Flax and borage oil may boost skin health from within

Tag : flax

The omega-3 and omega-6 -rich oils from flax and borage respectively also led to a decreasein skin roughness and so-called skin scaling, according to findingspublished in the British Journal of Nutrition .
Growing awareness of the link between diet and health, and byextension physical appearance, means that many consumers arereceptive to the concept of 'beauty from within'.
There is a growing body of science focusing on the potentialbenefits of nutrients to boost skin health from within, with lutein, lycopene and superoxide dismutase (SOD)having been reported to improve skin health. The same researchersbehind the new study previously reported that flavanol-richchocolate may protect against skin reddening ( Journal of Nutrition , Vol 136, pp 1565-1569).
Study details
The researchers, led by Wilhelm Stahl from the Heinrich-HeineUniversity in Dusseldorf, recruited 45 non-smoking, healthy womenbetween the ages of 18 and 65 and randomly assigned them to one ofthree groups. Two groups received daily supplements of flaxseed oil or borage oil (2.2 grams of total fatty acids), while a third receivedmedium-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, said theresearchers.
Fatty acid profiles
According to analysis of the oils, flaxseed consisted predominantlyof the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), but someomega-6 and monounsaturated oleic acid were present.
Borage oil consisted predominantly of the omega-6 fatty acidsgamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linoleic acid (LA), while oleic acidwas also present in relatively high amounts.
Results
After six and 12 weeks of supplementation with flaxseed, anincrease in blood levels of ALA was observed, while increases inGLA were recorded in the group receiving borage oil.
Following nicotinate treatment, the researchers noted a significantdecrease in reddening of the skin in the flaxseed and borage oilgroups of 45 and 35 per cent, respectively, compared to baselinevalues. No differences were recorded in the placebo group.
Moreover, blood flow to the in skin also decreased in the oilgroups
Measurements of water loss from the skin showed that the oilsupplements were associated with decreases of about 10 per centafter six weeks, with only the flaxseed oil group showing furtherdecreases at the end of 12 weeks (25 per cent).
The roughness and scaling