Abstract

Author(s): Puerto Caballero, L.; Tejero García, P.

Classically, the potential relationship between health and food has been proposed. In the late twentieth century the medical community begins to consider that food, added to a nutritional role, could be useful preventing chronic and degenerative diseases, as well as in the preservation of health. After Kaimal´s work it is well established that some nutrients’ deficiencies cause skin diseases, such as pellagra with a niacin deficiency. However, in other dermatological syndromes there is much more controversy about the role that nutrition could play both as prevention and as adjuvant treatment. Our purpose has been to review the current scientific evidence on the relationship between food and dermatological diseases, both as prevention and as an adjuvant therapy to conventional treatment. We have reviewed the role of food in healthy skin care and its possible protective role against sun damage.

The up-to-date available scientific evidence makes us think, that besides the clearly evidenced role that some nutrients have in dermatological diseases, dietary modifications may be helpful in the treatment and prevention of recurrence of certain skin illnesses such as acne and psoriasis, among others. Dietary adjustments may be critical in those dermatologic diseases linked to obesity and aged skin, although most studies are conducted in small groups and further studies are recommended to strengthen the scientific evidence.