What foods to eat for allergic eczema

In fact, there is no "universal recipe" that is suitable for all patients with allergic eczema. The core principle is to first avoid foods that you are clearly allergic to. The rest can be eaten with confidence as long as they are low-processed, low-irritating, and fresh ingredients that can assist in skin barrier repair. There is no need to blindly follow the trend and quit the so-called "fat foods".

Two years ago, I followed up a 32-year-old patient with chronic eczema who had had the eczema for nearly 6 years. I heard from relatives in my hometown that beef, seafood, and eggs were all hair products. Later, I went for an allergen screening and found that he was only allergic to pineapple and dust mites. Eggs, beef, and seafood were all on the safe list. After returning home, I ate steamed shrimp, lean beef tenderloin, and boiled eggs as normal, and combined with the topical medicine prescribed by the doctor. In less than a month, 80% of the rash disappeared, and the pigmentation left by scratching had faded a lot.

There are very different opinions on the diet for eczema on the Internet. Some people say that it can be cured by completely cutting out dairy products and gluten, while others say that you can eat anything without any dietary restrictions. Both of these opinions are actually too absolute. Last month, I met a 5-year-old patient who was indeed allergic to wheat gluten. As soon as he ate dumplings or noodles, the eczema on his elbows became red and itchy, making him cry. It disappeared within two days after he stopped eating pasta. ； But there is also a young man in his 20s who eats noodles all the time. After checking the allergens, he found no reaction to wheat at all. His eczema has never been aggravated by eating noodles. It is really like honey and arsenic, and there is no reason to copy it.

If you don’t have time to go to the hospital to check for allergens, it doesn’t matter. Just take two weeks to keep a simple food diary. What you eat at each meal, whether you eat heavily processed snacks such as candied fruit and braised meat, whether the eczema worsens that day, and whether the degree of itching becomes higher. Write it down and compare it to basically identify your own "minefield". As long as you don’t feel uncomfortable eating the remaining ingredients, you can arrange them normally, especially seasonal dark green vegetables and low-sugar berries. Eat deep-sea fish such as salmon and sardines two or three times a week. If drinking milk does not cause diarrhea or aggravate the itching, you can drink some sugar-free yogurt and pure milk. Vitamin A, Omega3, and high-quality protein in these foods are all "essential raw materials" for skin repair. If you always stop supplying raw materials, how can the broken skin barrier grow?

Of course, don’t always think that you can get rid of eczema by eating a certain kind of food. Diet is only part of the auxiliary adjustment. You still have to follow the doctor’s instructions when taking medication and moisturizing the skin. Don’t put the cart before the horse.