Omega-3 Acids and Fish Oil - Good For What Ails You? Part 3 - Psoriasis

Apr

26

Omega-3 Acids and Fish Oil - Good For What Ails You? Part 3 - Psoriasis

≡ Category: Supplements, Theory |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

PSORIASIS

Several double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trials have shown promising results treating psoriasis with omega-3 fatty acids.

In a study done at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, 28 patients with chronic psoriasis were randomly given either fish oil capsules or olive oil capsules. After 8 weeks of treatment, there was a significant lessening in the fish oil treated group of itching, erythema (redness of the skin), and scaling. There was no change in the placebo group (Fish oil in psoriasis - a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Br J Dermatol 1987;117:25-26).

In another study, Eighty-three patients hospitalized for chronic plaque-type psoriasis were given intravenous injections of either an omega-3 fatty acid-based lipid emulsion or a conventional omega-6-lipid emulsion. The omega-3 group was superior to the omega-6 group with respect to changes in overall erythema (redness of the skin), overall scaling, and severity of psoriasis per body area, all of which were confirmed by the self-assessment of the patients (Omega-3 fatty acid-based lipid infusion in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38(4):539-547).