Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Omega-3 has gained its reputation because of its benefits on cardiovascular diseases and cancerous cells. Not known to everybody, Omega-3 also has anti-inflammatory properties. This property is very beneficial to inflammatory diseases like rheumatory arthritis and asthma as well inflammation due to injury and/or trauma.

Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA is a well known inflammatory disease that principally attacks the synovial joints but can affect almost any organ like the lungs. It affects almost 1% of the world’s total population with women three times more often than men. RA has been associated with aging but there are rare cases of individuals younger than 40 that are affected by this painful and disabling condition. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown today which makes a cure unavailable that is why arthritis doctors focus more on remedies to help ease the pain brought by it.

Omega-3’s anti-inflammatory properties help alleviate the disabling pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Since RA is an autoimmune disease, regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acid will help reduce the inflammation and support the body’s immune system. These benefits are evident in a research done in 2005 and 2006 where patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and treated with Omega-3 displayed similar comparable positive results to those receive non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAID. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, there are researches that point to oxidative stress as the more likely cause of RA. Oxidative stress can be prevented with antioxidants. Omega-3 also has antioxidant properties.

Omega-3 can be consumed either from dietary supplements that contain deep sea fish oil or from diets of fish, dark green leafy vegetables and legumes. Those who regularly consume Omega-3 even at an earlier age also reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in the future.

Dietary supplements can be very costly which why the following are provided that are good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids that are readily available. Regular consumption of these foods will help alleviate the symptoms brought by rheumatoid arthritis.

–          Grass fed cattle

–          Tuna

–          Salmon

–          Herring

–          Sardines

–          Spinach

–          Brussels sprouts

–          Broccoli

–          Walnuts

–          Pecans

–          Hazelnuts

–          Extra virgin olive oil

–          Flaxseed oil

–          Soybean oil

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