London - Natural remedies such as evening primrose oil are useless for helping sufferers of eczema, warn researchers.
They found supplements worked no better than taking “dummy” capsules at relieving the itchy, dry skin caused by the disorder.
The findings follow years of controversy over whether complementary therapies are effective.
Mixed findings from clinical studies have left many sufferers confused and doctors uncertain about the advice they should be offering.
But researchers in the US claim a systematic analysis of 27 studies covering almost 1 600 adults and children in 27 countries failed to show that it was worth buying evening primrose oil or borage oil, both popular treatments for eczema.
Joel Bamford, lead researcher at the University of Minnesota, said: “There is no evidence that taking either is of benefit to sufferers.
“Further studies on the use of these complementary therapies would be hard to justify.”
The key ingredient in the two oils is gammalinolenic acid (GLA), one of the essential fatty acids which maintain the structure of cell membranes and can help reduce inflammation.
Supplements have become popular as a way of speeding up the process by which GLA moves to where it is most needed in the body. Millions of children suffer with eczema, which has no cure and is also known as atopic dermatitis.
Skin problems persist into adulthood for some, who are prescribed treatment including creams, ointments, bath additives, topical steroids and antihistamines.
However, patients often turn to natural remedies to try to avoid the side-effects of conventional drugs.
In the latest review, participants took evening primrose oil or borage oil, or a placebo such as olive oil, for between three and 24 weeks.
Overall, the report published online in The Cochrane Library, an international health database, found taking the oils offered no clear improvement of symptoms over placebos.
There was also no improvement in quality of life. Some in the study had mild side-effects, such as headaches and stomach upsets, but so did some of those on the placebos.
Margaret Cox, chief executive of the National Eczema Society, said there were anecdotal accounts that evening primrose oil worked for some patients. She said: “But they may be taking it at the same time as conventional treatment so it can be difficult to disentangle the effects.”
London dermatologist David Fenton said the findings were “disappointing” for eczema sufferers.
He said: “People like to do something for themselves. If the oils improve your skin and you’re aware of the mostly minor side-effects, then this doesn’t mean you need to stop taking them.” - Daily Mail