Researchers find daily fish oil intake lowered immunosuppression
In a recent study, researchers led by Lesley Rhodes, Professor of Experimental Dermatology from the Photobiology Unit Dermatology Centre at the University of Manchester, discovered that consuming a daily dose of omega-3 fish oils enhanced skin immunity to sunlight.
Some of the 79 healthy patients who volunteered for the trial received a daily 4-g dose of omega-3. Other patients took placebo. Using a special light machine, all study participants were subsequently exposed to the equivalent of either 8, 15, or 30 minutes of Manchester summer midday sun. Study results showed that, at 8 and 15 minutes of sun exposure, immunosuppression was 50% lower among the patients receiving the omega-3 supplement compared with those patients taking the placebo. According to study results, little influence was observed among patients with 30 minutes of sun exposure.
“Although the changes we found when someone took the oil were small, they suggest that a continuous low level of chemoprevention from taking omega-3 could reduce the risk of skin cancer over an individual’s lifetime,” said Rhodes.
Though omega-3 can be used as an added degree of protection against sun damage, Rhodes emphasized that omega-3 was not a substitute for sunscreen and physical protection.
Source: The University of Manchester.