Dietary vitamin E may play a small protective role in reducing the risk of atopic dermatitis, whereas other antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C, carotene, and retinol may have no significant effect, according to a recent study.

In a two-sample Mendelian randomization study, published in Skin Research & Technology, investigators examined the causal relationship between dietary antioxidant vitamin intake and atopic dermatitis (AD). They utilized a genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the IEU OpenGWAS database and the UK Biobank to assess the impact of vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, and retinol on AD risk.

The results demonstrated a suggestive causal association between vitamin E intake and reduced risk of AD (P = .038, odds ratio, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.745–0.992). However, no significant causal relationships were identified for vitamin C, carotene, or retinol intake (P > .05). Sensitivity analyses indicated no heterogeneity or pleiotropy, supporting the validity of the findings.

The investigators discovered no evidence of a causal relationship between vitamin C intake and AD, with a (P = .507, odds ratio [OR] = 0.826–1.099). The analysis showed no significant causal link between carotene intake and AD (P = .890, OR = 0.864–1.184). The study also did not find a significant causal relationship between retinol intake and AD (P  = .492, OR = 0.893–1.264).

While these results suggested that vitamin E intake may provide a protective effect against AD, the evidence did not support the use of dietary antioxidant vitamin supplementation for the prevention or treatment of AD. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms by which vitamin E may influence AD through oxidative stress pathways.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.