title: Effects of fish oil supplementation on inflammatory acne.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given that acne is a rare condition in societies with higher consumption of omega-3 (n-3) relative to omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids, supplementation with n-3 may suppress inflammatory cytokine production and thereby reduce acne severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  13 individuals with inflammatory acne were given three grams of fish oil containing 930 mg of EPA to their unchanged diet and existing acne remedies for 12 weeks. Acne was assessed using an overall severity grading scale, total inflammatory lesion counts, and colorimetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant change in acne grading and inflammatory counts at week 12 compared to baseline. However, there was a broad range of response to the intervention on an individual basis. The results showed that acne severity improved in 8 individuals, worsened in 4, and remained unchanged in 1. Interestingly, among the individuals who showed improvement, 7 were classified as having moderate to severe acne at baseline, while 3 of the 4 whose acne deteriorated were classified as having mild acne.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is some evidence that fish oil supplementation is associated with an improvement in overall acne severity, especially for individuals with moderate to severe acne. Divergent responses to fish oil in our pilot study indicates that dietary and supplemental lipids are worthy of further investigation in acne.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition and Food Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA.
authors.forename: Golandam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khayef
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Bonny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burns-Whitmore
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spalding
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005395:Fish Oils