5 Major Food Groups to Eat for Itchy Skin

Whether it's a mosquito bite or an underlying health condition, there are many reasons why your skin can feel itchy. There are also many ways to ease that irritation — for instance, you can incorporate some of the best foods to eat for itchy skin into your diet.

Read on to learn more about the most common causes and treatments for itchy skin, plus foods you can incorporate into your diet to help relieve the scratching.

Causes and Treatment for Itchy Skin

The most common causes of itchy, inflamed, or scaly skin include the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Dry skin (or nutritional deficiencies that lead to dry skin)
• Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, scabies, or parasites
• Burns and scarring
• Insect bites
• Internal conditions like liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, HIV, multiple myeloma, or lymphoma
• Mood disorders like anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression
• Allergic reactions, which can cause hives or rashes

Treating itchiness will depend on what’s causing it. For instance, you might apply anti-itch cream to quell an eczema flare-up or an insect bite, or take prescription medication to tame itchy skin related to anxiety or an underlying disease.

Of course, if your itchy skin persists and comes with other unpleasant health symptoms, it’s best to visit your doctor. In the meantime, however, you can try certain lifestyle changes — like eating foods that are good for your skin — to help with irritation. Here’s what to add to your daily lineup.

1. Foods Rich in Vitamin E

Turns out, foods with vitamin E may help your skin. Why? Vitamin E has antioxidant properties, meaning it helps protect your cells (including skin cells) against damage.

For example, you can apply creams with vitamin E to your skin to help relieve inflammation and swelling after sun exposure. This may help prevent dryness or itching that comes with sunburn. Studies have also shown that taking oral vitamin E supplements may help reduce the risk of itching from atopic dermatitis (aka eczema). But more research is needed to confirm this link.

If you prefer to get vitamin E through diet alone, it’s best to pair vitamin E-rich foods with those high in vitamin C (which may also help your skin; more on that later). Some foods high in vitamin E include:

• Wheatgerm oil
• Sunflower seeds
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Beet greens, collard greens, and spinach
• Pumpkin
• Red bell pepper
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Avocados

Adults should aim to eat about 15 milligrams of vitamin E every day, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Start by incorporating vitamin E-rich foods, and talk to your doctor before trying any supplements.

Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate or test vitamins and supplements before they are sold, so there’s no guarantee that any supplement contains what the ingredients list says it does, or produces the effects it claims. Make sure you are purchasing supplements from a reputable source that has been third-party tested and approved.

2. Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Another food group to keep in mind when treating itchy skin is those high in vitamin C. Similar to vitamin E, vitamin C's benefits include antioxidant properties that help protect your skin from damage, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

Research has found that these antioxidants may also help ease inflammation (and the red, dry, or itchy skin that can come with it) from conditions like eczema. Vitamin C can also help your body create collagen — the type of protein that makes up your skin and helps keep it elastic and hydrated, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

As we age, collagen production decreases. But getting enough vitamin C can support collagen production and skin health throughout your life. Research also suggests that vitamin C can help your skin preserve its moisture, which may help as skin gets drier with age.

While the above may be true when it comes to topical vitamin C treatments (like serums and ointments), more studies are needed to determine whether these effects are similar to vitamin C from food. Either way, getting more vitamin C in your diet is an overall healthy choice.

Some foods high in vitamin C include:

• Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits
• Kiwi
• Papaya
• Cantaloupe
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Broccoli
• Bell peppers
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends most adults get between 7‌5 and 80 milligrams of vitamin C per day. (This amount may be even higher if you’re pregnant or nursing.) And the source matters: Try to go for whole foods over juices made from fruit concentrate or other products that contain added sugars.

3. Foods Containing Probiotics

Probiotics aren’t just good for your gut — they can help improve your skin health, too. Studies show that these beneficial bacteria can have a positive effect on the skin microbiome, helping to prevent and treat itchy skin, rashes, and symptoms of conditions like eczema, acne, or sun damage. They may even help with skin inflammation due to allergies.

Because of this, some of the best foods to eat when you have skin issues include natural sources of probiotics, like:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Certain cheeses
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Sourdough bread
• Miso
• Pickles
• Tempeh

Just keep in mind that some probiotic-containing foods, like dairy, may trigger skin issues for people with eczema, according to the National Eczema Association.

Probiotics are also available in supplement form. Talk to your doctor about which strain and dosage is best for you before trying one, though.

4. Foods Containing Quercetin

You might also be able to reduce itching with foods high in quercetin, a type of antioxidant called a flavonoid that has anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids are naturally occurring pigments that give plants their color and help protect your cells from damage.

Early evidence suggests that quercetin may help relieve skin rashes. In some laboratory settings, quercetin helped prevent immune system cells from releasing histamine — a chemical that’s responsible for allergic reactions and symptoms like a runny nose, watery eyes, swelling, and hives.

In other words, there's potential for quercetin to help you avoid itchy skin from an allergic response. But more studies need to investigate this potential connection and establish whether quercetin does, in fact, decrease allergic reactions.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to eat more foods with this flavonoid. Many plant foods high in quercetin are good for your overall health. This includes:

• Red leaf lettuce
• Asparagus
• Romaine lettuce
• Onion
• Green pepper
• Tomatoes
• Cherries
• Green tea
• Apples

If you think allergies may be contributing to your itching, consider seeing a dermatologist or allergist, who can run tests to determine whether you're allergic to specific foods.

5. Other Anti-Inflammatory Foods

While there's no diet-related way to cure body itching instantly, eating anti-inflammatory foods may help prevent or treat skin irritation. That's because many skin conditions cause inflammation (think: eczema and psoriasis), which can lead to dry, itchy, scaly, or otherwise irritated skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Foods can't cure skin diseases, but focusing on including the following anti-inflammatory ingredients may help, according to Harvard Health Publishing:

• Olive oil
• Tomatoes
• Nuts and seeds (as long as you don't have an allergy)
• Fish
• Dark leafy greens
• Fruit