Can Fish Oil Reduce Inflammation?

Studies concerning fish oil and inflammation indicate that the answer to that question is “yes”.  Here’s a look at some of the results that have been seen in recent trials.

Proof is in the Results

In the Physician’s and Sports Medicine Journal researchers published recommendations for doctors with patients suffering from exercise-induced constriction of the airways, which is a “fancy” way of saying asthma.  Asthma is an inflammatory process.  When the air passages become restricted, due to the inflammatory process, breathing becomes difficult.

The researchers suggested that patients should be counseled about their diets and that omega-3 fish oil supplements should be recommended, as there is “convincing evidence” that these supplements are beneficial for general asthma and the exercise-induced type.

Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis were the subjects of another study published in the “Current Pharmaceutical Design Journal”.  In this case, the researchers were not as firm about their recommendations.  They suggested that further clinical trials, consisting of a large number of volunteers are needed to “clarify the efficacy of omega-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) as a treatment”.

In the vast majority of studies, you will see conclusions like that.  The problem is that no organization seems interested in sponsoring large scale clinical trials concerning fish oil and inflammation.  If they did, there would likely be another problem that has to do with drug classification.

Drug Companies - Interested ? Wonder Why?

In the US, dietary supplements are regulated differently than drugs.  For many years, research has made it clear that the omega-3s in fish oils are effective for lowering blood triglycerides.  High triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.

Large scale studies were conducted by a drug company.  Now, there is a “drug” that contains omega3 fish oil.  It was approved by the FDA for the treatment of high blood triglycerides.  It costs about ten times as much as a dietary supplement and there is no reason for the added cost, other than the fact that it comes from a drug company.

So, if there were large scale studies concerning fish oil and inflammation.  Some pharmaceutical company would likely ask for it to be classified as a drug, just so they could charge more for it.

Aspirin effect

But, back to the question at hand, another laboratory study showed that some types of fish oils have as much anti-inflammatory activity as aspirin.  The advantages are that the oils do not cause stomach upset or damage to the liver like aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In this laboratory study concerning fish oil and inflammation, researchers compared the anti-inflammatory activity of concentrated omega-3 tuna oils to natural non-concentrated oils derived from hoki fish.  They found that the non-concentrated oils had more anti-inflammatory activity.

Other Benefits Besides Omega3

That means that the omega-3 PUFAs are not the only compounds in these oils that have medicinal activity.  There is some other nutrient in the natural triglycerides that has yet to be identified. 

Supplement companies can have the anti-inflammatory activity of their oils tested, if they choose to.  If you are suffering from any inflammatory condition, the best advice is to shop for a supplement that has been tested and proven effective. 

Here is a fish oil that has been thoroughly tested and proven effective by thousands of consumers.