Evening Primrose and Flax: Beautifying Oils for Great Skin  Even if you think you've been doing everything right for your health,you may still see unsightly reminders in your reflection in the mirror that something about your health is amiss.You may not be able to put your finger on it. But whether the disturbing image in the mirror screams at you with red splotches, dark circles under the eyes, flaking skin, a sallow complexion or thinning, strawlike hair you know, just know,something isn't right and that what isn't right may have something to do with your overall health or nutritional program. eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, dryness, and hair loss. Since our skin, hair and nails seem to be the windows to our health, telling us when we are in great shape or when we are in trouble, it is good to question our health or nutritional program based on these indicators. Many women have been frustrated after trying to do all the right things and still not getting the results they want. They have cut out their carbohydrates, sweets and fat; they put on sunscreen; and even supplement with vitamin, minerals, and extra calcium. But many of the health and hormonal problems women face could be due to cutting out not only the "bad"but also the "good" fats from their diet. By doing so, these problems show rather quickly in women's skin, hair, and nails. The road to damaged skin, hair and nails, in other words, is paved with good intentions. Fat-free diets are the number one damaging, so-called "good intention" that can lead to unhealthy skin, hair, and nails. Our bodies desperately require fats, the proper fats, for ultimate skin beauty, especially as we age. But too many women have cut out all fats and that's dangerous to their health and beauty quest. Not surprisingly, up to seven percent of the population suffers from skin conditions such as eczema which is characterized by chronic itchy, inflamed skin that is very dry, red, and scaly. Another two to four percent of people suffer from psoriasis, which is characterized by sharply bordered reddened rashes or plaques covered with overlapping silvery scales. Younger women seem to be experiencing the greatest problems, say experts. These are the Generation X women who are now coming of age. Some are so concerned with body image that they resist consuming almost all fat, complex carbohydrates and protein. Nutritionists tell us that Generation X women are surviving on iceberg lettuce, fat-free yogurt, diet sodas, nonfat salad dressing, nonfat cookies, white rice, and even fat-free chips. Their bodies are crying out for the good fats that promote beauty and hormonal balance, as well as the fat-soluble vitamins their bodies cannot absorb without adequate fat. They don't seem to recognize that fat- soluble vitamins A and E are beneficial to healthy skin, nails, hair, and immunity. Women certainly don't need excess amounts of saturated fats, trans-fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or other types of highly processed fats used to flavor and texturize prepared and fast foods found in supermarkets and available from fast food outlets. Yet, there is no question any longer that beauty-enhancing essential fatty acids, obtained from both the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid families, are absolutely critical to our beauty. Women who consume the beautifying oils daily enjoy fresh clear skin, strong nails, and thick hair. They are more likely to be free of eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, dryness, and hair loss. Skin Requires Constant Supply of Essential Fatty Acids Beautiful skin, free from scaly eczema, psoriasis, redness and swelling requires the proper fats in order to maintain the correct balance of a family of chemical messengers called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins, which strongly influence skin health, are the body's chemical messengers, governing many processes, including inflammation. They are not stored in the body but must be constantly synthesized from essential fatty acids (EFA's)that are taken in from the diet. The best dietary sources of EFA's include flax seed oil, select types of seafood, and evening primrose oil. Yet while select types of seafood (e. g. , wild salmon, mackerel and trout)and flax oil supply omega-3 fatty acids, evening primrose oil is one of nature's richest source of an even rarer fatty acid: gamma-linolenic acid. This exceptionally high gamma-linolenic acid content of evening primrose oil makes it critical to skin health. That is because two key enzymes, 6 desaturase and 5 desaturase, involved in metabolizing many of the EFA's and making them useful to the skin are absent in skin itself. However, the skin does not require either of these enzymes to convert gamma-linolenic acid into favorable compounds required for moderating inflammation. But if the body is lacking gamma-linolenic acid, the skin requires the continual formation of gamma-linolenic acid from precursor compounds by the liver, and then depends on the blood for transport to the skin. Although the body can convert other EFA's into gamma-linolenic acid, it may be more beneficial to provide a constant supply of already-formed gamma-linolenic acid from evening primrose oil. That is because the body's capacity to convert linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid decreases with age and this may increase the body's requirements. Additionally, the activity of 6 desaturase is inhibited by many environmental influences such as diet, stress, and aging. Thus, supplying already-formed gamma- linolenic acid in the form of evening primrose oils enables the skin to use EFA's more efficiently. The consequences of an EFA deficiency can be devastating to the skin. When the body lacks gamma-linolenic acid, this deficit leads to an imbalance in prostaglandins and resulting skin problems such as dryness, itching, eczema, scaling, and thinning. What's more, nails may crack, and hair will become discolored and thin. Flax-Evening Primrose Oils Work Better Used Together Both evening primrose and flax oil are available separately and your health food store or natural product supermarket will carry many quality brands;however, you may be able to achieve better results from a formula that combines flax and evening primrose oils. Take psoriasis, one of the skins most common indicators of overall inflammation. Research from the Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, shows that the flax-evening primrose oil combination may be particularly beneficial in cases of psoriasis. Once formed in the body, arachidonic acid is turned into another proinflammatory chemical, leukotriene B4, which is known to accumulate in the lesions of psoriasis sufferers. Eicosapentaenoic acid, a major polyunsaturated fatty acid found in fish oil (and that the body also produces from the raw materials in flax oil), as well as gamma- linolenic acid, are both potent inhibitors of leukotriene B4 generation. "It seems reasonable, therefore, that adequate dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid or gamma-linolenic acid may offer a novel and nontoxic approach to suppressing cutaneous inflammatory disorders," notes UC Davis researcher Dr. . V. A. Ziboh. Another reason for using both flax and evening primrose oils together is that under the influence of omega-3 oils, the body is far more likely to convert gamma-linolenic acid to favorable prostaglandins. Meanwhile, flax oil is rich in alpha-linoleic acid which also converts to less inflammatory leukotrienes. Flax's omega-3 fatty acids also inhibit the body's production of inflammation-causing arachidonic acid, which is usually found in animal foods together with saturated fat. By doing so, flax favorably inhibits the body's conversion of arachidonic acid to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. Many other studies support use of evening primrose oil for clearing up the skin of troubling conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. We've recommended these same oils, flax, evening primrose and soy phytohormones for women in their thirties and forties and who are experiencing perimenopause. But, for all women (not only members of Generation X), another reason for using this formula is that it combines flax with evening primrose oil. This combination holds strong promise for beautifying women's skin. How to Obtain Recommended Formula Our recommended formula comes in both liquid and capsules and is available at natural health centers nationwide. Be sure it's label lists all three ingredients that we have discussed:flax, evening primrose and soy isofavones. How to Use Recommended Formula Women should take one to two tablespoons of the liquid daily. Instead of butter or margarine on bread, try using the combination as a spread for it's pleasant, nutty taste. The formula can also be spread on foods such as baked potatoes (after cooking, of course). If using the capsules, take two to three capsules, three times daily with meals.
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