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Research published in The Journal of Rheumatology in October 2000 shows that an increased intake of Omega 3 oil can be of benefit to those suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Investigations showed that when Omega 6 levels in the body are nearly equal to Omega 3 levels, maximum benefits result.
The Modern Western diet is typically high in Omega 6 (pro-inflammatory) and low in Omega 3 (anti-inflammatory), the resulting imbalance being particularly non-beneficial to those suffering from late Rheumatoid Arthritis (10 years or more).
In the study the treatment group achieved a significant change in 15 weeks in almost all clinical variables, whereas the control group did not achieve significant improvement in any clinical variable.
The authors concluded that dietary fish oil supplements result in improvements in Rheumatoid Arthritis without adverse effects. Why then are fish oil supplements not used more widely in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis? The authors suggest two answers. First, fish oil is not a patentable product and therefore there is little commercial incentive to promote its use. Second the benefits are delayed up to 3-4 months, depending on dose.
The authors give the following dietary advice to Rheumatoid Arthritis patients: take 15-20 ml of fish oil, such as cod liver oil, a day. Alternatively, take supplements that contain Omega 3 concentrate derived from fish oil.
In the UK, research at Cardiff University in 1998, demonstrated that the Omega-3 fatty acids could not only relieve the inflammatory symptoms of arthritis, but could also 'switch off the aggrecanases and other collagen degrading enzymes that break down joint cartilage'.