Researchers find upping your omega-3 intake can nip RA in the bud

It’s one of those diseases that steals your life day-to-day. And almost worse than the crippling pain is the mainstream “solution” for it.

You can grit your teeth and suffer through the agonizing joint pain and stiffness — or you can pop pill after pill of some of the most dangerous and side-effect laden drugs around, like Celebrex and Lyrica.

What a choice!

But a new study has found a highly effective way to stop RA pain and flare-ups before they ever start.

And you can do it without ever risking the side effects that come with RA drugs.

An ounce of prevention…Researchers at the University of Florida wanted to find out if people who had a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a lower risk for developing RA.

And their results could have millions of Americans ditching powerful prescription pain meds and immune-suppressing drugs for good.

You see, this was the first time researchers took a look at omega-3 and something called “autoantibodies.” That’s a kind of protein your immune system produces that attack your body’s own tissues and organs in autoimmune diseases.

And that’s exactly what happens in the cases of RA disease and flare-ups.

The Florida researchers found that for those who were at higher risk for developing full-blown RA, such as a family history of the disease, taking more omega-3 made them less likely to have those telltale RA autoantibodies.

“If you’re consuming more omega-3 during an earlier phase of disease,” said study co-author Dr. Michael Clare-Salzler, “you may block its progression to a phase where active inflammation manifests.”

Unlike osteoarthritis, RA is a disease that’s all about inflammation. And anything you can do to nip that inflammation in the bud is worth its weight in gold.

Now, if you’re already a lover of foods high in omega-3, such as cold water fish like salmon and sardines, you may think you’re covered.

But new research has found that may not be the case. Because it seems that our modern-day farming practices — especially where fish are concerned — have reduced the amount of omega 3 in foods by as much as 40 times what it was in the 1900s.

And that’s especially true of salmon.

The levels of omega-3 in farmed salmon have dipped to around half of what it contained just a decade ago. And that’s due to the unnatural diet these farmed fish are eating, one bulked up with cheap vegetable oil, soy, barley and even insects. In the wild, salmon eat nutritious small fish and crustaceans, like krill.

In fact, the researchers said that they found a “very substantial difference” in the blood levels of omega-3 between those taking a fish oil supplement and those who relied on their diet alone.

So to keep your omega-3 levels up, the researchers recommend taking one to three grams of fish oil every day. And while farmed fish may no longer be your best source of omega 3, there are several good ways to keep this vital fatty acid included in your diet.

For example:

• Chia seed tops the list of dietary sources of omega-3, even more so than salmon. Using chia seed or oil in your food is a great way to get the highest amounts.
• Walnuts are right there under chia as another great source.
• Good fish sources include wild-caught salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
• Grass-fed beef, while not as rich in omega-3 as wild-caught salmon, can still give you a decent amount of this fatty acid.

And even if you don’t have RA now, making sure your omega-3 levels are high can be that ounce of prevention that will keep things that way.

 

Sources:
“Fish, omega-3 supplements may lower rheumatoid arthritis” Health News Digest, December 21, 2015, healthnewsdigest.com