Effects of fish oil supplementation on inflammatory acne

Abstract

BackgroundGiven that acne is a rare condition in societies with higher consumption of omega-3 (n-3) relative to omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids, supplementation with n-3 may suppress inflammatory cytokine production and thereby reduce acne severity.Methods13 individuals with inflammatory acne were given three grams of fish oil containing 930 mg of EPA to their unchanged diet and existing acne remedies for 12 weeks. Acne was assessed using an overall severity grading scale, total inflammatory lesion counts, and colorimetry.FindingsThere was no significant change in acne grading and inflammatory counts at week 12 compared to baseline. However, there was a broad range of response to the intervention on an individual basis. The results showed that acne severity improved in 8 individuals, worsened in 4, and remained unchanged in 1. Interestingly, among the individuals who showed improvement, 7 were classified as having moderate to severe acne at baseline, while 3 of the 4 whose acne deteriorated were classified as having mild acne.ConclusionThere is some evidence that fish oil supplementation is associated with an improvement in overall acne severity, especially for individuals with moderate to severe acne. Divergent responses to fish oil in our pilot study indicates that dietary and supplemental lipids are worthy of further investigation in acne.

Acne and nutrition: hypotheses, myths and facts

“…Acne is a rare condition in non‐Westernized societies with higher ratios of n‐3 to n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from dietary intake, as reported through level C papers . Regular fish consumption and vegetable consumption have been reported to reduce acne.…”

“…A pilot level C study conducted by Khayef et al . provided some evidence that fish oil supplements may improve overall acne severity, especially of moderate‐to‐severe acne.…”

“…Acne is a rare condition in non-Westernized societies with higher ratios of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from dietary intake, as reported through level C papers. 32,92 Regular fish consumption and vegetable consumption have been reported to reduce acne. Melnik reported that populations in Papua New Guinea and Inuits, who have no milk or cereal intake, do not develop acne, while in those individuals who changed their nutrition habits, an increase in acne prevalence was observed.…”

“…15 This inverse association between fish consumption and acne severity may be due to the fact that fish contains high levels of n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that acts as a competitive inhibitor of arachidonic acid (AA) conversion to inflammatory mediators, prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ) and leukotriene B4 (LTB 4 ), reducing inflammation in acne. 97 A pilot level C study conducted by Khayef et al 92 provided some evidence that fish oil supplements may improve overall acne severity, especially of moderate-to-severe acne. Conversely, Burris et al 98 reported through their level C paper that fish intake may impact or aggravate acne.…”

Influência do Índice de Massa Corporal e da Dieta na Fisiopatologia da Acne Vulgaris

“…No entanto, Khayef et al mostraram que, curiosamente, os sintomas pioram com o seu consumo na acne ligeira. 28 Nos últimos anos, os ácidos gordos trans-insaturados têm sido indicados como elementos agravantes da acne de forma significativa. 8 Estes ácidos gordos, abundantes na fast food, snacks e na comida frita e assada, assemelham-se estruturalmente ao palmitato, que tem uma ação ativadora do mTORC1.…”