Salt consumption is too high in almost all countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which indicates that the global average intake of adults is 10.78 g/day of salt, which leads to an increase in blood pressure with serious health consequences such as an increased risk of developing cardiovascular and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, or stomach cancer, among other pathologies.
More and more evidence is being added about the health problems associated with excess salt in the diet and a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has found that a diet high in sodium could increase the risk of eczema. Specifically, they have discovered that consuming just one extra gram of sodium per day – the amount found in a Big Mac – increases the likelihood of experiencing breakouts by 22%.
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic disease that causes dry, itchy skin. It is one of the most common skin conditions, it is estimated that one in 10 people will develop it at some point in their lives. In recent years, in fact, its prevalence has increased, especially in industrialized countries, suggesting that environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diet, play an important role in its appearance.
Restricting sodium intake may improve eczema
The researchers analyzed data from 215,832 aged 30 to 70 from the UK Biobank, including urine samples and electronic medical records. They were able to determine the amount of sodium each person consumed from urine samples and checked whether people had a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, as well as its severity, from prescription codes.
They found that each additional gram of sodium excreted in the urine over 24 hours was associated with 11% more likely to have an eczema diagnosis, 16% more likely to have an active case, and 11% more likely to have higher severity. They later examined 13,000 American adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that consuming just one extra gram of sodium per day – about half a teaspoon of table salt – was associated with a 22% greater chance of having an active case. of eczema.
“Eczema flare-ups can be difficult for patients to manage, especially when they cannot anticipate them and have no recommendations for what they can do to avoid them,” said Dr. Katrina Abuabara, associate professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study. , which was just published in JAMA Dermatology. Therefore, the study authors conclude that their findings “suggest that restricting dietary sodium intake may be a cost-effective, low-risk intervention for atopic dermatitis.”
Each additional gram of sodium excreted in the urine over 24 hours was associated with 11% more likely to have a diagnosis of eczema and 16% more likely to have an active case
Alberto Arnedo-Pena, honorary professor of the Department of Health Sciences at the Public University of Navarra, who did not participate in the study, stated in statements to SMC Spain: “The study measures disease and exposure at the same time. Therefore, there is no temporal relationship and it is not possible to establish proof of causality between sodium consumption and the disease. This would require cohort studies, first the exposure (sodium consumption) and then the appearance of the disease (atopic dermatitis).
And he adds that “risk factors have not been considered, including allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, atopy, atopic dermatitis in childhood, family history of atopic dermatitis, history of respiratory infections, pneumonia, sinusitis or consumption of tobacco”.
Therefore, the expert concludes that “this is an exploratory study with a hypothesis of interest and, taking into account the limitations it presents, the importance of sodium consumption in the etiology of dermatitis deserves to be further explored with cohort or experimental studies.” atopic.”
