Though fish oil supplements are most often associated with heart health, they’re also touted as an effective treatment for arthritis. Whether that’s true may depend on the type of arthritis you have.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The Claim: Fish oil pills relieve arthritis pain.
Woman: “I have arthritis in my elbow. I fell off my bike in my twenties and the fish oil seems to help with the arthritic pain.”
Robert Davis: Though fish oil supplements are most often associated with heart health, they’re also claimed to be an effective treatment for arthritis. whether that’s true, or just a fish story, may depend on the type of arthritis you have.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation.
And in studies of people with this form of the condition, fish oil has been found to modestly reduce joint pain and morning stiffness.
It’s also been shown to reduce the need for pain relievers and to increase the effectiveness of treatment when fish oil is combined with standard medications.
As for why it seems to work, fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help block substances in the body that promote inflammation.
And since inflammation is at the root of rheumatoid arthritis, it stands to reason that fish oil can provide relief.
But osteoarthritis, the most common form, may be a different story. It arises from the breakdown of cartilage cushioning the joints. While inflammation may play a role, it’s smaller than that in rheumatoid arthritis.
It’s therefore unclear whether fish oil can help people with osteoarthritis, and research has been very limited, though studies in pet dogs and cats with osteoarthritis have shown that fish oil can reduce symptoms.
If you want to try fish oil, first talk to your doctor.
The dose found to be effective in arthritis studies is relatively large, as much as 3 grams a day or higher, more than you typically get through food.
Like all supplements, fish oil has potential side effects, especially at higher doses. Among them: blood thinning and a suppressed immune system
The most common is fishy burps, though that can be reduced by storing your pills in the freezer.
Whether or not you have arthritis, eating fatty fish like salmon and mackerel twice a week may be beneficial. It’s been linked to a lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke and of developing rheumatoid arthritis in the first place.
Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.