German researchers carried out a study involving 44 eczema sufferers between the ages of 18 and 40, all of whom were given daily supplements containing 5.7g of omega-3 or a placebo.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the British Journal of Dermatology, found that patients on the omega-3 regime benefited from an 18 per cent reduction in their symptoms after eight weeks.
Omega-3 can be obtained naturally by boosting intake of oily fish such as fresh tuna, mackerel, salmon and herring.
Professor Margitta Worm, one of the study's authors, told the Daily Telegraph: "These positive results will be investigated in further clinical trials to improve the management of atopic eczema which is a growing problem."
Up to one fifth of schoolchildren and one in 12 adults suffer from eczema in the UK.
