AT A GLANCE

A large-scale Korean study found a significant, linear association between higher Dietary Inflammatory Index scores and increased atopic dermatitis risk, particularly in females.

As atopic dermatitis (AD) rates surge worldwide, researchers are turning their attention to modifiable environmental factors—most notably, the modern diet. A new population-based study from Korea sheds light on this potential link by analyzing data from over six years of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2017–2023). Investigators examined how the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)—a measure of diet-related inflammatory potential—correlates with AD prevalence in a nationally representative cohort.

Using weighted multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline modeling, the team found that individuals in the highest DII quartile faced a 73% higher odds of having AD compared to those in the lowest quartile. The association was particularly strong among women, suggesting sex-based susceptibility to dietary inflammation. Importantly, the relationship appeared linear across the DII spectrum, reinforcing the idea of dose-responsive risk.

"These findings suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet is significantly associated with higher AD prevalence, particularly in women and younger individuals, while greater intake of dietary fiber and carotene appears protective," write the authors.

This study adds valuable large-scale evidence to a growing body of work suggesting that what we eat may be a modifiable driver of chronic skin inflammation.

Reference: Tan K, Sun N, Wang D, Chen J, Long J, Zhang J. Dietary inflammation: a potential driver of atopic dermatitis?-Evidence from KNHANES 2017-2023. Front Immunol. 2025;16:1606145. Published 2025 Jun 20. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1606145