Eczema is becoming a more and more common infant complaint in the UK, and in the western world as a whole, with up to one in five infants suffering from the condition in their first year of life (1). It is a chronic condition which produces itchy, red, inflamed patches of skin – most commonly in the face, scalp, hands, wrists, elbows and behind the knees.
There seem to be many environmental factors that could be at play which could contribute to the increasing prevalence of this condition. Food may well be involved. Today I wanted to mention a recent study (1) which found that early introduction of fish into the diet, before the age of nine months, is beneficial in the prevention of eczema, or seems to have an impact in decreasing the likelihood of developing the condition.
The researchers used data on 4921 infants in Sweden. At one year of age just over 20% of the infants had experienced eczema, with the average age of onset being four months. Analysis of data revealed that introducing fish before the age of nine months was associated with a 25% reduced risk of eczema compared to those who never ate it (1). The authors comment that Fish in the diet appeared to be important, but that it would take further investigation to establish why. The researchers ponder that the reduced risk is probably something to do with the influence of fish on the development of the infant immune system.
Individuals with eczema have higher levels of a chemical called histamine which is involved in allergic reactions. I previously wrote a set of posts about asthma where you can find out more about the allergic response, histamine and some other ways in which you may be able to reduce allergic reaction with diet. The advice for diet with regards to asthma is highly relevant to eczema too.
The increasing prevalence of eczema in the western world has been linked to the alteration of our diet, specifically the reduced consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as trout, mackerel, salmon and sardines and also flaxseeds, and an increased omega-6 fatty acid intake, found concentrated in vegetable oils. This imbalance in the fatty acid ratio may have important effects on various processes in our bodies.
Omega 3 fatty acids are probably highly relevant and important in the protection against eczema development as they act in the body to reduce inflammation, a major factor in allergic response. A very recent, but small, study (2) published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that supplementation with the long chain omega 3 fatty acid DHA, found naturally in oily fish, had a significant beneficial effect on eczema severity, and blood markers of allergy, in individuals aged 18-40. The authors call for larger trials: “Our data suggest that dietary DHA could be bioactive and might have a beneficial impact on the outcome of atopic eczema, but our results need to be confirmed in a larger study.”
Proveious preliminary studies link the omega 3 fatty acids EPA (3,4), also found in oily fish, and alpha linolenic acid, found in flaxseed oil (4,5) to reduced eczema symptoms.
If you suffer from eczema and do not regularly eat oily fish (at least twice per week) you may well benefit from taking an omega 3 fatty acid that provides 250-350mg of DHA and 250-350mg of EPA daily. If you are vegetarian/vegan then a flaxseed oil supplement providing at least 500mg of alpha linolenic acid daily could provide some relief. As mentioned in many previous posts, omega 3 fatty acids are essential and seem to protect us from the development of many diseases so taking a supplement may do more than just help your eczema symptoms! Do not consider giving any supplements to an infant or child without consulting a doctor in the first instance.
(1)Alm B et al. 2008. Early introduction of fish decreases the risk of eczema in infants. Arch Dis Child. Published Online, prior to print 25 September 2008. doi:10.1136/adc.2008.140418
(2)Koch C et al. 2008. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in atopic eczema: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 158(4):786-92
(3)Bjorneboe, A., et al. Effect of dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. British Journal of Dermatology. 117(4):463-469, 1987.
(4)Mayser, P., et al. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of n-3 versus n-6 fatty acid-based lipid infusion in atopic dermatitis. J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 26(3):151-158, 2002.
(5)Galland, L. Increased requirements for essential fatty acids in atopic individuals: a review with clinical descriptions. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 5(2):213-228, 1986.
(6)Ito, K., et al. Effect of the alpha-linolenic acid enriched diet on atopic dermatitis: a pilot study on 6 outpatients. Japanese Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 6(3):87-91, 1992.
Written by Ani Kowal
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