It turns out that nutrients from scaly fish could help humans with scaly skin, according to a new study in the British Journal of Dermatology.

In the study, German researchers assigned 53 eczema sufferers to receive either DHA supplements or supplements of a non-omega-3 fatty acid. After only eight weeks of supplementation, the group taking DHA showed a significant drop in the uncomfortable symptoms associated with eczema:

• Dryness
• Itching
• Redness 

DHA has long been known to improve eyesight and brain power, as well as reduce heart disease. But this study suggests that it is the omega-3 anti-inflammatory benefits that are at work against the eczema.   

DHA is found most abundantly in oily fish, such as sardines and mackerel, as well as supplements such as Animi-3, which is specially formulated with highly purified, DHA-dominant omega-3 fatty acids.  Two to three servings of fish a week, or the amount of supplements recommended on the label would be sufficient, and may lead to smoother skin.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.