per the book.

Putting quality of sleep to one side, why does Whole30 have this impact? Does anybody know the science behind this, so that I can continue avoiding whichever foods causing dark circles going forwards.

Thanks,

Katya

[Jihanna]

Honestly, quality of sleep is most likely the biggest contributor to reducing those dark circles, despite your wish to put it to one side... there is certainly potential for some foods to be contributing toward you sleeping better (or some which previously contributed toward worse sleep), and even some which may help you have better skin tone overall, but those won't necessarily be the same across the board for all bodies. We have room for a ton of experimentation in Whole30 (and reintro) so we can discover things like this for our personal situations, though.

Maybe someone will have something scientific for you on this one, but my own experience has been that things like this come down to what works for our specific body and that's really only found through trial and error (at least for me).

[NoNutWhole30]

Dark circles under eyes, for me, is related to dehydration. If I say, have some alcoholic beverages before bed and sleep without having drank water throughout the day, I'll have dark circles in the morning. I could sleep for 3 hours after being hydrated and not have circles.

My circles got worse in my last attempted whole30.

[Slewelf]

I’ve always gotten dark circles from foods I was allergic or intolerant to, even as a little kid. Years ago it used to be apples that gave me dark circles, now it’s wheat, sugar, and dairy. I don’t think a single food is going to be responsible for the same symptoms in everyone (I can now eat apples without issue) so this would be something I’d pay close attention to during your reintroduction.

 

Salt is another cause of dark circles through fluid retention. Eating processed foods with high sodium levels prior to Whole30 could be responsible. Since your sodium intake has likely dropped, you’re retaining less fluid, reducing your dark circles.

 

Also, the quantity of sleep may be the same as before but the quality of your sleep has likely improved. Even if you are getting the same number of hours, it’s likely the quality is better than before which can majorly help with the circles.