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More on Omega-3 Fatty Acids

© Michele Hriciso

Last week this column focused on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on psoriasis. This week, I seemed to find omega-3 information everywhere I went, from the drugstore to the internet. I am convinced that everyone needs to take a closer look at this important dietary element.

While looking for information on fibromyalgia, I encountered a very helpful article on drlowe.com which addresses the importance of balancing the amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your diet. Symptoms of omega-3 deficiency include depression, poor memory and concentration, according to Dr. John C. Lowe. This article was geared to the reader with fibromyalgia; however, depression is not uncommon among people with psoriasis.

Omega-3 fatty acids will also help prevent heart disease, type-2 diabetes and some forms of kidney disease, Dr. Lowe says. Even more important to those of us with psoriasis, it also improves disorders associated with inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The average Western diet has become deficient in omega-3 as people have cut down on fats and started using polyunsaturated vegetable oils which are rich in omega-6.

In the 1970s there was a study of the Inuit people in Greenland, who were mostly free of heart disease even though they ate a high-fat diet, writes Clara Felix in All About Omega-3 Oils, a 96-page book that is part of the Avery’s FAQs Series. They ate a lot of fish and sea mammals, which are rich in omega-3. In follow-up studies, researchers learned that a lot of health problems - including skin problems - are caused by omega-3 deficiency.

All About Omega-3 Oils cites a study by Dr. Felix C. Rudin in which a subject with discoid lupus responded positively to a flaxseed oil regimen. “That the flaxseed oil caused the improvements was very clear,” Dr. Rudin is quoted as saying. “When the patient stopped taking the oil for only two weeks, his skin began to dry and his facial lesions returned. The situation improved again when he resumed the oil supplements.”

If you’re convinced that you need to increase your omega-3 intake, by now you’re probably wondering how much you should get and how to get it. All About Omega-3 Oils says the experts agree that 4 to 8 grams a day is safe, with a minimum of 1 gram in the form of EPA plus DHA. The important thing to remember is balance - to achieve this, you must also educate yourself about omega-6 oils so that you know what to avoid.