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Fish Oil and Acne: Can It Really Be This Easy? Yes!
By Acne Free | August 7, 2007
There are hundreds of acne treatments available for you to try these days and whilst most of them are medications which you can purchase over the counter, others are completely natural. One particularly good natural treatment which many people recommend for acne includes fish oil. So just how do fish oil work and are they really a good option for acne treatment?
How Fish oil Help With Acne
Studies have shown that by increasing the amount of fish oil in your diet, you can successfully help to treat your acne problem. It is thought that the fish oil, especially Omega 3, help to lessen the inflammation and they also help to stop the body from overproducing sebum. Sebum is the main cause of acne break outs as it clogs up the pores and that is what causes the spots to appear.
When you really look into it, an essential Omega 3 acid known as Eicosapenaenoic Acid is the main thing which helps to stop the inflammation caused by acne. It does this by increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory Prostaglandins. These Prostaglandins are found in every cell within the body and they are basically hormone type substances. So by increasing your amount of Omega 3 in your diet, you could potentially stop break outs of acne in the future.
Now not all fish oil are good for acne and Omega 6 is one of the oil which you should ideally limit. This is because if you have a diet which is rich in Omega 6 but not in Omega 3, it can cause what is known as Leukotriene B4, to be over produced.
Now Leukotriene B4 has been linked to acne and it is thought that it could be one of the causes of the condition. So you obviously do not want to increase its amounts within the body. If you are worried about this problem, then simply adding more Omega 3 to the diet should help.
So just how do you get the right levels of fish oil into the diet? Well according to the experts, you are not supposed to have more than 1 or 2 portions of fish per week because of the dangers which have recently surfaced about the toxin levels in the fish. So the only real way to get enough Omega 3 is to take supplements. Ensure that the supplements are high in Eicosapenaenoic Acid, otherwise known as EPA, as that is the main thing which will help to control your acne problem.
Overall fish oil are important within our diets for a number of reasons and now the fact that they are linked to acne is a good reason to start eating them. Remember to keep your intake of Omega 6 to a minimum and increase your intake of Omega 3 for the best results. If this does not work then you should consult your doctor to see what they recommend. Also, remember that it could take a few months to notice any results so you should not stop taking the supplements any sooner than that.
Topics: Fish Oil |
April 26th, 2008 at 12:44 am
[…] a long time I’ve stood behind fish oil as one of the best acne cures available. Today a reader wrote in to share a similar sentiment: 3 words - fish oil works!! I was […]
August 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
“Ensure that the supplements are high in Eicosapenaenoic Acid, otherwise known as EPA…”
How many mg’s of EPA should be taken daily? I have Omega-3 fish oil capsules that have 300mg of EPA, I take 2 a day. I’ve read somewhere I need 1500mg a day?
How much should be taken?