Eczema, a condition whose name derives from the ancient Greek word ‘ekzein,’ meaning to boil, is characterized by intense itching that can be extremely difficult to manage. During flare-ups, the affected skin often becomes raw, sore, flaky, and cracked, making relief a priority for those suffering. Recent research indicates that a simple change in diet—reducing sodium intake by about one gram, roughly equivalent to half a teaspoon of salt per day—might help lessen these symptoms.
Scientists now understand that sodium is stored in the skin, which points to its role in the inflammation process linked to eczema. Often, flare-ups seem to happen without clear triggers, but it is possible that having high sodium levels stored in the skin means only a small increase in salt intake could provoke an outbreak.
A large cross-sectional study involving over two hundred thousand people aged between 30 and 70 years, sourced from the UK Biobank, examined this connection. The UK Biobank is a vast resource containing urine samples and electronic medical records, allowing researchers to estimate each participant’s sodium consumption based on urine sodium excretion. By cross-referencing medical records, researchers identified individuals with atopic eczema and assessed the severity of their condition using prescription data.
The findings revealed that for every additional gram of sodium excreted in a 24-hour urine sample, there was an 11% greater likelihood of having an eczema diagnosis, a 16% higher chance of experiencing an active flare-up, and an 11% increase in eczema severity.
Supporting this, another study involving thirteen thousand adults found that consuming just half a teaspoon of table salt daily was associated with a 22% increased risk of active eczema. Together, these studies suggest that reducing daily salt intake could be a simple yet effective way to help manage eczema flare-ups.
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