Many people have to deal with one or more skin conditions at some point in their lives. This includes, for example, atopic eczema. Eczema is often treated with a medicated cream. However, many people prefer to use a more natural remedy such as an anti-inflammatory diet.
If you also prefer a natural remedy for eczema, it can be interesting to get acquainted with the benefits that the use of fish oil entails. Fish oil supplements are known to offer excellent added value to people who suffer from atopic eczema (also called atopic eczema).
But how effective is fish oil really and can it help people who suffer from this chronic skin condition? We looked it up for you!
What is atopic eczema?
First of all, it is interesting to look at what exactly atopic eczema is. It is a kind of inflammation of the skin. Even more important to know is that this is a chronic disease that usually appears quite early in the patient's life.In practice, atopic eczema can cause a lot of discomforts. Not only does it naturally affect the appearance of the skin, but it can also have other unpleasant consequences.
People who have to deal with this form of eczema often complain about, for example, intense itching and dry, red skin. In some cases, there may even be cracked skin.
The periods in which this type of eczema manifests come and go. This means that the skin condition does not continuously occur to the same degree, which also applies to winter eczema, for example.
How Is Atopic/Constitutional Eczema Treated?
Treating atopic eczema can be done in several ways. For example, medicated creams or moisturizing creams can be used. It is also possible that phototherapy is used, which involves exposing the skin to UV light.
Even though these treatments for atopic or atopic eczema have all proven their usefulness and effectiveness, many people are more likely to find more natural solutions. It is mainly for this reason that more and more attention is being paid to treating eczema through fish oil supplements.
Why can fish oil supplements help with atopic eczema?
In particular, the treatment of atopic eczema consists of controlling and alleviating the symptoms. Moreover, in this way, one tries to prevent or shorten the periods in which this skin condition can manifest itself.Preventing (new) inflammation is of crucial importance in the treatment of atopic or atopic eczema. After all, inflammation is a completely normal reaction of our body to diseases and infections.
However, when there is chronic inflammation, it can harm our body. Chronic inflammation can even increase the risk of certain diseases.
Both inflammations of the nervous system and inflammation of the skin contribute to the development of atopic eczema. But what is the relationship between this type of eczema and fish oil? Well, high-quality fish oil is rich in healthy omega-3 fats.
These substances are known for having a very powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Even though further studies are still being conducted to date, the first research results have shown that fish oil supplements can help not only treat rheumatoid arthritis but also fight inflammatory bowel disease.
As a result of the above results, people started looking further into other conditions that fish oil supplements could have a positive effect on. In this way, one eventually arrived at the treatment of atopic eczema with fish oil supplements.
Although treating might be the wrong word. Fish oil supplements would in practice mainly contribute to alleviating the atopic eczema symptoms.
What health benefits do fish oil supplements create?
Fish oil supplements are known to be one of the most popular anti-inflammatory supplements today. As described earlier in this article, scientific studies have shown that taking such supplements can structurally help relieve the symptoms of atopic eczema.That said, further investigation is still required. One of the most important studies in this area took place in 2012. When a report (which was a conclusion of three different, independent studies) found that the use of fish oil supplements led to a significantly better standard of living for people with eczema that is atopic. This would greatly reduce the itching associated with this type of eczema.
In addition, another study examined the link between atopic eczema and fish oil supplements. During this study, treatment was started, consisting of omega-3 fats together with omega-6 fats, zinc, vitamin E, and a multivitamin. During this study, it was found that eczema decreased by as much as 50 to 80 percent in many participants.
However, it is important to take into account the fact that the omega-3 fats (or the fats that are part of the main substances in fish oil supplements) were only one of the links in the chain. It is therefore not clear to what extent they contributed to the final result.
Studies with fish oil supplements against eczema in animals
It is not only the studies on atopic eczema that have been conducted among humans that have shown positive results. After all, this also applies to the studies that were carried out with animals. One of these studies showed that rats suffering from extreme eczema showed significant improvements within 30 days of receiving a daily orally administered fish oil supplement.
It was not only found that the itching in the animals decreased significantly; as well as the skin was found to be significantly more hydrated. A real win-win situation!
The preventive effect of fish oil supplements during pregnancy
Since atopic eczema often appears in practice at a (very) young age, the possibilities of preventing the development of this skin condition in young children were also examined.Several scientific studies in this area have now shown that taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy may have the effect that different types of eczema will develop less quickly in a baby. However, more research is needed to gain insight into the effect of a fish oil supplement on eczema (including atopic eczema ) in young children.
Even though there is still a lot of research to be done on the effect of fish oil supplements on atopic eczema, it can already be determined that there may be many beneficial effects associated with their use.
For people who suffer from this skin condition, it can therefore be interesting in practice to consider using a supplement with fish oil. Please note, this does not mean that another treatment you are taking can be stopped just like that. Always discuss this with the attending physician first.