Juvenile acne: omega-3 omega-6 reduce skin lesions

Omega-3 and γ-linoleic acid supplements appear to improve symptoms of acne vulgaris. Reduction of 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 (γ-linoleic acid).

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

Diet, hormonal and environmental factors promote juvenile acne

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases in Western countries, especially among young people. It involves the blockage and inflammation of hair follicles and their sebaceous glands. The pathogenetic mechanism of acne, however, has not yet been fully elucidated, and seems to involve hereditary, environmental and hormonal factors. Recently, the effect of diet on acne vulgaris has been much discussed, for example, hyperglycemia induced by foods with a high glycemic index 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, and it has anti-inflammatory effects on the human epidermis and appears to play an important role in skin barrier integrity. Therefore, scientists considered the action of omega-3 and GLA in ameliorating 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 decrease the number of acne lesions

Forty-five patients (36 men and 9 women) with an average age of 23.7 years, suffering from mild to moderate acne vulgaris, were included in the study. One group was assigned 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA, another borage oil containing 400 mg of GLA, while a third group, the control group, received a placebo. After 10 weeks of treatment, acne lesions in subjects who had taken omega-3 or GLA had significantly decreased. No change was observed in the control group Subjective evaluation of the patients' improvement also showed a similar result, and none of them, moreover, had reported any side effects.

Omega-3 and omega-6: adjuvants for the treatment of acne

According to the study authors, these results show, for the first time, that gamma-linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids could be used to strengthen classic treatments used by patients with juvenile 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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