Lupus and Omega 3 Fish Oil

In a recent 6 month study, Dr. Emeir Duffy from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster studied the effect of fish oil supplements in 52 lupus patients. The results are promising for sufferers of this disorder in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue throughout the body, causing painful or swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes, kidney problems, cardiovascular complications and extreme fatigue.

Systemic lupus erythematosus--commonly referred to as lupus—is a complex disease and the exact cause is unclear. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective treatments to stop its progression. Steroids and other drugs are used to manage symptoms, but, many health care professionals believe that steroids should be administered for the shortest period of time possible to reduce their un-wanted side-effects. Therefore, clinical researchers have recently been looking at attempting to manage symptoms of the disease through diet. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are of real interest because they are thought to fight inflammation and affect immune function.

Participants in the study took either fish-oil supplements three times per day, a copper supplement, copper plus fish oil or a placebo. Duffy's team found that the copper was of no benefit. But, all the participants who took the fish oil saw improvements in quality of life, inflammation and fatigue, which is one of the most debilitating symptoms of lupus.

Dr. Duffy was quoted as saying; "Some found it fantastic, and they went from being severely affected in their daily life to actually joining the gym and having a huge difference in what they could do. Others saw a mild improvement, being able to go out and do the shopping which is a big bonus to some people who can't even leave the house."

Dr. Duffy went on to say that people with lupus could get the benefits seen in her study by “increasing their intake of fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon”.

If you are not able to get enough Omega 3 in your diet through fish alone, you may want to discuss the possibility of supplementing your diet with a quality Omega 3 soft gel with your local health care professional. Note: the Omega 3 product that we distribute is an enteric-coated softgel. It will not repeat on you. No belching. No fishy taste or odor.