Nutrition, Obesity, and Seborrheic Dermatitis: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Pathogenesis of seborrheic dermatitis involves lipid secretion by sebaceous glands, Malassezia colonization, and an inflammatory response with skin barrier disruption. Each of these pathways could be modulated by diet, obesity, and nutritional supplements. Current treatment options provide only temporary control of the condition; thus, it is essential to recognize modifiable lifestyle factors that may play a role in determining disease severity.

Objective: This study aimed to summarize published evidence on diet, nutritional supplements, alcohol, obesity, and micronutrients in patients with seborrheic dermatitis and to provide useful insights into areas of further research.

Methods: A literature search of Scopus, PubMed, and MEDLINE (Ovid interface) for English language papers published between 1993 and 2023 was conducted on April 16, 2023. Case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials with 5 or more subjects conducted on adult participants (>14 years) were included, case reports, case series, and review papers were excluded due to insufficient level of evidence.

Results: A total of 13 studies, 8 case-control, 3 cross-sectional, and 2 randomized controlled trials, involving 13,906 patients were included. Seborrheic dermatitis was correlated with significantly increased copper, manganese, iron, calcium, and magnesium concentrations and significantly lower serum zinc and vitamin D and E concentrations. Adherence to the Western diet was associated with a higher risk for seborrheic dermatitis in female patients and an increased consumption of fruit was associated with a lower risk of seborrheic dermatitis in all patients. The prebiotic Triphala improved patient satisfaction and decreased scalp sebum levels over 8 weeks. Most studies find associations between regular alcohol use and seborrheic dermatitis, but the association between BMI and obesity on seborrheic dermatitis severity and prevalence is mixed.

Conclusions: This review sheds light on specific promising areas of research that require further study, including the need for interventional studies evaluating serum zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin E supplementation for seborrheic dermatitis. The negative consequences of a Western diet, alcohol use, obesity, and the benefits of fruit consumption are well known; however, to fully understand their specific relationships to seborrheic dermatitis, further cohort or interventional studies are needed.

Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42023417768; https://tinyurl.com/bdcta893.

Keywords: BMI; alcohol; body mass index; dermatitis; dermatology; diet; micronutrient; micronutrients; mineral; minerals; nutrient; nutrients; nutrition; nutritional; nutritional supplements; obese; obesity; review methodology; review methods; seborrheic dermatitis; skin; supplement; supplements; systematic review; vitamin; vitamins; weight.

Figure 1

Study selection. All full-text papers were excluded due to a lack of inclusion criteria eligibility. A total of 3 studies included results that evaluated both BMI and alcohol use.