Fish oil

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 39, Issue 4

Fish body oil (i.e. fish oil from any part of the fish) received the highest score for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as would be expected (i.e. a score of 5/5). RA is an inflammatory condition and the fatty acids in fish oil have a well-known anti-inflammatory effect. The report noted that: “fish oil supplements are safe to use and can significantly reduce joint pain, reduce the duration of morning stiffness, fatigue time and reduce the number of tender or swollen joints. In addition, fish body oil can significantly reduce the usage of painkillers amongst people with RA”. Fish oil would not be expected to have an effect in osteoarthritis because this is a degenerative condition of joints/cartilage/bone, not an inflammatory condition.

However, the supplements glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin both received a score of 3/5 for osteoarthritis because they are both able to protect joints/cartilage, reduce joint pain and help maintain mobility.

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