A study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of California, Berkeley found a significant association between a high-sodium diet and the development of atopic dermatitis (eczema). Just one extra gram (1,000 milligrams) per day, or about half a teaspoon, of sodium was associated with an 11% increased risk of severe eczema.
Recently, sodium has also been shown to accumulate in the skin. This may explain its association with inflammatory pathways in eczema.
New evidence has shown that most sodium is actually stored in the skin, where the immune and lymphatic systems regulate the body’s electrolyte balance. This also means that sodium may also affect some autoimmune skin diseases.
For the new study, experts looked at urine samples collected over a 24-hour period from nearly 216,000 adults aged 37 to 73 from the UK Biobank. At the same time, approximately 11,000 participants (about 5%) were diagnosed with eczema.
Each additional gram of sodium was associated with an 11% increase in the likelihood of being diagnosed with eczema, a 16% increase in the number of active eczema flares, and an additional 11% increase in eczema severity.
Source: Ferra
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