Study confirms an easy, natural way to fight asthma
Just last month I told you about some amazing research that discovered omega-3 fatty acids may be better than drugs at lowering your risk of heart disease.
And not too long ago, we were told how these fatty acids could even nip rheumatoid arthritis in the bud!
But apparently, that’s not all they can do.
Because if you or someone you love suffers from asthma, researchers have some news you definitely need to hear.
The latest study is from the University of Rochester Medical Center, where researchers found they could slash asthma symptoms and allergic responses by using omega-3s to reduce the body’s production of immunoglobulin E, or IgE.
These are antibodies made by the immune system that cause allergic reactions — and practically everyone who suffers from asthma will have elevated IgE levels.
Interestingly, while all the volunteers responded positively to the fish oil supplements (confirmed by measuring their IgE antibody levels), a few of the patients who had been on long-term oral steroids were said to be “less sensitive” to their benefits.
In other words, when taken for long periods of time, steroids can lower our natural ability to “fight asthma-related inflammation,” said study head Richard Phipps, Ph.D.
So, coincidentally, it looks like this research provided yet another example of the big difference between natural remedies and pharmaceutical treatments.
While this study discovered what the researchers call “new essential information,” it’s only one in a string of amazing findings showing the benefit of omega-3s when it comes to breathing easier.
For example:
- Last December, a research team at the University of Copenhagen discovered that when women took fish oil supplements during the last three months of their pregnancy, they could slash the risk of their kids developing asthma by as much as 30 percent, according to the study’s lead author, Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Hans Bisgaard. This comes on the tail of the FDA’s revised guidelines, which now say that pregnant women can safely eat up to three servings a week of low-mercury fish choices.
- Other research out of Australia found that kids who ate fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, had a significantly reduced risk of childhood asthma.
- Researchers at the University of California, San Diego were able to actually look inside of a living mouse cell, finding that omega 3s can even “short-circuit” inflammation in the body before it begins!
If it seems that we’ve been hearing about omega-3s and how healthy they are for a long time now, it’s true, we have. If fact, it all started decades ago when scientists discovered that Eskimos, who consume lots of fatty fish, had healthier hearts than people in the lower 48 who were eating all those low-fat, tasteless foods!
But you don’t have to eat seal blubber to get the benefits of omega-3s. There are many excellent-quality fish-oil supplements to choose from, along with plenty of different foods that are high in this essential fatty acid:
#1: Surprisingly, chia seeds have higher amounts of omega-3 than salmon! You can use the seeds in lots of different dishes, but chia oil is best when used in things that won’t be cooked further, such as dressings, sauces and smoothies.
#2: Walnuts rank right under chia as the next best source.
#3: Great low-mercury fish choices include wild-caught salmon, sardines, Pacific chub mackerel, and even canned light tuna.
“Evidence points to fish oil to fight asthma” University of Rochester Medical Center, February 13, 2017, dddmag.com
