Itching, redness, burning sensations… Skin allergy is an unsuitable immune response to compounds present in the environment. The severity of this type of allergy can vary depending on certain factors. Foods – such as broccoli – could thus alleviate the symptoms.
From the cruciferous family, broccoli is preceded by a reputation as a superfood. Many studies highlight the antitumor effect of this vegetable. Especially in the colon, breast, esophagus and bladder.
But its benefits do not end there. French researchers have just shown that broccoli would help reduce allergic skin manifestations.
In this work, the scientists were specifically interested in food compounds that act on a molecule present in the body, called the “aromatic hydrocarbon receptor” (AhR). These nutrients are naturally present in cruciferous vegetables.
In an animal model, the researchers found that the absence of these nutrients is associated with an increased state of inflammation in the skin and a worsening of skin allergy. This was not the case for mice fed a diet that contained these compounds.
Effective against other pathologies
According to the authors, “when these nutrients are absent, there is an overproduction of a molecule called TGF-beta in the epidermis of mice. This overproduction disrupts the normal functioning of a population of immune cells, the ‘Langerhans cells’, which are exclusively present in the skin and function as a modulator of cutaneous immune responses..”
“Our results suggest that an unbalanced diet may increase allergic skin reactions in humans “, underlines Elodie Segura, Inserm researcher, who led this study at the Institut Curie. “Simplified, we could say that our work helps to explain why eating vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage can limit the severity of skin allergies and why it is therefore important to include them in your diet..”
The results could also apply to other skin diseases where inflammatory mechanisms are involved, such as psoriasis.