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Do long‐chain omega‐3 fatty acids protect from atopic dermatitis?
Author(s) -
Reese Imke,
Werfel Thomas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
jddg: journal der deutschen dermatologischen gesellschaft
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1610-0387
pISSN - 1610-0379
DOI - 10.1111/ddg.12780
Subject(s) - atopic dermatitis , polyunsaturated fatty acid , fatty acid , long chain , medicine , double bond , chemistry , omega , omega 3 fatty acid , biochemistry , dermatology , docosahexaenoic acid , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , polymer science
Summary 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.