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Conventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis does not cure rheumatoid arthritis. In fact there still isn’t any cure for rheumatoid arthritis at the moment. Drugs only slow the disease progression and reduce inflammation. The main purpose of drugs is to weaken the immune system which makes the body vulnerable to infections However there are many side effects of the medications. Side effects include stomach ulcers, diarrhea, fever, headache, rash, bleeding gums, abdominal pain, kidney problems and increased risk of certain cancers.
Examples of treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis are:
- Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
- Biologic response modifiers (a type of DMARD)
- Glucocorticoids
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
- Analgesics
Although drug treatments used above have been known to be standard treatment there are alternative therapies for the condition for example with glucosamine and fish oil but has it been proven to work?
Fish Oil Treats Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Over the years, a lot of studies have been carried out to ascertain if fish oil rich in Omega-3 fatty acids help alleviate the symptoms or treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Some studies show that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. Fish oil contains Omega 3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that help in reducing joint stiffness and aches to considerable extents.
Considerable evidence has shown that Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by oxidative stress and involves an excessive production of pro-inflammatory compounds like tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta.
Studies on Fish Oil
Research done in 2001 by Dr Gail and Dr Epson of the University of Glasgow has shown that supplementation with fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) can markedly reduce interleukin-1beta production and results in a significant reduction in morning stiffness and the number of painful joints in RA patients. The high concentration levels of EPA and DHA in fish oils block or suppress the over activity of inflammatory agents found in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Another study conducted in Newcastle, Australia showed that their 15- week evaluation of patients showed major improvements in the group receiving fish oil. Particularly impressive were the improvements in the duration of morning stiffness and the overall assessment of disease activity. This study involved 50 patients who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, half the patients were given fish oil capsules to provide a daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight (about 2.8 grams for a 70 kg person) while the other half received placebo capsules containing 50/50 corn/olive oil. It should be noted that half the patients in this study dropped out due to a change in the medications.
The findings in this study also suggested that maintaining a low intake of omega-6 fatty acids is necessary in order to keep the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 as low as possible. Omega-3 fatty acids should be at a dose of 40mg/kg body weight/day while Omega-6 fatty acids should be less than 10g/day for a 70kg person.
A recent study conducted in Adelaide, Australia in the Journal of Rheumatology 2006 showed that fish oil was also linked to positive changes in blood lipids, and a greater rate of remission after the 3 years – 72 per cent compared to 31 per cent in the non-fish oil group. This potentially means that there is lowering of cardiovascular risk factors prevalent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis such as pericarditis. The study also showed that there was a 75% decrease in use of NSAIDs compared to the placebo group.
Final Words
Although a number of studies carried out have shown some likely benefits of fish oil with RA, it is also advisable to take more high quality Omega-3 fatty acid such as those from salmon and mackerel. No systematic meta analysis have been carried out yet on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on rheumatoid arthritis but until this can be carried out, it cannot be concluded that Fish oils can be used as an alternative treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Thanks a lot for the post. When we are suffering from health problems, we want to learn about it and be aware of the things the concerns it. It is a good things that we have a lot of resources that we can use to know more about health problems affecting our daily lives.
Hey Rancine,
I think there are a lot of natural ways to help reduce the severity of nasty diseases. I also do believe that nature has a number of healing substances waiting to be discovered to help treat severe diseases and cancer. Fish oils don’t cure RA but they do reduce the inflammation. Ooh and yes you can use it for osteoarthritis as well.
Bryan recently posted..Fish Oils – An Alternative Treatment to Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hi Bryan,
Fish oil really has many benefits. I know many people who take it and it helps their bones. It lower cholesterole as well. Thanks for sharing
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Hi Dia,
That’s right. Thanks for stopping by and have a nice day!
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The best cure you could have is prevention. We have to take good care of our body. So that we could avoid arthritis. Avoid foods and vices that could cause this.
I agree, there are a lot of things that you can get from this post. It is really helpful and informative.
Homeopathic remedies have worked for over a 100′s of years but only if you know what ingredients to use for your illness. The information to this was written log ago with recorded results. Doctors noticed these so called home remedies have been working when modern medicine failed. I only know of one book that has these forgotten home remedies all in one place. A bible of homeopathic remedies with mother tested and approved by doctors methods. 1,000 of these lost methods are waiting for discovery again.
It’s true prevention is better than cure.. We can get more benefits
in natural thing around..
great info thanks for sharing..
Many thanks to you for sharing this information.You explained every point very well.
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My best friend Alice (46 years old) suffers from a form of arthritis and I am doing my best to help her but besides reading and searching for useful information, I don’t know what more can I do. Thanks for your advice .
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis recently posted..Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis