Youth Acne: Omega-3 and Omega-6 Reduce Skin Lesions

Supplements of omega-3 and gamma-linolenic acid seem to improve symptoms of acne vulgaris. A reduction in typical lesions of the condition appears after only 10 weeks of supplementation with 2 grams per day of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) or 400 milligrams of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid).

This is reported by a study conducted by researchers at Seoul University (Korea) and published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica.

Diet, hormonal and environmental factors favor youth acne

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases in Western countries, especially among young people. It involves blockage and inflammation of hair follicles and their sebaceous glands. However, the pathogenic mechanism of acne has not yet been fully clarified and seems to involve hereditary, environmental, and hormonal factors. Recently, the effect of diet on acne vulgaris has been widely discussed; for example, hyperglycemia induced by high glycemic index foods seems to influence its onset. Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the synthesis of many pro-inflammatory molecules. GLA is one of the essential omega-6 fatty acids, has anti-inflammatory effects on human epidermis, and seems to play an important role in skin barrier integrity. Therefore, scientists considered the action of omega-3 and GLA in improving acne vulgaris and designed a study—the first of its kind—to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of omega-3 and GLA in the treatment of facial acne.

Omega-3 and GLA reduce the number of acne lesions

Forty-five patients (36 men and 9 women) with a mean age of 23.7 years, affected by mild to moderate acne vulgaris, were included in the study. One group was assigned 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA, another group received borage oil containing 400 mg of GLA, while a third control group received a placebo. After 10 weeks of treatment, acne lesions in subjects who took omega-3 or GLA significantly decreased. No changes were observed in the control group. Subjective assessment of improvement by patients showed similar results, and none reported side effects.

Omega-3 and omega-6: adjuvants in acne treatment

According to the study authors, these results show, for the first time, that gamma-linolenic acid and omega-3 fatty acids could be used to strengthen conventional treatments for patients with youth acne. 

Source: 

Jae Yoon Jung, Hyuck Hoon Kwon, Jong Soo Hong, Ji Young Yoon, Mi Sun Park, Mi Young Jang  and Dae Hun Suh. Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Gamma-linolenic Acid on Acne Vulgaris: A Randomised, Doubleblind, Acta Derm Venereol 2014; 94: 521–525.

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