DHA Supplements Helpful in Treating Symptoms of Eczema

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the principal anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, can reduce symptoms of eczema, a common skin disease.

Margitta Worm, PhD, of the Charite University of Medicine, Berlin, and her colleagues treated 53 patients, ages 18 to 40 years, with either 5.4 grams of DHA or placebos daily for eight weeks. The patients were regularly examined by the same dermatologist, who scored their eczema symptoms on a standardized clinical scale.

Patients taking DHA had a 23 percent decline in eczema symptoms during the study. Meanwhile, people in the placebo group had only a negligible improvement in symptoms.

In addition, patients taking DHA supplements had a reduction in immunoglobulin E (IgE), an immune-system compound strongly associated with eczema.

Reference: Koch C, Dolle S, Metzger M, et al. “Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in atopic eczema: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.” British Journal of Dermatology, 2008;158:786-792.