Eating Fish May Reduce Inflammation
Eating seafood with omega-3s may reduce your need for anti-inflammatory medications.
Talk about health food; the kinds of fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids are good for everything from heart disease to depression – including arthritis, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.
Not only can omega-3s significantly reduce joint pain and shorten the duration of morning stiffness, but studies, such as those reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show that increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids also have enabled people taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce their dosage or discontinue use.
Adding about two 3-ounce servings of seafood to your menu each week is a good way to increase your levels of omega-3s and help decrease the body’s inflammatory reaction. The highest levels of omega-3 can be found in cold-water, fatty fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines and herring.
Many studies use fish oil supplements to increase intake of omega-3s. If you’re averse to fish and are considering fish-oil supplements, check with your doctor first for proper dosage, especially if you are taking blood thinners.
Omega-3s from the Sea
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends two servings a week (3.5-ounce portions) of the following fish for healthy omega-3 fatty acids benefits, which can help reduce inflammation:
- Atlantic salmon
- Sockeye salmon
- Lake trout
- Tuna canned in oil or water
