Dietetic Effects of Mare's Milk in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis

Mare's milk has been used in the treatment of inflammatory illnesses for centuries since it was known to contain antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory substances. The aim of this study was to examine whether the consumption of mare's milk by patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) has a beneficial effect.

As a precondition for participating in this study, the subjects were provided information in writing and verbally about the details of the study. Informed consent was obtained from all volunteers. Before the beginning of the study, all participants were subject to a medical examination in the Clinic for Dermatology and Dermatologic Allergology of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The AD was diagnosed according to the atopy-score of Diepgen. Severity of eczema was evaluated by using the SCORAD score. A skin prick test was performed for the exclusion of type 1 sensitivity to mare's milk.

The study was designed as a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Twenty-three patients received 250-ml mare's milk or placebo orally for 16 consecutive weeks. Between the two intervention periods, a four week wash-out period without drinking any test substances was introduced. The intensity of AD was examined using the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), which was determined at the start of the study and after 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of each intervention period. Blood samples were taken at the start of the study and subsequently after 8 and 16 weeks. Fresh stool samples were taken at the beginning of the study and at the end of each intervention period.