Elimination diets may be associated with modest improvement in eczema severity but with some potential risks, according to a review published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Researchers conducted a systematic review to identify the benefits and harms of dietary elimination for the treatment of AD. The results of 10 randomized controlled trials (599 participants) suggest that dietary elimination may slightly improve eczema severity (50% with vs 41% without dietary elimination improved SCORAD [Scoring Atopic Dermatitis] by a minimally important difference of 8.7 points), pruritus (daytime itch score mean difference [MD]: −0.21), and sleeplessness (sleeplessness score MD, −0.47) with low certainty evidence. Elimination (empiric vs guided by testing) and food-specific sensitization were not associated with subgroup differences. There were insufficient data examining harms of elimination diets, but indirect evidence suggested that elimination diets may increase the risk for immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy.
