Fish Oil As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent and How It Can Help You?
When I came across this posted article, I had to share it with you. I will not take credit for Larry Jensen’s post, nor make any money from this information, but it was so well written that I just had to pass it on. Here is his article in full.
Fish Oil As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent and How It Can Help You?
By Larry Jensen
Years ago, when grandmothers forcefully spoon-fed cod liver oil to their sick grandchildren, people thought, “that taste will make him sicker.” Now, scientists have discovered that grandma may have been on to something.
Cod liver oil, and all fish oil for that matter, contains an essential fatty acid known as Omega-3. Omega-3 is actually a collective term for a family of these fatty acids, with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) labeled as the most important to note.
The Omega-3 in fish oil is actually famous for its ability to decrease heart problems, high blood pressure, and cerebrovascular problems. But another use for it that’s severely underrated is the use of fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent.
The Inflammatory Process
To understand how exactly fish oil works as an anti-inflammatory agent, you should first take a look at how the inflammation happens in the first place.
When you get hurt, your body releases a variety of chemicals that react and bind with cylooxegenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). When this happens, chemicals known as prostaglandins are released. These prostaglandins are the ones responsible for the manifestation of the signs of inflammation such as redness, pain, swelling and tenderness.
Inflammation happens in all types of injuries, including cuts, burns, contusions, and so on. Generally, an inflammatory response is good for your body because it helps it heal. However, when it becomes a chronic event, then it can do more harm than good.
A good example of an inflammatory disease is Arthritis. Arthritis comes from the Greek word arthro meaning joint and the suffix -itis meaning inflammation. Hence it is loosely translated as the inflammation of the joints. The type of arthritis depends on the cause. For example, Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by autoantibodies called Rheumatoid Factors that attack the joints.
The Role of Omega-3 in the Inflammatory Response
When you take in fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent, you also take in the Omega-3 that it contains. Omega-3, particularly EPA, races against the other chemicals released during an injury to bind with the COX-1 and COX-2.
When EPA successfully binds with the cyclooxygenase, it still results to a release of prostaglandins. However, the prostaglandins released from this binding are about 2% - 50% less active as compared to normal prostaglandin. Now, this is good news for those who have problems with chronic inflammation. That’s because it means that the attacks would be weaker, and would come less frequently.
Another way by which Omega-3 interferes with the inflammatory process is by binding to a receptor known as the GPR120. This receptor can be found on macrophages - a white blood cell that engulfs cellular debris, bacteria, and other disease causing microbes.
When GPR120 is activated, it sends signals that stop the inflammatory process. Although inflammation is caused by a variety of reasons and therefore has several different forms, the GPR120 acts on them all. Hence, Omega-3 is said to be effective for almost all kinds of inflammatory processes.
Fish oil may not be your first choice for your inflammatory problems, but it’s something that you should think about. First of all, fish oil is completely organic; hence it doesn’t cause any side-effects. And aside from being an anti-inflammatory agent, fish oil also gives you other advantages such as an immunity boost, protection from heart problems, and mental clarity.
Using fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent may not be a miracle cure to all your inflammatory problems, but it certainly is a promising aide to any drug.
Larry Jensen has become an expert in the field of research and writing about Natural Health remedies including herbs, homeopathic remedies and others. He not only writes about his findings in his research, he uses these health products that he recommends. Visit his web site http://www.omega-three-dosage-amount.com Larry truly believes in the products he recommends.