Omega-3 can slow the onset of Osteoarthritis

There are many forms of arthritis and varying degrees of severity, but one of the most common and potentially disabling forms is osteoarthritis, or degenerative arthritis.

Osteoarthritis afflicts at least eight million people in the UK, including around 12,000 children, according to recent reports.

In general, arthritis is inflammation of the joints in the body; osteoarthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage in the joints. It occurs most often in weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips and spine, but it can also affect other joints like fingers and neck.

Cartilage is the cushion over the ends of the bones in joints that basically serves as a shock absorber. When it deteriorates and loses its elasticity, tendons and ligaments are stretched, and bone ends may rub together, causing inflammation and pain.

There are several known factors in the development of osteoarthritis that include heredity, being overweight, injury and overuse of the joint. New research has also make the connection between osteoarthritis and shortened telomeres. These form the ‘caps’ at the end of chromosomes, and each time a cell divides and replicates its DNA in the new cell, a bit of the telomere is used up – sort of like a pencil eraser. When it gets too short, the cell can no longer reproduce; thus the aging process.

The new studies indicate that shortening can be accelerated by stressors like compression or oxidative stress (caused by smoking, for example.) The good news is that the shortening process can be slowed with the intake of fish oil rich in Omega-3 fatty acid and Vitamin D. Exercise and a healthy diet will also considerably reduce your odds of developing osteoarthritis.