How Omega Fats Relieve Your Arthritis

This article explores the roles of fatty acids and pain creation or pain management.

Most people with arthritis would have heard of the benefits of essential fatty acids. These are typically found in the fat of cold water fish such as Salmon and Tuna. Increasing these foods in your diet is important in order to reduce inflammation, maintain good brain function and prevent cardiovascular problems

Salmon is your best choice as Tuna being a larger fish tends to concentrate more pollutants in its fat. Sword fish would be worse again for the same reasons.

Fish from the wild are much better than farmed fish because in the wild their diet creates better quality fatty acids.

The essential fatty acids in salmon are Omega 3 fats known as EPA & DHA. EPA is specific to reducing inflammation and improving the health of your arteries. DHA improves memory. Brain function and is used successfully to treat depression in large doses.

Few people in the western world and the east for that matter eat enough fish, salmon can be expensive or good fish may not be available. The best option is to supplement your diet. You will need to take 3 gram i.e. 3x 1000mg capsules per day. The best time to take them is at night, because you will wake with less pain to start your day, also there is less chance of fish breath by morning!

It is most important to buy quality product. My rule is that if the fish oil capsules come in a large jar and they are inexpensive, then steer clear because they will usually be of poor quality with the pollutants not properly extracted!

If you are a vegetarian you can obtain Omega 3 fats from food grade linseed oil, but in my experience they don't work well for many people as a further conversion step is required in the body, and this conversion is faulty in many older people.

An important point to note is that Omega 3 fats can take 8-12 weeks to provide a significant anti-inflammatory effect in your body. They are perfectly safe and will not cause weight gain as a less than knowledgeable personal trainer told a friend of mine. Beware of your knowledge sources. Check out everything that concerns your well being.

Now the other side of the coin is the Omega 6 fatty acids. These will cause inflammation in your body. They are the grain based fats and will be found in breads, cakes, cookies, pasta and the grain oils.

Our ancestors consumed grains and fish in a ratio of approximately 5:1. That is five times as much grain fat as fish fat. This ratio is perfect in the body as Omega 6 do have an important role in our health. Our modern diets are about 25:1. Therefore the rise of inflammatory problems is to be expected, combine this with our love for sugar and we have an epidemic of arthritis and painful inflammatory conditions.

The answer is to reduce your grain fat consumption and replace it with more vegetables & fruit. This is nothing to do with low carb eating or wheat and grain allergies, but I'm sure you get the idea that a reduction of grains would be generally beneficial combined with an increase in fatty fish.