Although nobody has ever found hard evidence to back the usage of fish oil in easing osteoarthritis pain, Millions of people out there continue to use fish oil to ease arthritis pain. Millions of people in America are suffering from some sort of arthritis due to tear and wear of joints. Joints such as hips, wrists, knees are the most prone to break down of cartilage that is responsible for bone cushioning. When this cartilage breaks down, the bones in between the joints will start to grind over each other causing friction and this will be felt by the sufferer as pain. Since there is no cure to arthritis, many sufferers are heavily relying on ant-inflammatory painkillers to ease the pain associated with arthritis. However, bad news is that if used for a long time these pain killers might affect the stomach. Several researchers, more specifically from universities in Tasmania and Australia have been conducting studies which have revealed that small dosage of fish oil is able to ease the symptoms of arthritis.
Role of Fish’s Omega-3 Fats in Easing Osteoarthritis Pain
Several research studies have shown that fish oil is rich in a compound known as omega-3 fats. The same studies show that any diet rich in omega-3 fats has an ability to ease the symptoms of arthritis. Leading researchers from these studies observe that omega-3 not only does it prevent the disease but it also has the ability to hinder the progression of the condition in the affected joints. The impact of omega-3 fats in joint health and inflammation has become an active area of research across the United States of America. It is believed that omega-3 has compounds known as protectins and resolvins which have the ability to reduce inflammation to a level that does not cause lots of damage to the tissues. There have been several notable research studies conducted in this area and all show remarkable evidence that omega-3 fats are indeed good in easing arthritic pain. The three well documented examples include:
- In the year 2007, a study was carried out by the American College of Nutrition in which they investigated the role of Krill oil in reducing inflammation. The results from this study showered that an amount of 300gm of krill oil per day could significantly reduce pain, inflammation, stiffness and any form of functional impairment after a usage of a period of seven days.
- As recoded in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (2005), a study was carried on the role of omega-3 fats and results showed that it could reduce arthritic symptoms for both osteoarthritis sufferers and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Similar results were shown by a study in Advances in Therapy. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms of arthritis on their hips or knees were given a dosage of 1500mg of glucosamine sulfate together with 200mg of omega-3 fats and all of them showered great improvement on the reduction of arthritic pain as compared to those who received glucosamine alone.
In a general way, in fact Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory agent. Most people seem to do well with it and it not only good in reducing arthritic pain but it also does help prevent a variety of health related problems.
See Also:
Foods That Will Keep Your Joints Healthy
Health recommendations
The association of American Heart recommends a dosage of two fish meals per an individual every week. For those who do not like eating fish, it is recommended that even fish oil supplements available in shops can do the same job. It is of course advisable that before you start using any form of fish oil to first of all consult with your doctor to assess whether it can have any health implication to your body.
Precautions
It is important to note that all dietary supplements could have some side effects if mixed with some form of medications. Because of this potential to causing side effects, it is good to use dietary supplements under the close supervision of a doctor.
- People who bruise so easily, with a bleeding disorder or those using blood thinning medications like aspirin should use Omega-3 fatty acids cautiously.
- If omega-3 fatty acids are taken in high doses it may increase the risk of bleeding to even people without history of bleeding disorder.
- Fish oil can cause bloating, gas, belching and diarrhea.
Find out more about this subject and read latest information on joint pain, arthritis and osteoarthritis, please visit the Consumer Health Digest joint pain center.
