Wheat free diets
Doctors and dermatologists are divided over whether or not wheat elimination works. "In my own experience, a year of excluding wheat from Alice's diet made a noticeable difference to the severity of her eczema. As a result we excluded wheat products as part of the management of her eczema in close consultation with a dietician." says Deborah Mason, Founder of talkhealth partnership ltd.
It is advisable when eliminating foods from your diet to seek specialist medical advice from your GP, or a dietician.
Alongside dairy intolerance, wheat can also be problematic for eczema sufferers. However, like dairy produce it can be difficult to eliminate totally. Wheat can be found hiding in all sorts of foods, eg in some fish fingers (in the breadcrumbs), sausages (rusk to bulk the sausage), pasta and in the more obvious foods such as cakes, biscuits and breads.
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However, there are a wide range of good alternatives available. It may even be possible to obtain some foods on prescription. Look out for some of the following: whole grain cereals, cornflakes, rice crispies, rice pasta, rice cakes, rice/buckwheat/potoato flour, wheat free biscuits (try your local health food store). Eliminating wheat means srcutinising food labels for wheat based ingredients. Specialists believe that any food elimination diet should show postive results within about 6 weeks. If the eczema is improving, it is usual to continue to eliminate the particular food for about a year. Some doctors believe that wheat should be avoided for the first year of life if a baby is showing signs of eczema or if there is eczema in the family. However, there is little practical evidence to substantiate this claim. |
But remember to speak to your GP or other health practitioner before eliminating wheat in order to ensure you have all the information you need to maintain a healthy diet.
Information written by the talkhealth medical panel
Last Reviewed: 29 September 2010
Next Review Date: 29 September 2012
