Scientists in the US have claimed that high salt consumption can increase the likelihood of eczema flares by 22%. This research suggests that diet could have significant effects on the severity of the disease as atopic dermatitis has become more prevalent in industrialised countries where high salt food is more commonplace.
‘The published study is the first step showing an association between sodium consumption (based on urine markers) and eczema in two large populations’ said Katrina Abuabara, Associate Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, dermatologist and lead author of the study.
Researchers at UC Berkeley School of Public Health analysed data from 215,000 individuals between 30-70 years of age. This included medical records and urine samples from the UK Biobank. This data allowed them to see how much sodium was consumed via urine, and whether the individuals had prior diagnosis of atopic dermatitis.
In their cross-sectional study, they found that each additional gram of sodium excreted in urine, over a 24 hour period, was associated with 16% higher odds of having an active case of eczema; and 11% higher odds of increased severity.
They also analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 13,000 adults based in the United States, and found that eating a mere one additional gram of sodium per day (around half a teaspoon of salt) would increase the odds of experiencing an active case of eczema by 22%.
‘Although we couldn't measure the impact of dietary change on eczema in the published study, we do know from a wealth of other studies that most adults eat too much sodium and that sodium reduction has a host of cardiovascular benefits,’ said Dr Abuabara. ‘There is a lot of information available online about strategies for sodium reduction, including the low-sodium DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet.’
This new information could inform patients on addressing the root cause of their eczema flare ups, rather than merely alleviating their symptoms. Dr Angelika Razzaque, GPwER, from the Primary Care Dermatology Society UK, said: ‘it is well known that a diet low in salt as well as reducing overall intake of processed food, including ultra processed food, is beneficial to one‘s health…advising patients suffering from eczema on the benefits of lifestyle changes and especially dietary changes for general health benefits and possibly their eczema should be part of our holistic management.'