Flax Seeds for Reducing Inflammation in Skin Disorders

Flax seed oil has been reported widely to be effective in improving certain skin disorders such as dry skin, Rosacea acne and other inflammatory conditions, although much of this evidence appears to be anecdotal. The active component is believed to be the omega 3 group essential fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which the body converts to two other fatty acids EPA and DHA. Being an essential fatty acid ALA needs to be obtained from the diet therefore, depending on the balance of nutrients in the regular diet, deficiencies may occur which can lead to inflammatory health complaints.

This is perhaps the basis for an experiment by De Spirt et al (2008) in Germany that demonstrated an improvement to dry and sensitive skin in individuals who took flax seed oil or borage oil supplements. Although the results appear promising for these oil supplements, it should be noted that the study participants were not described as having specific inflammatory complaints such as acne, eczema or psoriasis. Rather, the skin inflammation was induced chemically. Therefore the processes causing inflammation in these individuals may be very different to that of hormonally induced or immune disorders. Nevertheless, for uncomplicated dry skin conditions these oils appear to promote significant changes to skin moisture and texture.

In addition to the positive results observed for flax seed oil, there have also however been reports of a worsening of acne in some people. Whether this is caused by an oil overload due to other fats and oils already in the diet, a diet which remains pro-inflammatory despite the addition of flax seed oil, or a specific sensitivity to flax oil is unclear. Perhaps some individuals may benefit more from the ground seeds rather than the oil. Flax seeds have an added advantage because they contain lignans, considered to possess anti-cancer properties. Chia seeds are also one of highest sources of omega 3 oil if flax seeds present a problem.

Simply following an anti-inflammatory diet that incorporates omega 3 fatty acids rather than seeking out a single active food source may produce more acceptable results overall. Controlling inflammation with diet is a way of regulating prostaglandins which are important to skin health. There is no doubt that omega 3 fatty acids are important to balancing out the inflammatory type foods that dominate modern western diets. Other inflammatory conditions including arthritis are thought to benefit from omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish oils. Read more about prostaglandins and skin health in Mirena and Acne: Natural Remedies for Hormonal Imbalance.

De Spirt, S, Stahl, W, Tronnier, H, Sies, H, Bejot, M, Maurette, J

and Heinrich, U 2009, Intervention with flaxseed or borage oil supplements modulates skin condition in women, British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 101, p440, viewed 14 June 2010,

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