Omega-3 to heal gut wounds post surgery

Omega 3 supplements: good for healing wounds from delicate gut surgeries

Omega-3 fatty acids facilitate healing and counteract inflammation in gut wounds after surgery. This was demonstrated in a study published in the Italian Annals of Surgery by a group of researchers from the Medical School of Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the results obtained in this research, the effect of these nutrients is even greater if they are taken in combination withascorbic acid.

Dangerous bowel surgeries

The gastrointestinal anastomoses, surgical procedures that involve the joining of two sections of the digestive tract, may encounter spontaneous reopening of wounds. This phenomenon, which can be caused by various local and systemic factors, is a very serious postoperative complication that can even lead to the death of the patient. For surgery to have a successful outcome, it is important to prevent or reduce the oxygen deficiency typical of the central wound zone and the inflammation that can be triggered at the level of the anastomosis. Added to these goals is the goal of increasing collagen-rich connective tissue in the wound. Some research has shown that both Omega-3 and ascorbic acid play a role in the healing of damaged tissue. The latter has been implicated in the process of collagen fiber formation, to which it imparts the tensile strength necessary for scar tissue to stretch without tearing. L'eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and thedocosahexaenoic acid (DHA), food-derived omega-3s, participate in wound healing by affecting levels of inflammation in damaged tissue. For these reasons, researchers at Yeditepe University evaluated the effectiveness of these two types of molecules in promoting wound healing associated with intestinal anastomoses.

Omega-3 against inflammation to heal better

The study involved 40 rats, which were divided into 4 groups. The first underwent anastomosis but received no treatment. The second and third groups underwent surgery and received either ascorbic acid or Omega-3. Finally, a fourth group of animals underwent surgery and received both ascorbic acid and Omega-3. Five days after surgery, all animals were sacrificed to analyze the results of the operation. Healing was assessed by measuring burst pressure, which is the pressure required for the anastomosis to fail, and levels of hydroxyproline, an amino acid found in collagen. It was found that burst pressure and hydroxyproline concentrations were significantly higher in both animals that had received ascorbic acid and those that had taken Omega-3. Not only that, the positive effect of combined intake of the two types of nutrients was greater than that obtained by using ascorbic acid alone or Omega-3 alone.

Winning combination against injuries

Taken singly or in combination, Omega-3 and ascorbic acid promote the healing of anastomoses made to the intestines. According to researchers, the action of the two types of molecules would add up, facilitating the wound recovery process.

Source 

1. Ekçi B, Karabicak I, Atukeren P, Altinlio E, Tomaoglu K, Tasci I, "The effect of omega-3 fatty acid and ascorbic acid on healing of ischemic colon anastomoses," Ann Ital Chir. 2011 Nov-Dec;82(6):475-9