Cod liver oil could help people with rheumatoid arthritis
25 Mar 2008
People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could cut their reliance on anti-inflammatory drugs by taking cod liver oil, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Dundee say this reliance could be reduced by nearly a third (30 per cent) if people take the oil supplements.
The study supports earlier research which found that cod liver oil can benefit people with RA.
The condition affects around 350,000 people in the UK, with women more likely to be affected than men.
It is an auto-immune disease which causes pain, swelling and inflammation in the joints and can leave people feeling generally unwell and tired.
For the latest report the researchers analysed 97 people with RA who took anti-inflammatory NSAIDs.
They were given either 10g of cod liver oil containing 2.2g of omega 3 essential fatty acids or placebo ('dummy') pills.
Details of NSAID dose and clinical indicators linked to RA disease activity were recorded at the start of the study and again at four, 12, 24 and 36 weeks.
After three months patients were told to gradually reduce and, if possible, stop their NSAID intake.
Fifty-eight patients completed the study.
Out of 49 patients in the cod liver oil group, 19 (39 per cent) were able to have cut their daily NSAID requirement by more than 30 per cent at the nine-month point.
In contrast just five (ten per cent) of the 48 patients in the placebo group were able to reduce their daily NSAID requirement by more than 30 per cent.
No differences were seen in how the disease behaved clinically during this time.
"The main objective of the study was to assess whether RA patients were able to reduce their NSAID intake without any worsening of their disease activity," the researchers said.
"This was achieved in all of the clinical parameters studied."
Lead researcher Professor Jill Belch added: "This study offers hope to many RA patients for whom cod liver oil supplements can offer a natural pain management treatment without the harmful side effects associated with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
"It reinforces previous research that has shown cod liver oil, and its high content of omega-3 essential fatty acids, to have significant anti-inflammatory properties in patients with rheumatoid arthritis."
The study is published in the journal Rheumatology.
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