Chocolate and peanuts are among a range of foods which could trigger eczema, according to a nutritionist.
Dora Walsh, a London-based Nutritionist Resource member, has shared her top tips on which foods can help you avoid the condition as part of National Eczema Week, which was held recently.
Dora believes the right diet is crucial to alleviating eczema, and says it is time to ditch the mittens and that creams may not necessarily be the answer to the ordeal of eczema.
Foods to reduce eczema include fish, potatoes, berries and apples.
She said: “Mainstream medicine can control eczema by suppressing the symptoms. But nutritional therapy addresses the underlying causes. The anti eczema diet focuses on pure natural foods to repair skin, total rehydration and eliminating allergens and which are thought to trigger the condition.
“Milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, soy, chocolate, nuts, strawberries and citrus fruits are the major allergens believed to trigger eczema. The vast majority of people see a marked improvement by removing them from their diet.
“Those not wishing to exclude them all can see a nutritionist for food intolerance test for precise information on the foods they are sensitive to. Those foods are eliminated for at least three months, and then carefully reintroduced.”
She also suggested omega 3 fats found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna eaten at least three times a week helps reduce inflammation characteristic with this condition and a handful of raw nuts and seeds i.e. cashews, hazelnuts and walnuts also provide the good fats which are essential for skin health and repair.
“Skin should also be hydrated with at least 1.5 to two litres of water a day,” she added.
