Flax and Borage Oils May Boost Skin Health from within
Lee Swanson Research Update
New research from Germany and France suggests that supplements containing flaxseed or borage oil may protect skin against reddening and improve skin health from within.
The omega-3 and omega-6-rich oils from flax and borage also led to a decrease in skin roughness and so-called skin scaling, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
There is a growing body of science focusing on the potential benefits of nutrients to boost skin health from within, with lutein, lycopene and superoxide dismutase (SOD) having been reported to improve skin health. The same researchers behind the new study previously reported that flavonol-rich chocolate may protect against skin reddening (Journal of Nutrition Vol. 136, pp.165-1569).
The researchers, led by Wilhelm Stahl from the Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf, recruited 45 non-smoking, healthy women between the ages of 18 and 65 and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. Two groups received daily supplements of flaxseed oil or borage oil (2.2 grams of total fatty acids), while a third group received medium-chain fatty acids as the placebo.
Skin irritation was achieved using nicotinate applied to the skin. This would induce inflammation and reddening of the skin, the researcher said.
According to the analysis of the oils, flaxseed consisted predominantly of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), but some omega-6 and monounsaturated oleic acid were present.
Borage oil consisted predominantly of the omega-6 fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linoleic acid (LA), while oleic acid was also present in relatively high amounts.
After six and 12 weeks of supplementation with flaxseed, an increase in blood levels of ALA was observed, while increases in GLA were recorded in the group receiving borage oil.
Following nicotinate treatment, the researchers noted a significant decrease in reddening of the skin in the flaxseed and borage oil groups of 45% and 35%, respectively, compared to baseline values. No differences were recorded in the placebo group.
Measurements of water loss from the skin showed that the oil supplements were associated with decreases of about 10% after six weeks, with only the flaxseed oil group showing further decreases at the end of 12 weeks (25%).
The roughness and scaling—dry peeling skin—was also decreased significantly after 12 weeks of flaxseed and borage oil supplementation, with no differences in the placebo group.
British Journal of Nutrition Published online ahead of print.
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