title: Do long-chain omega-3 fatty acids protect from atopic dermatitis?
abstract: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for human nutrition. The number of double bonds determines whether a given fatty acid is termed two, three, or x times unsaturated. Depending on the distance of the first double bond from the fatty acid's methyl group, one distinguishes omega-3 fatty acids from omega-6 fatty acids. While the use of gamma linolenic acid, a long-chain fatty acid of the omega-6 family, has proven unsuccessful in the prevention or treatment of atopic dermatitis, supplementation of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may represent a promising approach in the prevention of allergic disorders, especially atopic dermatitis. Whether the concept of long-chain omega-3 fatty acid administration will also become established in a therapeutic setting, depends on whether the beneficial effects observed so far can be substantiated in randomized controlled intervention studies.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Counseling and Therapy with Special Focus on Allergology, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Imke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunodermatology and Experimental Allergology, Department of Dermatology, Allergology, and Venereology, Medical University Hanover, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Werfel
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3