First of all let me clear that it’s not fish oil but omega 3 fatty acids present in fish oil matters.
Just by adding fish oil to your diet you can reduce acne by 42% (studies shows). How it works, how much amount you should take, do they’ve any side-effects and why it’s not recommended for everyone? We’ll discuss on these questions in this article.
Let’s start with omega 3 fatty acid as it got a good amount of popularity in nutrition world.
Related post : Relation between food and acne
Omega 3 fatty acid – A short intro
Omega 3 fatty acid belongs to polyunsaturated fatty acid.
The word fatty acid may trigger a concern in you. But let me bust this myth. Not all fats harm your health; there are some fats (like this one) which are not only important for your health but have a bunch of benefits.
And I must clear this, your body can’t make omega 3 fatty acid (they’re important); you must get them from your diet.
There are 3 types of omega 3 fatty acid – DHA (docosahexaenoic), EPA (eicosapentaenoic) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). DHA and EPA are found in marine oil and ALA in plant oil.
Reports says with fish oil you can treat acne by 42%
Experts in Seoul National University College of Medicine (South Korea) carried a study with 42 acne affected adults and distributed them in three groups.
- First group advised to take omega 3 fatty acid (1000 mg DHA and 1000 mg EPA).
- Second group, 2000mg of borage oil, containing 400 mg of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid).
- And the last group with no supplement.
After 10 weeks first and second group shown a positive impact, more than 42% of acne was cured. (source)
One important thing to be noted here is people with mild to severe acne shows good results.
Another study carried out, 13 men with mild to severe acne were given fish oil capsules for 12 weeks. (930 mg EPA, 720 mg DHA and 174 mg DPA)
And the result was, though people with moderate and severe acne shown improvement, mild acne got worse.
Conclusion from these 2 reports
From above mentioned reports it can be concluded that fish oil can treat moderate/severe acne, but for mild acne you’ve to look for some other natural remedies like argan oil, rose water, jojoba oil or honey.
Also read: Remedies to get rid of pimples with baking soda
Fish Oil for Acne – How it works
There are lots of researches which proved that omega 3 fatty acid can cure acne.
To know what properties in omega 3 fatty acid help to cure acne, let’s refresh the main causes of acne.
Acne is caused due to excess oil (sebum) production by sebaceous glands and dead skin cells which blocks skin pores. Bacterial infection increases acne. Though these are main causes of acne, stress, depression and some hormone causes excess oil production.
Now come back to fish oil.
Main properties of omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, as inflammation and oxidation stress are main causes of acne it makes sense that omega 3 fatty acid easily treat acne. You know that stress also causes acne; omega 3 DHA fatty acid in fish oil reduces mental stress.
Fish oil contains bioactive chemical which helps in regulating sebum production.
Note: Pregnant women are asked to consult a doctor before taking omega 3 fatty acid capsules.
Wrap up
Omega 3 fatty acid in fish oil notably DHA and EPA treats acne. These are important fatty acid for our body which you can get through diet. There are various studies which prove that omega 3 fatty acid can treat acne. But for mild acne it’s not recommended.
You can get omega 3 fatty acid or fish oil capsules from local store. 3000 mg of dosage is recommended.
Other health benefits of omega 3 fatty acid or fish oil include
- Treat Psoriasis
- Reduce wrinkles (face packs for wrinkles)
- Skin irritation
- Atopic dermatitis
- Heart diseases
- Controls blood pressure
- Weight loss support
- Arthritis
- Depression
Share your views on this article.
Source:
- http://www.acneeinstein.com/fish-oil-for-acne/
- http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411530,00.html
- http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet