Gluten Free Diet Won T Prevent Psoriasis Or Eczema Study Suggests

The analysis, accepted in August 2019 for publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, followed about 116,000 American women in the Nurses Health Study II for more than two decades, and administered health questionnaires every four years to assess how frequently participants consumed a range of foods containing gluten, a protein that gives bread its sponginess. During the study, 403 women developed eczema, which can cause skin to become itchy, red, and inflamed. (Eczema is also called atopic dermatitis, though atopic dermatitis is technically one type of eczema.) There were also 1,432 cases of psoriasis, which can lead to patches of rough, thickened, and itchy skin. And 262 women developed joint psoriatic arthritis, a painful joint problem related to psoriasis. “Patients with these types of inflammatory skin conditions are always desperately looking for relief, so the idea that diet could play a role in prevention or reduction of flares is exciting to this population,” says Raquela Adelsberg, RD, a clinical nutrition coordinator for the division of pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Unfortunately for this population, this study found no association between gluten intake and inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis,” Adelsberg says. According to research cited in an article published in July 2019 in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, an estimated 5 percent of people in Western societies, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, choose to follow a gluten-free diet. The authors observe that many people believe gluten-free diets are healthier. RELATED: Is There an ‘Eczema Diet’?

The Only Proven Benefit of a Gluten-Free Diet Is for Managing Celiac Disease

In the study, women who ate the least amount of gluten — an average of 3.5 grams (g) a day — were no more or less likely to develop eczema or psoriasis than women who consumed the most gluten — an average of 9.3 g daily. Two slices of wheat bread contain 3 g of gluten, according to the advocacy organization Beyond Celiac. “The only skin condition that a gluten-free diet has been proven to cure is dermatitis herpetiformis, which is a manifestation of celiac disease,” Adelsberg says. Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that prevents proper nutrient absorption and the digestion of gluten, affects less than 1 percent of the population, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Dermatitis herpetiformis, a chronic itchy blistering skin condition, affects about 10 percent of people with celiac disease, according to the NIDDK. People who have celiac disease need to go on a gluten-free diet to help minimize their risk of a range of uncomfortable symptoms including diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting. RELATED: Who Should Really Be on a Gluten-Free Diet?

The Study Doesn’t Prove Eating Gluten Won’t Cause Eczema or Psoriasis

The current study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how eliminating gluten might directly impact the risk of developing eczema or psoriasis. The lead author of the study, Aaron Drucker, MD, of the University of Toronto, declined to comment. Another limitation of the analysis is that researchers had data only on foods containing gluten that people consumed, not on how many people might have deliberately tried to follow a gluten-free diet. RELATED: 8 Foods That Affect Psoriasis

The Connection Between Food and Skin Conditions

Even so, the current study offers fresh evidence that other people don’t need to avoid gluten, says Ali Webster, PhD, RD, an associate director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington, DC, supported by food, beverage, and agriculture companies. “Unfortunately, there is no strong evidence that specific diets, foods, or nutrients can prevent [eczema or psoriasis] or reduce symptom severity,” Dr. Webster says. People with psoriasis who are overweight or obese may reduce the severity of symptoms by cutting calories and losing weight, but there aren’t specific foods, nutrients, or dietary patterns that can help combat the disease, according to dietary recommendations from the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation published in August 2018 in JAMA Dermatology. The relationship between eczema and diet is murky, and yet some people with eczema may have food allergies. If allergy tests confirm a food allergy, avoiding these foods may help reduce eczema symptoms, according to a review published in March 2014 in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. To reduce eczema symptoms, some people may try an elimination diet, which, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, involves removing and reincorporating suspect foods into your diet. But there’s no proof that this approach works for everyone with these symptoms, according to the National Eczema Association. “Foods shouldn’t be eliminated until a diagnosis is determined,” says Shelley Case, RD, an expert on the gluten-free diet and the author of Gluten Free: The Definitive Resource Guide. “It’s important to have the proper testing and evaluation before eliminating foods from your diet,” Case advises. “If, in fact, you eliminate foods before consulting with a physician or dietitian, it impedes the ability to obtain a correct diagnosis.” RELATED: Should You Try an Elimination Diet for Eczema?

