Overview
An ever-growing number of people are turning to various types of omega-3 fatty acid supplements to enhance their health. Fish oil supplements, such as fish oil and cod liver oil, are now more widely used than multivitamins, reports the Feb. 1, 2011 "Orlando Sentinel." Omega-3 fatty oil supplements can also decrease inflammation and joint pain. Cod liver oil might help in mild cases of joint pain, but for more serious inflammation, you might need to upgrade to pure fish oil.
Joint Pain
About a hundred arthritis-related conditions can contribute to the pain of moving. In osteoarthritis, your cartilage deteriorates, allowing bone to scrape on bone, while in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks and destroys the synovial membranes that lubricate joints. Carpal tunnel syndrome, gout, lupus, scleroderma and scores of other conditions all share at least one condition with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; all these conditions involve a reactive immune system that floods the afflicted areas with fluids, white blood cells and other agents that exacerbate the pain and cause further tissue damage.
Incidence
More than 20 percent of American adults suffer with arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an estimated 50 percent of people older than 65 have arthritis. Add to this all the people who have other conditions that cause joint problems, and it appears that a significant portion of the U.S. population deals with joint pain.
Fatty Acid Imbalance
Most Americans tend to consume far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, according to the Oct. 2, 2002 "Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapie." Omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammatory processes, while omega-3 fatty acids enhance the immune system's anti-inflammatory reactions. The imbalance in fatty acids leads to excessive inflammatory reactions throughout your brain and body, contributing to various disease processes, including arthritis and joint pain. By increasing your amount of omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA -- the active ingredients in cod liver oil and fish oil -- you can naturally invoke anti-inflammatory reactions from your immune system without having to load your body with anti-inflammatory medications.
Research
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the March 2008 "Rheumatology" examined the effectiveness of cod liver oil on reducing reliance on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. In this nine-month study, the researchers instructed patients to gradually reduce and, if possible, stop taking their NSAIDS. Nearly 40 percent of the participants in the cod liver oil group were able to wean themselves off of NSAIDs, compared to only 10 percent in the control group.
Dosage
The participants in the study took 10 g of cod liver oil daily, a fairly high dose. Rheumatologist Leslie Cleland reviewed the literature and concluded that an effective dose of EPA and DHA should have 2.7 g or more of EPA and DHA. Since cod liver oil contains 10 percent EPA and 10 percent DHA, an effective dose would require you to take about 14 g of cod liver oil.
Cautions
Always consult with your physician before taking any supplements, including cod liver oil or fish oil. Although cod liver oil provides an effective balance of EPA and DHA, it is also rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D. When taken at the large doses recommended for anti-inflammatory effects, cod liver oil provides amounts of vitamin A that exceed the recommended dietary allowance. This should not cause a toxicity problem, but it might contribute to risk of reduced bone density and hip fracture, according to epidemiology studies, says Cleland. Regular fish oil has a higher percentage of EPA and DHA, ranging from 30 to 60 percent depending on the formulation and concentration of the oil, and doesn't have vitamin A, eliminating the risk of bone-density side effects.
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