Eczema and Food Intolerance

While debate continues on about what may cause eczema, there are some practitioners who suspect it may have something to do with a food intolerance.

What is Food Intolerance?

A food intolerance means that your body reacts to a particular food or one of its components, resulting in a reaction of some sort. This can include eczema. Foods commonly associated with food intolerances include wheat, eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, food additives and preservatives. Because individuals are unique there is no way of knowing for certain whether a specific food may be responsible for your eczema. You may be fine with cow’s milk, but eggs may cause it in your friend.

How do I Know if Eczema caused by a Food Intolerance?

If you’ve lived with eczema for many years, a link between a particular food and eczema may be difficult to determine. In some cases, the link may develop slowly over time, making it even more difficult to pick out.

Try an Elimination Diet

If you suspect that your eczema may be caused by a food intolerance, the safest and most accurate way of knowing is to use an elimination diet. An elimination diet will have you eliminate or remove any suspect food or chemical from your diet for several weeks (sometimes months) and then reintroduced.

Keep a Food Diary

A food diary is often recommended to allow you to keep track of symptoms as you eliminate and then reintroduce certain foods. Foods that cause a reaction upon reintroduction, are most likely problematic and should be avoided or consumed in limited quantities.

Work with a Nutritionist

Working with a qualified nutritionist or practitioner may help you to more easily rule out problematic foods. Be patient because it can take weeks or even months to determine if a food is related to your eczema but the results may be worthwhile.