title: “Gluten Free Diet Won T Prevent Psoriasis Or Eczema Study Suggests” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “Joseph Worcester”

The analysis, accepted in August 2019 for publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, followed about 116,000 American women in the Nurses Health Study II for more than two decades, and administered health questionnaires every four years to assess how frequently participants consumed a range of foods containing gluten, a protein that gives bread its sponginess. During the study, 403 women developed eczema, which can cause skin to become itchy, red, and inflamed. (Eczema is also called atopic dermatitis, though atopic dermatitis is technically one type of eczema.) There were also 1,432 cases of psoriasis, which can lead to patches of rough, thickened, and itchy skin. And 262 women developed joint psoriatic arthritis, a painful joint problem related to psoriasis. “Patients with these types of inflammatory skin conditions are always desperately looking for relief, so the idea that diet could play a role in prevention or reduction of flares is exciting to this population,” says Raquela Adelsberg, RD, a clinical nutrition coordinator for the division of pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Unfortunately for this population, this study found no association between gluten intake and inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis,” Adelsberg says. According to research cited in an article published in July 2019 in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, an estimated 5 percent of people in Western societies, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, choose to follow a gluten-free diet. The authors observe that many people believe gluten-free diets are healthier. RELATED: Is There an ‘Eczema Diet’?

The Only Proven Benefit of a Gluten-Free Diet Is for Managing Celiac Disease

In the study, women who ate the least amount of gluten — an average of 3.5 grams (g) a day — were no more or less likely to develop eczema or psoriasis than women who consumed the most gluten — an average of 9.3 g daily. Two slices of wheat bread contain 3 g of gluten, according to the advocacy organization Beyond Celiac. “The only skin condition that a gluten-free diet has been proven to cure is dermatitis herpetiformis, which is a manifestation of celiac disease,” Adelsberg says. Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that prevents proper nutrient absorption and the digestion of gluten, affects less than 1 percent of the population, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Dermatitis herpetiformis, a chronic itchy blistering skin condition, affects about 10 percent of people with celiac disease, according to the NIDDK. People who have celiac disease need to go on a gluten-free diet to help minimize their risk of a range of uncomfortable symptoms including diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting. RELATED: Who Should Really Be on a Gluten-Free Diet?

The Study Doesn’t Prove Eating Gluten Won’t Cause Eczema or Psoriasis

The current study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how eliminating gluten might directly impact the risk of developing eczema or psoriasis. The lead author of the study, Aaron Drucker, MD, of the University of Toronto, declined to comment. Another limitation of the analysis is that researchers had data only on foods containing gluten that people consumed, not on how many people might have deliberately tried to follow a gluten-free diet. RELATED: 8 Foods That Affect Psoriasis

The Connection Between Food and Skin Conditions

Even so, the current study offers fresh evidence that other people don’t need to avoid gluten, says Ali Webster, PhD, RD, an associate director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington, DC, supported by food, beverage, and agriculture companies. “Unfortunately, there is no strong evidence that specific diets, foods, or nutrients can prevent [eczema or psoriasis] or reduce symptom severity,” Dr. Webster says. People with psoriasis who are overweight or obese may reduce the severity of symptoms by cutting calories and losing weight, but there aren’t specific foods, nutrients, or dietary patterns that can help combat the disease, according to dietary recommendations from the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation published in August 2018 in JAMA Dermatology. The relationship between eczema and diet is murky, and yet some people with eczema may have food allergies. If allergy tests confirm a food allergy, avoiding these foods may help reduce eczema symptoms, according to a review published in March 2014 in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. To reduce eczema symptoms, some people may try an elimination diet, which, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, involves removing and reincorporating suspect foods into your diet. But there’s no proof that this approach works for everyone with these symptoms, according to the National Eczema Association. “Foods shouldn’t be eliminated until a diagnosis is determined,” says Shelley Case, RD, an expert on the gluten-free diet and the author of Gluten Free: The Definitive Resource Guide. “It’s important to have the proper testing and evaluation before eliminating foods from your diet,” Case advises. “If, in fact, you eliminate foods before consulting with a physician or dietitian, it impedes the ability to obtain a correct diagnosis.” RELATED: Should You Try an Elimination Diet for Eczema?