80% of teenagers have it and 20% are severely affected. In the era of social networks, this can lead to significant psychological problems: acne is the bane of young skin and even of some women who develop it in their forties. “The first reason why we have it is genetics,” explains dermatologist and dermopediatrician Dominique Tennstedt of Saint-Luc University Clinics.
If acne affects teenagers so much, it is also because adolescence is a period marked by a surge in sex hormones: everything is turned upside down and there is also an increase in sebum production. Acne happens when there is excess sebum and the pores dilate while others get clogged. Result: shiny, oily skin that can give rise to comedones (blackheads) and microcysts (whiteheads) in… the best of cases. Because then, the bacteria attracted by this lipid proliferation will arrive while our organism will react by triggering the inflammation of the follicle, visible in the form of pimples.
A new study, conducted by a team from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at the University of Munich, studied the blood characteristics of people with acne: it turns out that out of 100 of them, 94 had a rate of omega-3 below recommendations.
It is true that the contents of the plates are often blamed for acne, but in this case, it is striking: omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory role and help lower growth factors similar to insulin, or IGF-1, a hormone believed to cause acne. In the study, the lower the omega-3 levels, the higher the IGF-1 levels.
The good news is that omega-3s are easily found in a normal diet: there are good concentrations in nuts, rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil and especially in all fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines or anchovies. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential, they are not produced by the body and must therefore be provided by food. In addition, “they play an essential role in many processes such as learning, mood regulation, development of sight, the immune system, in the event of cardiovascular diseases, during pregnancy or in metabolism. fats,” points out nutritionist Eléonore de Richecour. Who advises: “To integrate more omega-3s into the diet, you can start by seasoning your salads and hot dishes with vinaigrettes with various oils. Sprinkle your salads and porridge with walnuts and almonds as well as flax, chia and/or hemp seeds. Finally, we make sure to eat small fatty fish 2 to 3 times a week: in salads, as a spread, in savory pies, in cans!”