Question: I’ve heard that Omega 7 can help keep skin looking younger. What is it, and how can I incorporate more into my diet?
17 September, 2008 – 12:59
Answer: Omega 7 is perhaps the least well known of the omega oils. Omega’s 3. 6 and 9 (found mainly in oil fish and olive, flaxseed and primrose oils) you probably know more about because their health benefits have been widely discussed. However as you have pointed out, omega 7 is a very beneficial oil for the skin.
Omega 7 is more commonly derived from a supplement made from sea buckthorn berry, which contains all the usual essential fatty acids omega-3, 6 and 9 but is also exceptionally rich in palmitoleic acid (omega-7), rarely found in the plant kingdom.
These acids are a component of skin fat and can support cell regeneration as well as healing of burns, dermatitis, eczema and wounds.
The oil is also rich in natural antioxidants; tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids and plant sterols.
Sea Buckthorn oil has been used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine for promoting digestive and urogenital health for more than 12 centuries. The berries of Sea Buckthorn have been widely used in Asia, Europe and South America for centuries due to their remarkable medicinal, nutritional, moisturising, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating properties.
Scientists believe our most delicate body tissues, like the skin, have the greatest affinity for Omega 7 fatty acids. Environmental stressors (such as sunlight and pollution), improper foods, and even normal aging can challenge those sensitive membranes and cause skin-ageing damage.
