DISEASES OF THEIR OWN ACCORD
"Diseases of their own accord
But cures come difficult and hard."Samuel Butler, The Weakness and
Misery of Man, 1. 82.
The biggest culprit when it comes to causing many serious diseases is the body itself. When an outside "element" enters the body, the immune system of body gets to work to eliminate it; however, in the aftermath of the war with the foreign "element," the body is left with chemicals that bring symptoms of asthma, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rejection of transplants and many other still unexplained diseases.
An overzealous body defense system, at times, gets so active that it starts fighting its own cells and so the diseases of immune system are truly of their own accord. There really is no way to prevent these diseases and only symptomatic treatments are used to suppress body's immune system by using potent drugs like steroids.
However, like so many other secrets of the sea, comes a panacea for, perhaps, the most perplexing of all human ailments--the body's desire to self destruct.
Omega-3 fatty acids also control disorders of the body immune system as evidenced by Eskimos, who rarely show any of these diseases. The eicosanoids formed from omega-3 acids reduce the activity of the body immune system; however, this containment of the immune system is highly selective and does not affect the body's ability to fight off infections and cancer. If these eicosanoids were to depress the immune functions indiscriminately, the body would quickly succumb to various diseases as has happened with AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrom), for which no treatment has so far been found. The selective action of omega-3 on the body immune system actually enhances the infection-fighting ability of the body.
Arthritis
Inflammation of tissues is caused by various blood cells, such as monocytes and platelets, sticking to the site of injury and releasing chemicals. Since omega-3 fatty acids reduce the stickiness and chemical reactivity of these cells, inflammation, which results from arthritis and physical injuries, is defused.
Omega-3 acids also alter the types of leukotrienes formed by omega-6 acids which cause inflammation and hypersensitive reactions. Studies conducted at the Albany Medical College and reported in the September 1986 issue of the Internal Medicine News show extremely beneficial effects of EPA (the omega-3 acid in fish) in treating rheumatoid arthritis. This study observed significant reduction in the number of tender joints in subjects treated with a fish oil for only 14 weeks. Another study reported from the Harvard Medical School on 13 patients showed similar results.
The future of omega-3 fatty acids in treating arthritis and similar ailments is very bright. It should be noted that aspirin, which is the drug of choice for relieving arthritis pain, has a similar action. A combination of aspirin, or other anti-arthritic drugs, with fish oil is a highly effective combination for symptomatic treatment of arthritis.
In addition, omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to make cell membranes more "fluid" thus, in effect, "lubricating" the joints.
Asthma and Allergies
The symptoms of asthma are caused by eicosanoids which fight "foreign" particles in the body or at times its own cells. Eskimos show extremely low incidence of asthma because of altered composition of eicosanoids. However, the fish oil therapy can be beneficial only in the early stages of asthma since once the allergic reaction has been established, it is not possible to eliminate it. Eskimos benefit because they take omega-3 rich diets from infancy. Perhaps we need to start teaching our children the value of fish diets in their early years.
Fish oil also reduces the collapse of lungs during severe allergic reactions, as observed in many studies on animals fed high fish oil diets. The question arises whether these fatty acids will have any future role in the development of anti-allergy medicines? It is likely they will.
Grafts and Transplants:
Patients taking fish oil supplements are more receptive to venous grafts (such as performed in heart bypass surgeries) than those who do not. From the mechanistic point of view, it is entirely plausible to establish the role of omega-3 fatty acids in organ transplants and in the case of cardiac bypass patients. The latter, highly susceptible to blockage of arteries, are perhaps the best target group on which to investigate the long-term effects of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing the recurrence of artery blockage.
Another beneficial effect of fish-oil therapy can be drawn from its ability to thin-out the blood or prolong the bleeding. Anticoagulant drugs are often prescribed for heart patients. Can omega-3 supplements reduce the need for these drugs? A dietary solution would be preferred over any drug therapy. However, if you are prescribed any anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin, are prescribed, consult your physician before you begin on fish oil supplements or even plan to include more fish in your diet.
Migraine:
Anti-immune and vasodilation effects of omega-3 fatty acids relieved migraine pains for patients on high fish oil diets, recent studies have reported. Since migraine pains have a myriad of causes, not all of which may be affected by omega-3 fatty acids, highly variable effects of fish diet are noted in migraine patients. In one study at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, five out of six sufferers from migraine headches, had fewer, less severe headaches when they took 20 grams of a commercial fish-oil preparation in contrast to those on a placebo.
Diabetes
There are three types of diabetes. Type I, also known as Juvenile Diabetes, typically occurs in pre-teen years. These patients do not produce enough insulin to sustain life and must inject themselves regularly with insulin. Type I diabetes also occurs in older people and there need not be a family history of the disease to acquire it. Type I diabetes occurs because the body's overzealous "protector" cells start to chew-up the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. It is suggested that omega-3 acids reduce the activity of these "protector" cells and can help control the onset of Type I diabetes. Some drugs which provide the same function must be used for prolonged time and can have their own side effects; the use of diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is a definitely better alternative to potent drugs.
Type II diabetes typically strikes overweight people who are past 40 and have a strong family history of diabetes. These people produce enough insulin at the beginning of their illness but develop insulin resistance as the disease progresses. Their bodies just do not respond to the insulin secreted by their own body. Type II diabetics eventually become insulin dependent as the disease progresses and their insulin production slows down or ceases. About 80-90 percent of diabetics have Type II, which is not often insulin dependent.
The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes, which affects mainly pregnant women during the middle or last trimester but disappears following delivery.
Several beneficial effects of a fish diet have been observed in Type II diabetic patients, who traditionally have a very high death rate from heart diseases. Even short term treatment with concentrated fish oil results in a significant decrease in the blood triglyceride levels and an increase in the HDL levels, a combination highly beneficial to reducing the incidence of blocking of arteries. At the 1986 meeting of the American Diabetes Association, several important findings of the effect of fish oil in treating Type II diabetes were reported. There is also evidence that omega-3 fatty acids directly affect insulin production and sensitivity of body cells to insulin. The low incidence of Type II diabetes in Eskimos may be also be attributed, in addition to their high omega-3 intake, to the low amount of refined carbohydrates in their diets.
Lupus
Lupus (Systemic lupus erythematosis) is a chronic disease of damaged blood vessels and kidneys. The damage to blood vessels results in high blood pressure and plaque formation leading to heart attacks. The dietary omega-3 fatty acids produce eicosanoids which interfere in the initiation and progression of lupus as observed in Eskimos and others who consume high quantity of omega-3 fats.
Multiple Sclerosis
The connection between multiple sclerosis (M.S) and the body's immune function is not clearly understood but M.S. patients show improvement when given fish oil. Because of the severity of the disease, however, any help in the treatment, albeit rudimentary, should be taken seriously; why not try omega-3 therapy?