Informational

Are Fish Oil Supplements Good For Your Skin?

September 26, 2020 by schott1310@gmail.comLeave a Commenton Are Fish Oil Supplements Good for Your
Skin?
You may have heard that taking fish oil supplements is good for your heart (turns out, that’s

mostly true).

Maybe “is it good for my skin?” has also crossed your mind.

If not, maybe it should. There is reputable evidence that omega 3’s PUFA’s (polyunsaturated fatty

acids) are useful for treating photoaging, dermatitis, and skin cancer. Omega 3’s can also improve the

quality of skin texture by helping maintain epidermal homeostasis.

It has also been found that a LACK of omega 3’s PUFA’s increase keratin disregulation and

increases transepidermal water loss, which messes up your skin barrier.

You might be wondering, how and why fish oil does these things.

 I am getting most of my information from this journal article if you want an in-depth explanation. It

is VERY science-y and technical. Omega 3’s affect skin through many different pathways. From

reading the article, a very general explanation:

Skin Secret?

Photoaging: Omega 3’s help decrease photoaging by decreasing inflammation and keratinocyte

damage.

Skin Cancer: Omega 3’s help decrease skin cancer risk by inhibiting cutaneous carcinogenesis. It

was even found that omega 3’s inhibit the growth of a certain keratinocyte cell compared to controls

(!!!).

Dermatitis: Omega 3’s help reduce dermatitis by increasing hydration. It was found that after

consuming fish oil for 60 days, a 30% increase in cutaneous hydration was found (source). (wow!!

:-o)

Now, I am NOT recommending you to throw out your sunscreen and dermatologist in favor of

gallons of fish oil. The study itself states that there have been conflicting results when it comes to the
clinical benefits of fish oil supplementation. Fish oil supplements are also not a controlled substance

so it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting. I am also not suggesting that fish oil supplements

are a viable skin cancer treatment.

If anything, consuming omega 3’s for our skin should be seen as akin to eating carrots to help with

our eyesight. It’s a good habit, but it doesn’t replace the eye doctor! 

The study also showed that a diet rich in omega 3’s (such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel) had

benefits. This is a great alternative if you don’t want to take a supplement.

Sardines and me 

In conclusion, it is probably a good idea to sometimes choose the salmon filet over the steak