Nutritionist discovers breakthrough in search of eczema cure

It's that time of year for dry, itchy skin, annoying rashes and eczema, the painful inflamed skin condition that many Australians are often forced to suffer through.

However there's good news for anyone who has the painful ailment, that affects as many as one in three people nation wide.

Groundbreaking research has revealed that diet could hold the key to an eczema cure.

An Australian nutritionist has made a major breakthrough by identifying specific foods that clear it up, allowing sufferers to avoid years of discomfort.

The research has also identified specific 'trigger' foods that could potentially cause the condition.

Prior to her treatment last year, 12-year-old eczema sufferer Georgie Broos was in agony with the cruel condition.

“My eczema, it felt really bad, I couldn't do anything. I would scratch at night, I would cry, I couldn't go to sleep,” Georgie told 7 News.

Her arms and legs itching and covered with red eczema, nothing eased the pain for the young sufferer.

“They were giving us cortisone injections, cortisone creams," Georgie's father, Keith, told 7 News.

“At one stage they even suggested that we give her sleeping tablets so she could sleep at night and we thought no, we have to look for something different."

The family tried the new approach to treat the illness, swapping pharmaceuticals for food and after the first few weeks Keith said the results were "unbelievable".

“The first month, the itchiness started to go away, second month the skin started clearing up. Third month? Unbelievable,” he said.

Nutritionist Karen Fischer said the fuel we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our skin.

“Diet plays a huge role, our skin's made from the foods we eat so it makes sense to start with that," she said.

Ms Fischer used the diet to treat her own daughter’s eczema and is now helping others to do the same.

“These are your itchy dozen worst foods for eczema and there's some surprises here like avocado and dark leafy greens, the usuals - dairy products and junk food are all bad for eczema,” she said.

The special diet focuses on improving gut health and reducing inflammation by eating foods like cabbage.

Cabbage is low in natural pesticides called 'salicylates' that are known to trigger the condition.

Ditching dairy out of your diet and taking calcium supplements instead is another recommendation for the diet.

Lastly, Ms Fischer suggests switching wheat for alternatives like spelt oats.

Currently, there is no cure for eczema and treatments like topical steroids only offer a short-term reprieve from the symptoms.

Experts do agree, however, that there is a link between gut health, the immune system and skin inflammation, but have said it’s far too early to hail the diet as a miracle cure for the painful condition.

Associate Professor Pablo, Head of Dermatology at Westmead told 7 News: “We haven't found any evidence that any diet makes a difference. But that doesn't mean there could be something that could work.”

News break – June 29