Nourishing the Skin: A Review of Diet's Role in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a complex skin condition influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Increasing evidence points to diet as a key contributor to disease severity through systemic inflammatory pathways. A review of recent literature was conducted to evaluate the relationship between dietary patterns and advancement of HS. Pro-inflammatory diets such as the Western diet, leucine-rich diets, and brewer's yeast were associated with HS exacerbation through mTOR activation and hormonal dysregulations. In contrast, anti-inflammatory agents such as the Mediterranean diet, very low-calorie ketogenic diet, and dairy-free diets showed promising results in mitigating HS flares. Supplementation with vitamin D and zinc also demonstrated clinical improvement in patients with documented deficiencies. Recent research suggests that fasting may help reduce inflammation and ease HS symptoms. This review seeks to synthesize recent literature, offer diet-specific management insights, and identify existing gaps in research and literature regarding diet and HS.