Nutritional content of few foods diet in atopic dermatitis

The nutritional content of a few foods diet, supplemented with a casein hydrolysate formula (n = 24) or a whey hydrolysate formula (n = 21), was studied in 45 children with atopic dermatitis. The six day weighed food inventory record method was used to estimate the mean daily intake of energy, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin C on normal diet and on the few foods diet. The diet was associated with a significant reduction in protein and calcium intake in both groups, and in energy intake in the casein hydrolysate group. The median daily volume of hydrolysate milk taken was 10.5 ml/day (range 0-840 ml/day) for the casein hydrolysate group and 267 ml/day (range 0-1300 ml/day) for the whey hydrolysate group. Whey hydrolysate appears to be more palatable than casein hydrolysate, which is a potential advantage in the maintenance of an adequate intake in children on a few foods diet.