Omega-3 for a die-hard immune system
The secret to a robust immune system is kept in a capsule. In a fish oil capsule.
It was in 1932 when some scientists discovered the potential of Omega-3s, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as natural anti-inflammatories. Since then, research on the immune benefits of Omega-3s has not stopped.
Inflammation and the immune system
Imagine your body as a fortress with two main lines of defense: inflammation and specific immunity. Let's see how they work.
Inflammation is like a general alarm that goes off when there is aggression, which can be:
- Trauma (such as a fall).
- A chemical attack (such as an overly aggressive detergent).
- A microbial invasion (such as an infection).
As early as the 1st century AD, a Roman physician named Aulus Cornelius Celsus described the 4 classic signs of inflammation in De Artibus. Today we recognize 5 of them:
- Redness (Latin rubor): the area becomes red.
- Heat (Latin calor): the area becomes hot.
- Swelling (Latin tumor): the area becomes swollen.
- Pain (Latin dolor): the area hurts.
- Loss of function (Latinfunctio laesa): the inflamed part "works" less well.
If inflammation is like a general alarm, specific immunity is, on the other hand, a much more "specific" response, and can be of two types:
- Humoral (or antibody) immunity: produces antibodies to counter invaders.
- Cellular immunity: uses special cells to attack enemies directly.
When there is inflammation or an immune response, your body produces molecules called interleukins and eicosanoids, "messengers" that tell your body that there is inflammation going on. And it is at this point that omega-3 fatty acids spring into action, inhibiting the production of eicosanoids and having an anti-inflammatory action.
The anti-inflammatory role of omega-3s
Clinical studies have shown the effectiveness of fish oil supplements, which are rich in Omega-3, in keeping inflammation under control.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine sheds light on a unique ability of essential fatty acids: that of being converted by an enzyme into resolvins, molecules capable of reducing inflammatory processes. Not only that, docosatrienes that act as potent anti-inflammatory and immune system regulators are also derived from DHA.
In light of all these findings, Omega-3s are now being recommended in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, so called because the basis is an abnormal response of the immune system attacking its own body. An example?
Omega-3s and rheumatic diseases
Autoimmune diseases are like fires constantly burning in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma. What do all these diseases have in common? A chronic state of inflammation involving the whole body. Well, Omega-3s, with their anti-inflammatory power, can help tame them.
The first indications of the benefits of Omega-3s for the immune system date back to the 1970s, when the low rate of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases was observed in Eskimo populations that consumed large amounts of fish high in Omega-3s.
The benefits of fatty acids for the immune system were later summarized and formalized by Artemis Simopoulos, president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C., in an article that appeared in 2002 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
After carefully analyzing several diseases (atherosclerosis, obesity, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma), Artemis Simopoulos concluded that fish oil treatment could decrease the severity of symptoms and also reduce the need to use anti-inflammatory drugs.
Next, two researchers, Trevor Mori and Lawrie Beilin, took stock of the beneficial effects of Omega-3s against inflammation. In the pages of the Current Atherosclerosis Report, they reviewed a wide range of clinical and laboratory studies. The conclusion? Fish oil can reduce the production of molecules that cause inflammation. This means that fatty acids can be a valuable aid in treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
But that's not all: the two researchers showed that EPA and DHA (the main Omega-3s) are also effective in improving the wall of blood vessels and thus protecting us from cardiovascular disease.
Omega-3s for your immune system
In 2003, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition brought further evidence of the benefits of Omega-3s: a reduction in inflammatory molecules was observed in healthy people who consumed fish oil for just one month.
Over the years, scientists have continued to study Omega-3s, and all the research has confirmed that taking essential fatty acids is safe and is like having an ally fighting every day to support your immune system.