By Deborah Condon

An alternative treatment which was previously thought to improve symptoms of eczema, may not ease the skin condition after all, the results of a new study suggest.

The research looked at borage oil, which is sold as starflower oil in some health food shops and chemists. Purified borage oil contains a minimum of 23% gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid which is required for normal skin function.

Researchers followed the progress of 151 patients with atopic eczema, the most common form of the condition, over a period of 12 weeks. Each day, the participants  were given either high dose borage oil (containing 920mg of GLA) or a placebo in matching capsules.

Atopic eczema, which can appear as an itchy, scaly rash

The study found that the symptoms and signs of the condition improved to a similar degree in both groups, although a marginally greater improvement was actually seen in the placebo group.

The British researchers suggest that GLA is 'unlikely to offer any useful benefit in the treatment of atopic eczema'.

Details of this study are published in the 'British Medical Journal'.

Eczema is a group of skin complaints that can affect all age groups and can occur anywhere on the body. It is an inflammatory response of the skin to a variety of external or internal influences. For more information on this condition, see our 'Eczema Clinic' at...

http://www.irishhealth.com/eczema/