Omega-3s found to stop lupus in its tracks

The best remedy for lupus doesn’t require a prescription

It’s an idea whose time has come…again.

Years ago I told you about some exciting research out of the University of Ulster that found omega-3 fatty acids worked wonders in helping lupus patients.

They relieved fatigue, inflammation, skin rashes and even neurological problems.

Those given fish oil supplements also had improved “blood vessel function” and a lowering of oxidative stress, something closely linked to heart disease.

Now, nine years later, researchers are again studying how omega-3s can not only help counteract the devastating inflammatory symptoms of lupus, but even quash it in the first place.

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‘Friendly fire’
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Autoimmune diseases like lupus are still pretty much of a mystery.

They’re often described as “friendly fire,” because the body starts attacking itself, destroying healthy tissue. Lupus most often affects the skin, but the disease can also damage joints, kidneys, lungs and the brain.

And Big Pharma’s answer to lupus has been a boatload of risky drugs. These include ones that also treat malaria, as well as steroids, meds that disable your immune system, chemo drugs and an especially dangerous one called Benlysta (more on that in a minute).

So you would think that when a breakthrough treatment — one with no side effects — is discovered, all roads would lead to omega-3s for lupus patients.

But unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Now, however, it looks like researchers are attempting to rediscover the wheel where omega-3s and lupus are concerned. Only this time they found out that the compound is even more effective than ever imagined.

What researchers at Michigan State University found is that a kind of omega-3 called DHA can stop lupus in its tracks.

The study was done with mice that are specially bred to be predisposed to lupus and then exposed to a toxic substance called crystalline silica, a well-known trigger.

Not only did the DHA block the “activation of the disease,” but one of the researchers said that he had never before seen such a “dramatic protective response.”

The exact way that DHA was able to prevent the lab mice from developing lupus isn’t exactly known yet. But what is clear is that omega-3s can do precisely what Big Pharma’s drugs are trying to accomplish. And do it without the devastating side effects these meds come along with.

For example, five years ago the FDA approved the horribly dangerous drug Benlysta for lupus.

It was hyped as the first official lupus treatment in 50 years. But if you go beyond the press releases and flashy website about “your journey” with Benlysta, what you’ll find is a drug that gives a “modest benefit” to patients but a long list of possible adverse reactions.

I’m talking about things such as depression and an increased risk of suicide, cancers and deadly infections.

In fact, problems with Benlysta started even before it was approved by the FDA. During the clinical trial “more deaths were reported with Benlysta than with placebo.” And some of those deaths were due to suicides.

What causes lupus isn’t known for sure, but it’s believed that it can be activated in people with a genetic tendency for the disease by certain triggers, such as an infection.

There are also drugs that are well-known to trigger lupus — the top ones being the antibiotic isoniazid, the blood pressure drug hydralazine, and procainamide, a med used to treat an irregular heartbeat

Along with supplements, omega-3s can be found in foods such as fatty fish (especially salmon, trout and sardines), walnuts, flax and chia seeds.

And if you have a family history of lupus, including more of these foods or a supplement in your diet might be one of the most important things you can do to keep it at bay.

Sources:
“Omega-3 fatty acid stops known trigger of lupus” Michigan State University, September 29, 2016, ScienceDaily, sciencedaily.com