A key part of our diet may have a direct link to acne, according to a new study.
A nightmare for many teenagers and adults alike, acne is sometimes very tough. Hormones, hygiene, eating habits… many causes can be at the origin of this skin condition. A new study, conducted by a team from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at the University of Munich, may well provide new answers and potential solutions to this problemreports the magazine Female version.
After studying the nutritional parameters in the blood of one hundred acne patients, the researchers noted that 94% of them had an omega-3 level lower than the recommendations. If diet is often implicated in the case of acne, it seems that this nutrient has a particularly important role. Omega-3 fatty acids have a anti-inflammatory role and help lower insulin-like growth factors, or IGF-1, a hormone thought to cause acne. In the study, the lower the omega-3 levels, the higher the IGF-1 levels. Although more studies are needed to establish a real role, it may be interesting for health professionals to take an interest in this element of the diet, according to the authors of the study.
Where to find omega 3 ?
Omega-3s may have a role in acne, but they are also important in the “development and functioning of the retina, brain and nervous system”, details ANSES. At the cardiovascular level, they allow in particular to lower blood pressure. And to enrich the diet with omega-3, it will be necessary to move towards terrestrial plantssuch as walnuts, rapeseed, soybean or even flaxseed oils, and for carnivores oily fishsuch as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines or anchovies.