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A new study has found that high levels of sodium, commonly consumed through salt, may increase the risk of eczema, an inflammatory skin condition in which the skin becomes dry and itchy.
Previous studies have found that sodium in the skin is linked to autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions, including eczema. They have also shown that consumption of fast food, which contains high amounts of dietary sodium, is associated with increased likelihood and severity of eczema in adolescents.
The new study found that eating one gram of extra sodium per day above the recommended amount can increase the risk of eczema outbreaks by 22 percent. One gram of sodium is equivalent to about half a teaspoon of table salt or the amount in a hamburger Big Mac sold by McDonald’s, an international fast food chain.
While the World Health Organization recommends sodium intake of less than two grams a day, according to the UK National Health Service, the recommended sodium intake is 2.3 grams daily.
This chronic skin disease has become more common in recent years, especially in industrialised countries, meaning environmental and lifestyle factors (such as diet) likely play a role, said researchers at the University of California, San Francisco in the US.
Therefore, limiting sodium intake may be an easy way for eczema patients to control their disease, he said. These findings are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Dermatology.
“Eczema flares can be difficult for patients to deal with, especially when they can’t predict them and don’t have any tips on how to avoid them,” said Katrina Abubara, MD, correspondin author of the study and associate professor of dermatology at UCSF.
For the research, the team used data of more than 2 lakh people aged 30-70 years from the UK Biobank, which included urine samples and electronic medical records.
The team analysed urine samples to determine each participant’s sodium intake. From medical records, they were able to determine whether the participant had eczema or atopic dermatitis, as well as its severity.
Researchers found that consuming one gram more sodium than the recommended amount increased the risk of developing skin disease by 22 percent.
He said future research could consider limiting sodium in the daily diet for the treatment of eczema.
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