The Role of Diet in Eczema Management: What to Eat and What to Avoid

If you or your child suffers from eczema, it’s safe to assume that you’re willing to try anything to get the itching and red, inflamed rash under control.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about this condition is that symptoms – and symptom management – will differ for everyone. That means that what may work for your friends or family may not work for you or your child.

But what about dietary changes?

Like with many eczema management methods, dietary changes may not work for everyone. However, they are often worth a shot for those with otherwise uncontrolled eczema flares.

In this post, we’ll discuss the role of diet in eczema management. This will include foods to add and foods to remove from your current diet.

What Is Eczema?

Eczema is a grouping of skin conditions that cause itching, dry skin, and red, scaly rash. This is primarily found on the face, hands, feet, inside the elbows, and behind the knees.

This condition is believed to impact 30% of the US population, with the majority of those being children and adolescents.

The underlying cause of eczema is unknown. It is not a true autoimmune disorder, though the immune system obviously plays a part. While the triggers are different for everyone, the most common ones include:

Environmental allergens (e.g., pollen, pet dander)
Environmental factors (e.g., cold, dry weather)
Food allergens (e.g., soy, wheat)
Fabric sensitivities (e.g., wool, synthetic fibers)

For many people, management of eczema is a series of trial and error.

What Role Does Diet Play in Managing Your Eczema?

As mentioned above, food allergens can be a trigger of eczema for many individuals. While a specific diet will not cure eczema, it may help you to manage the symptoms more effectively.

Why?

We know that eczema flares are often triggered by things in our environment. That can be external (e.g., the weather, certain fabric on your skin) or internal (e.g., food allergens).

It’s worth a shot to see if eliminating certain foods from your diet produces a noticeable reduction in symptoms.

What to Eat and What to Avoid

You were probably expecting a list of foods to eat or to avoid. The truth is that this will vary greatly from person to person.

That said, there are a few foods that show early promise in helping to manage the symptoms of eczema. They are:

While the research is ongoing, there is nothing wrong with adding any of the above foods to your diet preemptively. Consult with your doctor to learn more.

As for what foods to avoid, that is even more specific to each person.

The most common foods that patients report removing from their diets are dairy and gluten. For the vast majority of people, removing these food groups should cause no harm assuming they are getting sufficient nutrients from other foods.

Do keep in mind that a true elimination diet should be undertaken with your doctor’s approval. It will require careful inspection of the foods you eat, as well as removal of any potential sources of cross contamination.

Do you have questions about the role of diet in eczema management? Do you have tips for other eczema sufferers? Leave them in the comments section below.