Vitamin D and eczema - dosages, food sources, and Karen's supplement pick

|Karen Fischer

Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin after exposure to direct sunlight, and is also obtained through your diet. Colleagues from the children’s hospital in Boston have found that children with moderate to severe atopic eczema had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared with children with milder symptoms. Deficiency is linked to a range of health problems including rickets, poor bone health, severe fatigue, psoriasis and muscle weakness. Deficiency signs of vitamin D include eczema or dermatitis, fatigue, joint pain or stiffness, psoriasis and muscle weakness.

Vitamin D: dosages and food sources

Vitamin D (also known as)

Supplement dosages (milligrams per day)

Eczema-friendly food sources

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) Note: Many vitamin D supplements are soy-based (see ‘Useful resources’ for suggestions)

Infants (AI)

25 mcg (200 IU) from breastmilk or hypoallergenic (dairy-free) infant formula

Children + teens

1–4 years: 5 mcg (200 IU) 
5–12 years: 5–10 mcg (200–400 IU)

Adults

5–20 mcg (400–800 IU) 
(IU = international units) (mcg is also referred to as μg)

 100 g (31⁄2 oz) grilled herring: 25 mcg^ 
100 g (31⁄2 oz) canned red salmon: 23.1 mcg^ 
100 g (31⁄2 oz) canned pink salmon: 17 mcg^ 
150 g (5 oz) grilled trout: 16.5 mcg^ 
150 g (5 oz) grilled salmon: 14.4 mcg^ 
100 g (31⁄2 oz) cooked kippers: 9.4 mcg 
100 g (31⁄2 oz) cooked mackerel: 5.4 mcg^ 
100 g (31⁄2 oz) flathead: 1 mcg

AI: Adequate Intake as per Australian Government guidelines. 
RDI: Recommended Daily Intake as per Australian Government guidelines, shown on the table as the lowest dose. The higher range is the therapeutic dose. 
^This ingredient contains amines so it is not permitted on the FID Program during weeks 1–2. Fresh white fish, such as flathead, is allowed on both programs if you are not allergic to seafood.

Notes: 

  • Vitamin D can cause insomnia if taken late in the afternoon or before bed so consume it earlier in the day. Frequent use of cortisone cream can deplete vitamin D levels in the skin. 
  • As vitamin D is manufactured in the skin after sunlight exposure, frequent and small exposure to sunlight combined with a healthy diet and supplementation can help restore vitamin D levels.

 

Vitamin D supplementation

We are frequently asked to recommend a vitamin D supplement and we usually recommend this one as it is soy-free, non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan. Note the vitamin D brands in Australia contain soy and possibly additives so at present Deva Vegan Vitamin D is the only brand we recommend. If you are not sensitive to soy, other brands may be fine but you will need to contact the manufacturer to check the excipients as these are not usually listed on the bottle. https://au.iherb.com/pr/deva-vitamin-d-d2-vegan-2400-iu-90-tablets/35608

Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

           

 

The Eczema Toolkit

the holistic way to clear skin

The Eczema Detox is Karen Fischer's latest best-selling eczema manual designed to help you find relief. Through her work she found some patients needed a special program to identify personal triggers, so the FID Program was created. The Eczema Clear Skin Toolkit combines gut health and nutrition with soothing, barrier repair skincare and supplements to calm the itch and support skin repair, the immune system and more. If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is the skin calming toolkit you've been praying for.

learn more

Eczema Friend

the itch buster  |  rash cream

The low pH eczema cream that helps to relieve itchy skin, red skin rash and mild eczema and dermatitis. Suitable for all types of rashes. It's the cream you'll wish you had tried first.

learn more

Eczema News
The Damp Skin Myth: When You Really Need to Moisturise After a Shower

The Damp Skin Myth: When You Really Need to Moisturise After a Shower

|Ren Karen Fischer
  Is moisturising immediately after bathing actually best for your skin or could it be quietly sabotaging it?  It's one of the most commonly asked skincare questions: "Should I apply...

Frequently asked questions

Does food allergy trigger eczema?

Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
Do food allergy tests help eczema?

Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
About the authors

Ren Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, mother of two, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestsellers The Eczema Diet and The Eczema Detox. Fischer is also a peer-reviewed published researcher, and is currently undertaking eczema research as part of a Master's by Research at Bond University. Combining clinical research with real-world experience, she is dedicated to advancing evidence-based care for eczema.

Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment.