Atopic Dermatitis
Foods may trigger an AD flare via three main mechanisms:
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy, may trigger a flare within minutes to hours. The six common trigger foods are milk, eggs, wheat, soy, seafood, and nuts.
- Late eczematous reactions, due to the same trigger foods, may cause an AD flare up to 48 hours later.
- Systemic contact dermatitis, screened for by patch testing, is a T-cell mediated reaction and can occur when certain foods are ingested.
Probiotics in combination with prebiotics, have shown promise in the treatment of AD. Treatment found the most promise with a combination of different strains of bacteria and when used for at least 8 weeks in adults and children over the age of 1 year. Some plant-derived fibre serves as a prebiotic, which may promote a healthy gut microbiome. Given an increasing body of research demonstrating a gut-skin connection, this may benefit certain inflammatory skin diseases.
