NaturalNews.com The Powerful Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Preventing Diseases of Inflammation: The Experts Speak

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(NaturalNews) What do the top authors, doctors and health experts have to say about the realtionship between omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation? I asked my Private Research Library that question recently and was overwhelmed with the remarkable wisdom it revealed.

Below, I share the top quotes from noted authors about omega-3 fatty acids and their relationship to inflammation (and the diseases of inflammation). It's an astonishing tour through the highlights of how omega-3s affect the body's response to inflammation, and you'll learn important information about the role of inflammation in diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, eczema, asthma and many others. You'll also see why inflammation can easily aggravate autoimmune disorders like Lupus and type-1 diabetes, and you'll find out which low-cost trace mineral boosts the assimilation of omega-3 fatty acids.

With all the interest in marine omega-3s today, you'll find this article fascinating. Keep in mind that most of the text here was written before green-lipped mussels or krill oil became known as available sources of omega-3 fatty acids, so most authors quoted below recommend cold water fish. Fish are a great source of omega-3s, but the mercury content they may contain makes them potentially more dangerous to your health than the benefits their omega-3 oils provide. So check your sources carefully and only buy from trusted companies that can demonstrate low mercury levels through laboratory analysis.

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Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation: What the experts say
The ability of omega-3 fatty acids to significantly reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death -- by 45 percent -- was demonstrated in the GISSI Prevention study, in which more than eleven thousand patients participated. A recent review of the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of hypertension found that omega-3s protect against stroke and reaffirmed that the cardioprotective benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are related to their ability to improve blood pressure, vascular function, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cardiac function. - What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes: An Innovative Program to Prevent, Treat, and Beat This Controllable Disease by Steven V. Joyal - Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fatty acid-rich oils have been shown in hundreds of studies to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, including many studies in diabetics. The omega-3 fatty acids are being recommended to treat or prevent not only high cholesterol levels, but also high blood pressure, other cardiovascular diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and inflammation, eczema, psoriasis, and many others. - Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2 by Michael T. Murray, ND - Available on Amazon.com

More than two thousand studies on omega-3 fatty acids have been published in medical journals, adding up to a wealth of persuasive data, and many studies have found that supplements and omega-3 rich foods can significantly reduce levels of several inflammation-promoting compounds in people: thromboxane B2, prostaglandin E2, interleukin-1, and C-reactive protein. In a very real sense, fish oils snuff out many of the matches of inflammation. - The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem - Available on Amazon.com

Clinical studies have found that increasing the omega-3s in one's diet may reduce the chances of heart attack by a third. What biological mechanism could explain these findings? A couple of theories have emerged. Omega-3s are present in high concentrations in heart tissue where they seem to play a role in regulating heart rhythm and preventing fatal arrhythmias. Omega-3s also dampen the inflammation response, which omega-6s tend to excite. - In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan - Available on Amazon.com

Since we're eating more grains and foods with omega-6 fatty acids, you likely need more sources of omega-3 in your diet to strike the best nutritional ratio-not only to boost your immunity but for all other health benefits associated with omega-3s. Plus, the right ratio reduces the inflammatory stimulus in the liver, so the appropriate inflammation caused when our immune system defends us against an invader does not age us as much. - You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty by Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D. - Available on Amazon.com

The most healthy fatty acids are found in fish oil, flaxseed oil (both have lots of omega-3 fatty acids), and borage oil (which has a type of omega-6 fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid or GLA, that has many health benefits). These omega-3 and omega-6 fats stimulate the immune system and fight inflammation, a known cause of heart disease and many other chronic diseases. They also support optimal brain function. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel contain the highest concentration of omega-3s. - Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutrition by Hyla Cass, M.D. - Available on Amazon.com

Alpha-linolenic is the precursor omega-3 to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in flax and perilla seed oils. DHA and EPA modulate systemic inflammation by increasing the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines (Venkatraman et al. 1999). DHA extracted from fish oil may be as effective as some prescription medications in reducing inflammation. EPA effectively limits the release of arachidonic acid found largely in meat products and known to increase inflammation (Brock et al. 1999). - Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff - Available on Amazon.com

Leukotrienes are the most powerful sources of inflammation yet discovered in the body, and their production can be inhibited by ingestion of omega-3 and GLA fatty acids, recommended as part of the regeneration diets. In clinical trails, a majority of rheumatoid arthritics either stopped or reduced by half their anti-inflammatory medication after using combinations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. - Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford - Available on Amazon.com

Basically, the omega-3s encourage the body's production of inflammation-suppressing compounds. They help remind the body to turn inflammatory reactions off when they are no longer needed. GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) is technically an omega-6 fatty acid, but it behaves more like an anti-inflammatory omega-3. It enhances the inflammation-suppressing effect of omega-3s. - The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem - Available on Amazon.com

Diets rich in omega-3 fats are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Once we began to refine oils from plants, we switched to a high omega-6 diet, which accounts for the more than 20:1 ratio previously mentioned. As a result of our use of refined vegetable oils, we've changed the way our bodies work. This shift is making our bodies malfunction, causing inflammation, dry skin, and increased oxidation -- some of the side effects of fat deficiency. Today some well-informed doctors have started giving omega-3 fats to heart attack patients to reduce the risk of a second attack. - Ultraprevention : The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life by Mark Hyman, M.D. - Available on Amazon.com

