Essential Fatty Acids & Eczema

Fatty acids are lipids composed of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Fatty acid chains can be of variable lengths. The length and basic chemistry of a fatty acid influence how it is absorbed from your intestine and how it is ultimately metabolized in your cells. Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are long-chain fatty acids that cannot be manufactured in your body and must be acquired from your diet. Among their many functions, EFAs are important for maintaining the integrity of your skin.

EFA Conversion

According to Dr. Elson Haas, author of "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," only two fatty acids are essential for human health. Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, is found in abundance in plant oils, such as canola, sesame, corn, peanut, poppy seed, sunflower and safflower oils. Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, is found in flaxseed, chia seed, hempseed, pumpkin seed and certain sea plants. It was once believed that alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, was readily converted to EPA and DHA -- two other important fatty acids -- in your cells. However, research shows that these conversions are inefficient in humans, so EPA and DHA should probably be obtained from fish or fish oil supplements.

Healthy Skin

Your skin is a multilayered, complex organ whose lower strata are continually metabolizing, growing and dividing. It is only the most superficial layer of your skin that consists of dead cells which are shed as they are replaced by new cells rising from below. Dermatologists at the University of Connecticut Health Center report that EFAs are necessary for the normal differentiation and maturation of your skin cells. In addition, EFAs are an integral component of your skin's permeability barrier, and they participate in an array of immune functions which make your skin an effective defense against infectious and toxic agents.

Deficiency

If your diet does not contain sufficient amounts of EFAs, one of the first manifestations of deficiency is the loss of your skin's permeability barrier, which results in a loss of cohesion in its deeper layers. According to "The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy," EFA deficiency is characterized by eczema, which is a generalized flaking and scaling of your skin. Typically, this can be corrected with even small amounts of dietary EFAs. Pre-existing atopic dermatitis, or allergic eczema, is often worsened by EFA deficiency due to derangement in the skin's immunologic function.

Considerations

Eczema is a generic term for flaking, crusting and reddened skin. It can result from a variety of causes, including allergies, chemical irritants, medication reactions, immunologic hyperactivity, nutritional deficiencies and impaired circulation. Eczema caused by EFA deficiency is unusual, because even small amounts of dietary EFAs will prevent it, and it is usually corrected with consumption of sufficient amounts of linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, EPA and DHA.

Recommendations

A 1999 National Institutes of Health workshop recommended that Americans consume about 2 percent of their total calories in the form of linoleic acid and 1 percent in the form of ALA. Another 0.2 percent should be composed of an equal combination of EPA and DHA. Each gram of fatty acids contains 9 calories. Thus, a 2,000-calorie diet should provide approximately 4.5 g of linolenic acid, 2.25 g of ALA and 225 mg each of EPA and DHA.