Eating at least one portion of fatty marine fish such as mackerel and salmon a week can cut the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in half, according to a Swedish study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm came to such conclusions after analyzing the data collected in a group of over 32 people. Swedish women born in 1914–1948. Information on their diet, including fish consumption, was collected twice during the study using a questionnaire.
Women’s health was monitored for an average of 7,5 years. During this period, 205 of them developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
It is the most common inflammatory joint disease. It develops as a result of the attack of the immune system on the tissues that make up the joints and over time leads to their destruction. The first symptoms of RA usually occur between the ages of 20 and 50.
The analysis included factors that may influence the development of this disease, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
It found that women who consumed at least one portion of any fish a week were close to 30 percent. less likely to develop RA compared with women who ate a portion of fish less than once a week. Conversely, consuming at least one portion of oily sea fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna once a week, reduced the risk of RA by half. One serving is 140 grams of fish after cooking.
The researchers point out that the observed benefits are related to the presence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish, especially fatty marine fish.
Previous studies show that these are compounds with anti-inflammatory properties, which is of particular importance in the prevention of RA. Omega-3 has also been linked to, inter alia, with a lower risk of heart and circulatory diseases. They also have a beneficial effect on the development of the brain and its functioning.
“There has been good evidence for some time that eating fish fats can reduce inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis,” comments Prof. Alan Silman, Medical Director of Arthritis Research UK. Recent work, he says, suggests that consumption of fatty fish rich in omega-3s may even prevent the development of inflammation in your joints. (PAP)
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