ROLE OF OMEGA 3,6,9

IN PSORIASIS
 OMEGA FATTY ACIDS
Omega fatty acids fall into three groups, identified as
OMEGA-3 OMEGA-6 OMEGA-9

While omega-3 fatty acids are best known, all three groups
have important benefits for overall health.
 (1) OMEGA-3 – THE BEST-KNOWN FATTY ACID
 ALA
Provides valuable support for immune system function and male fertility.
The best natural sources are flaxseed and canola oil
ALA is also found in soybean oil and walnuts.
 EPA and DHA
The healthy heart fatty acids.
Found primarily in cold-water fish like mackerel, salmon, lake trout, herring and
sardines. DHA in baby powder.

(2) OMEGA-6 AND OMEGA-9 – NOT ALWAYS THE BAD GUYS

The value of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids is not always as clear.

 GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) (omega-6 fatty acid)

produce eicosanoids that support cardiovascular health.
natural sources - borage seed oil and evening primrose oil.
 OLEIC ACID (omega-9 fatty acid)
helps support cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range and
immune system function.
 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EPA)
 Only two EFAs are known for humans:
  alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid)
linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid)

 Essential means you NEED to get them from the

diet because the body cannot manufacture them.
 
  DHA, EPA, AA (arachidonic acid) and GLA are non-
essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which
humans can manufacture from the two essential
ones.
 WHAT IS PSORIASIS?
• A common, life-long, genetic, autoimmune skin
disease
• Immunologically based disease which combines
dermal inflammation with secondary epidermal
hyperplasia
• Characterized by well circumscribed areas of thick,
red, scaly skin
• From the Greek “psoros” meaning “rough, scabby”
• Term first used (along with “lepra”) by Hippocrates
(460-377 B.C.) in Corpus Hippocraticum
• von Hebra first to distinguish psoriasis from leprosy
in 1841
• Affected skin is painful,
itchy, often bleeds, and is
debilitating when involving
the face, genitals, palms, or
soles
• Under the microscope, affected skin is
thickened, has increased blood vessels,
and contains numerous white blood
cells
 ROLE OF EFAs IN PSORIASIS
 Essential fatty acids (EFAs) affect the pathophysiology of
psoriasis in three ways:
 impact the kinetics of cell membranes
 impact dermal and epidermal blood flow via improved
endothelial function
 EFAs act as an immunomodulating agent through their impact
on eicosanoids.

 EFAs are used as basic substrates in the development of the

phospholipid bi-layer in virtually every cell in the human body,
including the dermis and epidermis.

 They create structural integrity that regulates fluidity, which

impacts cell transport, messenger binding, and cell
communication.
 OMEGA-3 (ALA)
 Act both directly and indirectly on endothelial function by
 reducing mononuclear cell cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF-α
 decreasing formation of chemo-attractant protein platelet-derived
growth factor
 increasing bioavailability of nitric oxide
 reducing expression of adhesion molecules.

 Prevent vascularization, or new blood vessel growth within the psoriatic plaque,
while simultaneously allowing improved perfusion of dermal tissue

OMEGA-6 (LA)
 Healing the areas of the skin with lesions in psoriasis, as stated by the University
of Maryland Medical Center

 If there is present too much of Omega-6 and not enough of the Omega-3,

Omega-6 will start togear up the inflammatory process in the body and the skin.
That's why Omega-6 fatty acid has to be balanced by the Omega-3 fatty acid.
Patients with psoriasis may demonstrate linoleic acid deficiency and elevated
skin levels of omega-6 fatty acid .

Higher intakes of linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) stem the excess
production of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and are important for suppression of
prostaglandin E2, an eicosanoid important for inhibition of the type 1 helper T
cells (Th1) involved in psoriasis.

 Intake of omega-3 fatty acids may also provide similar benefits with regard to
these pro-inflammatory metabolites.

OMEGA-6 FATTY ACID  TOGETHER WITH OMEGA-3:

improves the overall state of the skin;
helps to maintain cell structure and function keeping skin moisturized, smooth and
healthy;
has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, providing relief from symptoms
associated with psoriasis;
can improve the skin cell proliferative activity and therefore to decrease the
scaling.
 EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (EPA)
DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA)
(omega-3 fatty acids)
 Reduce symptoms in many inflammatory skin diseases, limiting the spreading
of the inflammatory process.

 Leads to the formation of hydroxylated metabolites through 15-lipoxygenase,

15-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid, and 15-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid –
potent inhibitors of the 5-lipoxygenase of mononuclear cells to LIMIT THE
SYNTHESIS OF PROINFLAMMATORY LEUKOTRIENES LTB4, LTC4, and LTD4.

 To date, several studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of the
daily supplementation of EPA and DHA in patients with psoriasis, with an
improvement observed in their mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)
score, as well as in clinical symptoms, particularly in pruritus.
 CLINICAL TRAILS AND RISKS
Smaller clinical trials of a combination of omega-6 and omega-3
fatty acids found no significant improvement in the severity of
psoriasis.

While many have found that omega-3 fatty acids improve the
effectiveness of standard treatments; reduce the hyperlipidemia
caused by etretinate therapy; prolong the beneficial effects of
phototherapy; and reducing the nephrotoxicity of cyclosporin.

Additional clinical trials are required before either omega-6 or

omega-3 fatty acid supplements are used for the treatment of
psoriasis

Moderation is advised regarding a substantial increase in either

supplement, due to the risk for weight gain and the potential for
polyunsaturated fats to increase oxidative stress.
THANK
YOU