Osteoarthritis greatly helped by Omega-3 oils

Our very genetic structure requires we get enough omega-3 fats and because of this they are something that we have been consuming for countless millennia. These omega-3 fats come from sources such as nuts and fish and it has been found that those who have an imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats can have an increased chance of getting conditions such as osteoarthritis.

This information has been published in the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal and shows that if we get enough omega-3 fats from things such as fish oil then the symptoms of arthritis are going to be significantly reduced.

The research has come out of the University of Bristol and was conducted on a breed of guinea pigs who have been genetically adjusted so they develop osteoarthritis. The reason guinea pigs were used rather than another animal is because they develop arthritis in a very similar way to humans. It has been long thought that consuming fish was beneficial for the health of human joints and the research which has been organised by Dr John Tarlton set out to confirm this. Specifically they were looking to see whether omega-3 oils were capable of slowing the progression of the disease.

One group of guinea pigs was fed a full range of omega-3 fats while a control group of guinea pigs was not given any. The impact of arthritis was significantly reduced in the guinea pigs who were given the fat supplements. There was a reduced rate of arthritis in the omega-3 group by around 50 percent when compared with the control guinea pigs.

Dr Tarlton commented, “It was known that there was anecdotal evidence showing that omega-3 was beneficial in preventing arthritis and our study shows that this type of fat is not just as at preventing the disease as it is at helping slow its progression.”