Colitis symptoms: reduce them with Omega-3 rich diet
Colitis: a diet rich in fish reduces its symptoms!
The symptoms of colitis and associatedintestinal inflammation can be contained with the introduction ofOmega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), replacing some of the Omega-6 fatty acids. According to researchers at the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, India, this fatty acid reduces the production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes. The study that led to this discovery was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Intestinal inflammation: the role of fatty acids
Inflammation in the gut may be associated with a lack of balance between dietary omega-6 and omega-3 intake. Years of research have shown that the balance between these two types of fatty acids influences the production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes. Specifically: omega-6 promotes inflammation, omega-3 counteracts it. However, the modern Western diet is richer in the former than in the latter. Therefore, a diet modification approach could reduce inflammatory phenomena.
The study
Indian researchers studied this possibility in mice in which colitis, a fairly common inflammatory disorder affecting the intestines in the colon area, was induced by treatment with sodium dextran sulfate. The animals were divided into five groups. In the first, whose diet included a ratio of Omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) to Omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) of 215, colitis was not induced. The other four groups consumed different amounts of fatty acids, which were achieved by adding peanut, palm and flaxseed oil to the food mixed in such a way that the ratio of LA to ALA was 215, 50, 10 or 2. After feeding the mice the assigned diet for about 3 months, colitis was induced in these 4 groups by administering sodium dextran sulfate for 11 days. Symptoms of gut inflammation were assessed by measuring various clinical, biochemical and tissue parameters.
Omega-3 against colitis: proven effectiveness
The data collected found that a ratio of LA to ALA of 2 allows for a reduction in colitis symptoms. Increasing the amount of alpha-linolenic acid introduced through the diet reduces the activity of myeloperoxidase and alkaline phosphatase, proteins associated with inflammation. In addition, the levels of other proinflammatory molecules, the cytokines Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha and Interleukin-1beta, were also found to be significantly reduced by increased intake of alpha-linolenic acid. Finally, the appearance of intestinal tissue also appeared much better in mice that had taken the highest amounts of ALA, and supplementation with this fatty acid increased the amount of Omega-3 present in intestinal structures. Conversely, a decrease in the levels of Omega-6 in the intestines was observed in the animals that had taken the highest amount of ALA.
Reducing the symptoms of colitis: the role of nutrition
According to the research authors, these results show that replacing one-third of the linoleic acid introduced through the diet with Omega-3 ALA can alleviate the symptoms of colitis.
Source
1. Tyagi A, Kumar U, Reddy S, Santosh VS, Mohammed SB, Ehtesham NZ, Ibrahim A, "Attenuation of colonic inflammation by partial replacement of dietary linoleic acid with α-linolenic acid in a rat model of inflammatory bowel disease," Br J Nutr. 2012 Jan 16:1-11. [Epub ahead of print].
