Eating fish could “halve the risk of arthritis”

The Guardian reports, 12th August 2013: “Eating a weekly portion of salmon or regular servings of other fish such as cod could cut the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by more than half, research shows. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially oily fish, explain the dramatic drop in someone’s chances of developing the chronic inflammatory disease that blights the life of an estimated 690,000 Britons.

The Swedish study, reported in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases medical journal, is the latest authoritative endorsement by medical researchers of fish’s protective role against a range of illnesses.

Consumption once a week of salmon or other fatty fish such as trout, kippers or mackerel reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 52%, according to researchers led by Professor Alice Wallin, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Eating lean fish such as cod, tinned tuna or haddock four times a week also confers the same benefit, they found.

But they said that someone has to sustain such intake of fish for at least 10 years to enjoy the dramatic drop in their chances of developing a condition which causes pain and swelling in joints. Long-term consumption of any type of fish at least once a week is also useful, and is associated with a 29% lower risk of the disease, they added.

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are praised for their health benefits.
Photograph: Alamy

“Ailsa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and herself a sufferer, said: “Diet has always been a controversial subject when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis, as foods which may affect one person in a negative or positive way cannot be generalised to the entire RA population. However, there is a small amount of evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet, which is high in vegetables, fruit and fish, may have some benefit and this is referenced in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s RA guidelines published in 2009.”

But she added: “The important role of omega-3 Pufas in the inflammatory pathway has been known for some time and there is evidence that, when taken as supplements in sufficiently high dosage, they can improve symptoms in some people, so it is interesting to hear about the impact they might have on disease onset.”

Please do share this