Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

Preventing an essential fatty acid deficiency with omega 6 and omega 3 capsules and foods is key to combating skin challenges.



Over the past two decades I have worked with clients with a wide range of skin issues—acne, eczema, rosacea and cradle cap to name just a few. Helping the client understand which are the best fats to eat and what their role was in the body, and then ensuring that client was getting enough of the right kinds of essential fatty acids (EFAs) was a key factor in growing healthy skin.

Types of Fat and Signs of Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

First, recognize that all fats are not created equal. Daily, we have the option of taking in unhealthy fats—fats that contribute to skin problems and ill health in general—or healthy fats—fats that play a critical role in our overall health, and in the smooth, supple and clear condition of our skin.

Under the healthy fat category, there is an additional differentiation for good fats that are essential, those that the body can’t create via normal metabolic pathways, and that therefore need to be consumed in our dietary intake. It is an insufficient intake of these particular oils that leads to an essential fatty acid deficiency.

Good sources of fat are minimally processed, free of preservatives and synthetic chemicals, and have a long history of traditional use. Examples of healthy fats include olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, walnut oil and butter, and the fats found in foods like oily fish, nuts, seeds and avocados.

Unhealthy fats, such as trans fats (i.e. heated, altered, hydrogenated fats) and saturated fats that are part of the nutritional make-up of animals fed a grain rather than grass-based diet, contribute to a host of health challenges. Among the many problems that can arise from deficient and/or unhealthy fat intake are raised blood cholesterol levels, pain and inflammation, poor insulin regulation, diminished cardiovascular health, mood and nervous disorders, impaired brain development, hormonal imbalances, auto-immune disturbances and, of particular note to readers here, a wide range of skin problems.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Oils

Essential fatty acids are critical nutritional components, and as important as vitamins and antioxidants in achieving optimal health. An essential fatty acid deficiency, therefore, hinders attainment of wellness in general and, specifically, of clear and glowing skin.

In particular, our bodies need a properly balanced intake of two EFAs, linoleic acid (LA), the “mother” omega-6 oil from which other omega-6 oils can be derived, and alpha linolenic acid (ALA), the “mother” omega-3 oil from which other omega-3 oils can be derived. That means includinga variety of omega 6-rich foods—flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, olives—and omega 3-rich foods—chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon and halibut—in the diet on a daily basis.

Particular emphasis should be placed on omega 3-rich foods but don’t forget the oft-neglected healthy omega 6-rich foods. Most North Americans get far too many omega 6 fats but from poor sources such as commonly used, highly processed sunflower, safflower, corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils. Avoid those sources and instead concentrate on ones that supply a healthy intake of omega-6 oils.

Because of the current need to somewhat limit fish intake due to chemical-tainted fish supply, and the fact that not everyone does well on high amounts of vegetarian omega-3 food sources such as flax and walnuts, it can be hard for one’s needs for omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) to be met through diet alone. An essential fatty acid deficiency of omega-3 EFAs, therefore, can be quite common and means that in order to achieve wellness, and in particular healthy skin, supplementation of omega-3 oils is often needed. As mentioned, most North Americans get an overly abundant amount of poor quality highly-processed omega-6 oils in their diet. There is, therefore, often a need to supplement with healthy, unadulterated versions of this EFA as well.

Supplemental EFAs

Preventing an essential fatty acid deficiency often requires the use of supplements. Though recommended supplemental amounts of essential fatty acids vary by age, body weight and type of nutritional deficiency being corrected, a good place to start in correcting an essential fatty acid deficiency is with a combination omega 6 and omega 3 capsule or liquid that has a linoleic acid (mother omega 6 oil): alpha linolenic acid (mother omega 3 oil) ratio of between 1.5:1 and 2.5:1 in roughly the following amounts: 1 capsule per every 40 pounds of body weight or if in liquid form, 1 teaspoon per every 75 pounds of body weight.

Certain skin conditions (i.e. rosacea, cradle cap, psoriasis) often indicate a particular type of essential fatty acid deficiency and, therefore, may require starting with a specific omega-3 capsule or omega-6 rich oil, such as cod or krill—good omega 3 sources—or evening primrose oil—a good omega 6 source—but in general, once that primary deficiency has been corrected and skin health is improving, returning to the basic ratio as stated above, is usually a good plan.

As well, note that it is recommended that intake of fish oils high in vitamin A and D (i.e. cod liver oil) is of good quality and contains a sufficient level of vitamin D to prevent vitamin A toxicity. Per information from the Weston Price Foundation, ensure there is a ratio of vitamin A:vitamin D of at least 10:1.

Check out other Begin Within Natural Skincare Nutrition pages:

Start with Food for Healthy Skin
then Diet for Good Skin
and Nutrition for Healthy Skin
Next Benefits of Drinking Water
Finally, here's help on choosing the best Skin Vitamins

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