Insta: cccskindoc

Friday 18 August 2017

Itchy Food (Pseudo-food allergy)

I have eczema. Every time I take seafood, my skin itches. What are the food that I should avoid?

I have wrote on Food and Eczema earlier. Diet restriction is only recommended for people with proven food allergy. But a lot of people with negative skin prick test and negative serum IgE to food allergen still complain of itch when they take certain food.

Yes, certain food does make you feel more itchy even though you do not really have food allergy! Why? 

These are food that contains high level of histamine. While most people are happily eating away, some people has lower enzymes (s.g. diamine oxidase) to degrade histamine content in food and may experience "pseudoallergy". Itch and hives are among the common symptom, others may experience facial flushing, angioedema (eye and lips swelling), eczema and even flare up of acne, rosacea and psoriasis. Some people may experience diarrhoea, headache, runny nose and asthma. Just to name a few.

Food with high histamine-releasing capacities include
  • Alcohol
  • Canned food
  • Shellfish
  • Smoked meat
  • Sausage 
  • Certain fishes such as tuna and mackerel
  • Beans
  • Nuts
  • Chocolates
  • Vinegar

Food that may not contain high histamine level but trigger the body to release histamines include
  • Citrus fruits
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes
  • Papaya
  • Wheat germ
  • Nuts
  • Chocolates
  • Liquorice
  • Certain fish 
  • Shellfish
  • Pork
  • Egg white
  • Certain additives and spices

Food that reduces diamine oxidase enzymes include alcohol, energy drink, black tea and green tea.

Should eczema patient takes low histamine diet?

Some patients with severe eczema find taking low histamine diet helpful, in particularly during flare ups. Generally diet restriction is not recommended for people living with eczema, unless there is real intolerance.


You may be interested to read:
Food and eczema
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Telemedicine - The Yay and Nay

Telemedicine is not new. My very first telemedicine experience started in 2013 when I was still practising in government hospital. The servi...