When you are experiencing a severe eczema flare-up, almost anything you eat can make your eczema even worse. It is possible once your skin has cleared you will be able to consume many of the foods that previously triggered your eczema. Once your skin has become severely inflamed, your threshold for a wide variety of foods can decrease and result in a flare-up.
To understand the reason the foods you eat can cause an eczema flare-up, you need to know the difference between food intolerances or sensitivities and actual food allergies. Food sensitivity is when you experience difficulty digesting specific foods. This can result in bloating, diarrhea, gas, or abdominal pain. A food allergy is different because it triggers a reaction from your immune system.
Your reaction impacts several different organs in your body, often resulting in a wide range of symptoms. Some of these symptoms are life-threatening. If you are experiencing a food allergy, your symptoms will most likely occur immediately or within just a few minutes after you consumed the food. The most common allergic reactions include hives or anaphylaxis resulting in vomiting or swelling.
The problem is the line between food sensitivities and food allergies is not always clear for individuals suffering from inflammatory diseases including eczema and AD. You may not experience organ failure or anaphylaxis when you consume specific foods, but you will most likely trigger a reaction from your immune system. This is true for eczema, arthritis, allergies, and asthma.
Your reaction can be immediate, take a couple of hours, or require one to two days to appear. You can experience an eczema flare-up or hives. The issue is there are certain foods that can cause an allergic reaction but will not show up when you have allergy tests. Identifying your food triggers in this type of situation can be extremely difficult.
Your best option is learning which foods trigger your eczema when your skin is clear. These are the foods you will need to eliminate from your diets. The foods known to be a common cause of eczema flare-ups are detailed below.
The second most common allergy for individuals with eczema is dairy products. This includes cheese, butter, and cow's milk. The only trigger more common is eggs. Consuming dairy products can result in damage to your gastrointestinal tract lining. The damage most common from consuming dairy products is tiny holes enabling larger particles of food to enter your body.
The result is often food sensitivities and allergic reactions. Physicians refer to this as increased intestinal permeability. If you see a naturopath, it is called a leaky gut.
Grapes and grape products are not recommended for anyone with asthma or eczema. This includes grape juice, sultanas, wine, and raisins. Grapes are considered a triple threat for eczema due to the contents of three rich chemical sources known to promote itching and worsen eczema. These are MSG or monosodium glutamate, amines, and salicylates.
There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that make a natural pesticide called salicylates. This pesticide is also found in baby teething gel, perfumes, aspirin, and herbal medications. One of the best alternatives for grapes is peeled pears because they are very low in salicylate.
Hundreds of eczema suffers have reported eczema flare-ups due to avocado. Although avocado is considered healthy, the opposite is true if you have eczema. This is one of the richest known sources of salicylates and amines.
Oranges can increase the itchy sensation of your eczema. This includes any product containing oranges such as orange juice or marmalade. The juice from an orange is similar to grapes because both of them are considered strong acidifying fruit. Oranges also contain a lot of two chemicals causing itching, amines, and salicylates.
Approximately 36 percent of all individuals suffering from eczema experience more severe symptoms when consuming any foods rich in amines including oranges.
One of the worst things you can do is eat junk food such as burgers and french fries. A study was conducted in New Zealand with children as the participants. The results showed children consuming fast food or junk food a minimum of three times every week had a significantly higher risk of developing severe eczema in comparison to other children.
Auckland University researchers combined international data from nearly two million kids. The results showed not only were children consuming high quantities of junk food more likely to develop eczema but asthma as well. Your best option is to prepare your meals at home using ingredients friendly to eczema sufferers.
Kiwi fruit is considered strongly acidifying often resulting in an eczema flare-up. Kiwi fruit is also rich in amines and salicylates are known to be common eczema triggers. If you have a chemical intolerance, you might not see symptoms for several days. When you consume any irritating fruit including kiwi, you can have an immediate reaction or it can take as long as three days for symptoms to appear.
According to patch and skin prick testing, over 70 percent of all individuals suffering from eczema are allergic to eggs. This means eggs are the number one food to avoid if you suffer from eczema. Another reason to eliminate eggs from your diet is medically referred to as egg white injury.
If you consume raw eggs on a regular basis, the result can be a biotin deficiency. This will often trigger eczema flare-ups. No, raw eggs do not always trigger eczema but it happens often enough for you to consider eliminating this food from your diet.
Tomatoes and products with tomatoes including spaghetti sauce and tomato ketchup are another triple threat to eczema. This is because tomatoes contain a lot of natural MSG, amines, and salicylates. These are considered the three worst chemicals to ingest for anyone with eczema and often result in a flare-up.
Deli meats can cause your eczema to flare up. This includes flavored meats, bacon, ham, and sausages. Deli meats contain a lot of saturated fats, flavor enhancers, and nitrates which can make your symptoms much worse. Approximately 43 percent of all individuals with eczema experienced a flare-up after eating deli meats.
This does not mean you have to give up all quality meats. You should be able to safely consume certain meats including skinless chicken, beef, and lean lamb. If possible, purchase organic meat since there are no antibiotics. If you do not have seafood sensitivity, fresh fish is always a good option.
Consuming broccoli can result in pain for years. Your eczema symptoms can become worse by eating foods including broccoli, silverbeet, spinach, and kale because all of them are rich sources of natural MSG, amines, and salicylates. These chemicals will make your itchiness related to eczema worse. None of these foods are bad for most people but they are a problem for those with eczema or a sensitivity to MSG, amines, or salicylates.
If you are uncertain as to whether or not you have a food sensitivity, try eliminating these foods from your diet for a few weeks. Try them again individually to see if you have a flare-up. There are also eczema-friendly options you can try such as greens with lower salicylate content including celery, iceberg lettuce, and green beans. Once your eczema is gone, you can probably expand your intake of leafy greens gradually.
Soy sauce is extremely rich in both artificial and natural MSG and amines. This can trigger several different kinds of skin inflammation including eczema. Approximately 35 percent of all individuals with eczema see their symptoms worsen when consuming glutamates such as MSG.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.