Nutritional Therapist Sandra Greenbank (www.sandragreenbank.co.uk) believes there is more and more evidence that some types of dermatitis or eczema is triggered by food allergies.
How are allergies and eczema linked to my diet?
She says “There are many types of dermatitis, and eczema is a form of dermatitis which is also referred to as atopic dermatitis. This means that it occurs when the body reacts to certain foods, allergens or something in the person's environment. Eczema often runs in families and can occur alongside other conditions such as hay fever and asthma.”
Is dairy to blame for my eczema?
For each different person there are different foods to avoid with eczema.
Greenbank adds “Food allergies can trigger eczema and the main suspects tend to be cow's milk, wheat, soy, nuts, fish and eggs. Milk and dairy products also contains saturated fats and some hormones, which may raise inflammation is some susceptible individuals. This inflammation in turn exacerbates conditions such as eczema.”
What shall I do for my eczema diet?
“It's worth eliminating dairy and other highly allergenic foods for a period of time and seeing if that makes a difference. This needs to be done for a minimum of 3 weeks, ideally 6 weeks before reintroducing them one by one and monitoring symptoms.” Keep a food diary to keep track of what you are eating and when your reactions get more severe and you should be able to narrow down your eczema foods to avoid, if your flare ups are due to diet.
