Evaluating the associations between dietary vitamin intake and atopic dermatitis: A regional cross-sequential study among Singapore and Malaysia young Chinese adults.
Dr. Shashidhar Thalwar
MBBS, MD (Dermatology), FRGUSH (Dermatosurgery)
Consultant Dermatologist & Hair Transplant surgeon
DERMACARE SKIN AND HAIR CLINIC
Higher dietary intake of vitamins E, K1, C, B2, and D appears to mitigate the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in young Chinese adults from Singapore and Malaysia, as shown in a large study.
The study included 1,979 participants with AD (defined by the presence of recurrent flexural rash in the past 12 months) and 3,650 with no allergies or eczema. The mean age was 22.45 years in the AD group and 22.73 in the control group, with the majority of participants being female. The mean BMI was 21.20 and 20.76 kg/m2 in the respective groups. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated, investigator-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, which covered 16 common food groups.
High dietary vitamin E intake reduced the odds of AD by 18% following adjustments for total fat intake (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.97; p=0.02). The protective effect of vitamin E is likely related to its being a potent antioxidant, helping with oxidative stress and inflammation associated with AD, according to the investigators.
For vitamin D, a modest dose–response relationship between higher dietary intake levels and lower odds of AD emerged (aOR, 0.90, 95% CI, 0.83–0.99; p=0.03) was observed. The investigators advised careful interpretation of the findings due to the complexity of vitamin D metabolism, as evidenced by mixed results in previous research, and the potential confounding effect of sun exposure. However, in a subset analysis of 1,016 participants, the impact of sun exposure was found to be minimal, and the protective association between dietary vitamin D intake and AD remained significant (aOR, 0.69, 95% CI, 0.48–0.99; p<0.05).
Similarly, dietary vitamins K1 and B2 intake had an inverse dose–response association with AD (K1: aOR, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.76–0.95; p<0.001 and B2: aOR, 0.88, 95% CI, 0.78–0.98; p=0.02).
Vitamin C was also associated with significantly reduced odds of AD despite adjusting for smoking (aOR, 0.88, 95% CI, 0.81–0.95; p=0.01). However, this association disappeared after controlling for fruit intake, suggesting that the observed effect could mainly be attributed to the vitamin C present in fruit. In additional analysis, even just low-to-moderate vitamin C intake, when combined with high fruit consumption, was enough to reduce the odds of AD (aOR, 0.64, 95% CI, 0.46–0.88; p=0.01).
Overall, the study provides evidence on the potential role of dietary vitamins in mitigating AD risk and warrants further research into whole-food-based dietary strategies for AD management.
Reference: Lim JJ, Reginald K, Say YH, et al. Evaluating the associations between dietary vitamin intake and atopic dermatitis: A regional cross-sequential study among Singapore and Malaysia young Chinese adults. JID Innov. 2025;5(5):100387.
