Omega-3: all the benefits for the skin
Healthy skin. Smooth, tight, glowing, youthful and well hydrated. These are just some of the benefits that Omega-3s can bring to your skin.
How did we become aware of this powerful action of essential fatty acids? The story is fascinating and therefore deserves to be told.
The diet of the Eskimos
In the 1970s, the first studies appeared on the dietary habits and health conditions of Inuit Eskimos living among the Greenland ice. It was observed that their diet, based on fatty fish rich in Omega-3, dramatically reduced the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. However, when these populations began to migrate to industrialized countries, where they abandoned their healthy eating habits, it increased not only their cardiovascular risk but also the incidence of certain skin diseases previously very rare among Eskimos, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. What had happened? Quite simply, their Omega-3 reserves had decreased.
Omega-3 for dry skin, dermatitis and psoriasis
Omega-3s are found in various tissues of the human body. Among these, they abound in epithelial tissue, where they play a key role as they participate in the formation of the hydrolipid film, a thin film composed of water and lipids that coats the skin and scalp, protecting them from external aggression.
When Omega-3s are in short supply, skin is drier and acne, eczema, and dandruff may occur, hair is brittle and dull, and brittle nails may also be observed. Not only that, fatty acids are also valuable in the treatment of dermatitis and psoriasis. In fact, the good intake of Omega-3 helps to restore the correct proportions between the different fatty acids that ensure the integrity and functionality of epithelial tissue.
As early as 1998, researchers at Justus Liebig University in Gießen, Germany, demonstrated the effectiveness of Omega-3s in treating a chronic form of psoriasis characterized by the presence of plaques. More recently, an analysis published in the British Journal of Dermatology revealed that a diet rich in Omega-3s from fish oil helps turn off the inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis and improves its symptoms.
This research proves what we could already guess from observing the health of Eskimos: Omega-3s are a key building block in building your health. More: they are your keystone.