flax oil and RA article

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Arthritis - A Possible Remedy with Omega 3 Oils

by Jade Beutler, R.C.P., R.R.T.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints and surrounding tendons,

ligaments, and cartilage. Among the oldest known afflictions of human

beings, it can affect virtually every part of the body: from the feet, to

the knees, back, shoulders, and fingers. According to the National

Institutes of Health (NIH), arthritis effects range from slight pain,

stiffness and swelling of the joints to crippling and disability. There are

three primary types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and

gout.

Osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of the primary large, weight

bearing joints of the body.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is thought to be caused by auto-immune conditions,

wherein our own immune system attacks our joints. With this condition,

joints -most commonly the small joints of the hand - become tender, swollen,

even deformed.

Gout is caused by a buildup in the body of uric acid, which is found in high

amounts in animal meats. When the level of uric acid rises to unhealthful

levels in the body, it crystallizes causing sharp needle-like pain.

It is not uncommon for an arthritis sufferer to have varying of degrees of

more than one type of arthritis. Regardless of the type of arthritis, the

end result is pain and inflammation at the sight of affliction. This fact

has led to the popularity of over-the-counter and prescription medications

to combat inflammation, and thus diminish pain. Such medicines as aspirin

and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs come with long term side effects,

including a worsening of the arthritic condition. They work by interfering

with hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins.

Omega-3 Oils, Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Agents

It is the prostaglandins in the body that regulate the inflammatory

response. In a healthy body, anti-inflammatory prostaglandins are produced

from dietary ingestion of healthful seed oils such as flaxseed oil, or deep

water fish. It is the high content of omega-3 fatty acids in these sources

that leads to the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Omega-3

oils have been scientifically proven to be powerful agents. A high dietary

ingestion of omega-6 rich oils, such as corn, safflower, and sunflower, as

well as animal meats, can lead to the production of inflammatory

prostaglandins, worsening the symptoms of inflammatory conditions. The high

prevalence of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions may be due largely

to the fact that we ingest far to much omega-6 rich oils and animal meats in

proportion to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids we consume. This shift in

dietary ingestion of omega-3 to omega-6 has been well documented over the

past 100 years. One study concluded that arthritics suffer from a 40%

deficiency in essential fatty acids compared to other Americans, and over a

100% deficiency compared to people from non-industrialized nations.

A Natural Alternative To Anti-inflammatory Medications Unlike medications

that interfere with prostaglandin metabolism, omega-3 oils naturally temper

the inflammatory prostaglandins resulting in a decrease in painful

inflammation. The difference between the drug approach and that taken with

omega-3 oils is that the oils do not come with the common side effects

prevalent to the medications. Flaxseed oil, at around $12.00 a month, is far

less expensive than common anti-inflammatory medications. Not only do the

omega-3 oils come without side effects, but they have been medically proven

to benefit as many as 60 other common afflictions. In other words, don't be

surprised if you notice other health improvements beyond your expectations.

Beyond the power of regulating prostaglandins, omega-3 oils have been found

to augment the immune system, lessening the severity of auto-immune

conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.

There have been studies to validate the use of essential fatty acids, such

as the omega-3 in flaxseed oil and omega-3 oils from fish, in arthritic

conditions. The difference between flax and fish oils is the type of omega-3

they provide. Flax provides omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid

(LNA). Fish oil supplies omega-3 in the form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

While EPA is more active, LNA from flaxseed oil is ultimately converted to

EPA by the body. The advantages to flaxseed oil is that it is far less

expensive, and it does not contain the high levels of rancid by-products

(lipid peroxides) associated with commercially available fish oils.

A Practical Approach

While the causes of arthritis are truly multifactorial, part of the problem

can be owed to a clearly defined omega-3 deficiency. Ingestion of foods such

as fish and flax oil have been found to increase tissue levels of the

valuable omega-3's as well as favorable augment prostaglandins, averting

inflammatory conditions. A practical dietary approach would be to lessen the

intake of potentially inflammatory omega-6 oils, as well as animal meats,

and supplement your diet with anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils. An average

daily dose of flaxseed oil is one-to-two tablespoons a day.

A daily intake of omega-3 oils may prove to be an important dietary

consideration for those suffering from arthritic, inflammatory and

auto-immune conditions.

Mr. Jade Beutler is a licensed health care practitioner with over a decade

of hospital and clinical experience in adult and neonatal intensive care,

pediatric and emergency medicine. He is the author of Understanding Fats and

Oils, Your Guide to Healing with Essential Fatty Acids and Flax For Life.

RESEARCH REPORT

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Decrease Inflammation In Rheumatoid Arthritis.

A study published in " Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty

Acids " attributed the anti-arthritic effect of Omega-3 fatty acids to 2

primary factors.

The first was the ability of essential fatty acids to modulate the immune

system, therefore suppressing the attack by our own immune cells on bones,

cartilage and tissues of the body.

The second was the ability for essential fatty acids to decrease the

inflammatory response through the production of hormone-like-compounds

called prostaglandins.

Based on the above evidence it would be safe to hypothesize that essential

fatty acids, primarily of the Omega-3 class, could prove beneficial to

arthritics in the following ways:

Decrease progression of the disease and degeneration of joints through

modulation of the immune system

Decrease the pain associated with arthritis by lessening inflammation of the

arthritic site

Enhance quality of living

Ref:

Abstract Title.

Das UN.

Interactions between essential fatty acids, eicosanoids, cyctokiner, growth

factors and free radicals: relevance to new therapeutic stratagies in

rheumatoid arthritic and dullagen vascular diseases.

Prostaglandins Laukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 1991 Dec.,

44(4):201-10.