A study reported in the journal Nutrition in 1990 described the significant immune-enhancing effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Subsequent studies have proposed a mechanism for this effect, including suppression of special enzymes (COX-II) known to produce substances (the eicosanoid PGE2) that suppress immunity and promote inflammation. We now know that omega-6 oils profoundly suppress immunity and promote inflammation by stimulating the production of these inflammatory chemicals. - Health and Nutrition Secrets by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. - Available on Amazon.com

Fight the triple threat of heart disease with omega-3 fatty acids. They clear clogged arteries, lubricate clumping blood cells, and ease high blood pressure. And that's not all. These polyunsaturated fats also help regulate your heartbeat and combat inflammation. In a recent Danish study, people with low levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, also had high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a specific type of omega-3 fatty acid. - Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A - Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 s are helpful for heart health and brain health as well as for inflammation, circulation, memory, thought, and blood sugar control. - The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. - Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fatty acids in flax are converted into "good" (series 1 and 3) prostaglandins that may help reduce inflammation, pain, and allergic response in a number of conditions. In a study of patients with eczema (chronic, itchy inflamed skin), researchers fotmd deficient levels of omega-3 EFAs, EPA, and DHA in body tissues, combined with excessive levels of omega-6 EFAs. This study demonstrates the importance of higher omega-3 intake, as well as the need to achieve the correct balance between omega-3 and omega-6. - The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien - Available on Amazon.com

When our intake of omega-6 fats greatly exceeds our omega-3 fats, guess what happens? COX-2 enzymes increase. High intakes of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (coupled with low intakes of omega-3s) equal higher levels of inflammation. If you don't think that's anything to worry about, consider that inflammation was recently the subject of a cover story in Time magazine that called it "The Secret Killer." The subtitle: "The surprising link between inflammation and heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases." - The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. - Available on Amazon.com

A recent German study highlighted the antiinflammatory benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. These oils quickly reduced inflammation in twenty patients suffering from psoriasis. Omega-3 fatty acids offer yet another benefit to psoriasis sufferers. Ten percent of psoriasis patients also develop a form of arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis. Studies show that 1 to 3 grams daily of omega-3 fish oils can help both conditions. - Earl Mindell's Secret Remedies by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D. - Available on Amazon.com

THE BENEFITS OF FISH OILS: The omega-3 fish oils, which contain EPA and DHA, have also been shown to reduce risk of heart disease. So too has eating fish. If you've had a heart attack and start eating omega-3-rich fish three times a week, you could halve your risk of a further heart attack. Other trials giving people omega-3 fish oils have found that they do indeed confer protection from heart disease. Exactly how they work is still under investigation. omega-3 fats are antiinflammatory, and artery damage involves inflammation. - The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford - Available on Amazon.com

The amount of omega-3 in a pregnant woman's diet helps to determine her child's intelligence, fine-motor skills (such as the ability to manipulate small objects and hand-eye coordination), and also propensity to antisocial behavior. - The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. - Available on Amazon.com

To restore a more normal balance between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, you must make a concerted effort to emphasize the omega-3 family. You can do this by eating more cold-water fish (such as salmon and herring), as well as leafy green salads (which are high in linolenic acid, the parent omega-3 fat). - Feed Your Genes Right: Eat to Turn Off Disease-Causing Genes and Slow Down Aging by Jack Challem - Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 fatty acids are also very important in producing biochemical substances that reduce inflammation and excessive immune system responses throughout the body. omega-3 fatty acids are the body's most important anti-inflammatory biochemicals. - Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care by Michael T. Murray - Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 family of fatty acids supplies the building blocks of a variety of powerful anti-inflammatory substances. The parent fat of the omega-3s, alpha-linolenic acid, is found in dark green leafy vegetables and flaxseed. More potent omega-3 s, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), are found in coldwater fish such as salmon and herring. - The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem - Available on Amazon.com

High levels of omega-6 are almost always associated with inflammation; omega-3 applies the brakes. Guided by the biochemistry, researchers have found omega-3 fatty acids helpful in the treatment of inflammation-related immune disease across the board. Some areas of focus include... rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory joint disease. In a series of studies over the past decade the omega-3 fatty acids have been observed consistently to reduce swelling, irritation, and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. - The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program by Andrew L. Stoll - Available on Amazon.com

In numerous studies of animals with lupus-like illness or humans with actual lupus, omega-3 fatty acids have reduced inflammation, kidney problems, and mortality. A New Zealand study of mice found the disease slowed remarkably when omega-3 oils were added to the diet. In a recent U.S. study, patients with active lupus showed significant improvement on supplements of omega-3 oils. In a study in India, investigators found that omega-3 fatty acids could cause an actual remission from lupus. - The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program by Andrew L. Stoll - Available on Amazon.com

A portion of the fat in fish is in the omega-3 form. omega-3 fats are reputed to reduce inflammation and block the formation of blood clots that could lead to heart attacks. -