Oily Fish Arthritis Prevention: Study Confirms Benefits Of Omega-3 Fish Oils
Will eating oily fish lessen your risk of arthritis? Yes. That is according to the latest results from a Swedish study. Eating salmon, mackerel and other oily fish at least once a week may cut your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by 52 percent.
It will have the same effect if you eat four servings a week of lean fish like cod or plaice.
The Swedish study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, involved 32,000 women born between 1914 and 1948.
They completed surveys on what they ate, in 1987 and again in 1997. During this period, 205 of the women developed rheumatoid arthritis. Women with consistently high daily intake in both 1987 and 1997 of omega-3 fish oils had a 52 per cent lower risk of developing the condition.
The study attributed the benefit to the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (Pufa) content in fish.