Antioxidant Nutrients and Atopic Dermatitis in Children
A case-control, population-based study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition to investigate the link between antioxidant nutrient intake and the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. The researchers enrolled 180 children with atopic dermatitis and 242 without AD all being five years old. Their diets were assessed by using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and fasting blood samples were used to analyze fat-soluble vitamins such as retinol, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and vitamin C. The results were a reduction of AD by 56 percent in children with the highest intake of beta-carotene in comparison to children with the lowest intake. There was a similar association with vitamin E at 67 percent, folic acid at 63 percent and iron at 61 percent reduction in AD risk. Highest levels of alpha-tocopherol were associated with a 36 percent reduced risk of AD and retinol was at 26 percent lower risk. The researchers stated “These findings suggest that higher antioxidant nutritional status reduces the risk of AD and that such risk-reduction effects depend on nutrient type.”
