Cod liver oil can reduce arthritis pain

A recent study published in journal Rheumatology says that a daily dose of cod liver oil can ease the pain of arthritis.

During the study researchers from Edinburgh University and Dundee University in the United Kingdom found that taking 10 gm of cod liver oil every day can reduce painkiller intake by arthritis patients by almost a third.

According to lead researcher Prof Jill Belch, “This study offers hope to many rheumatoid arthritis 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,” she added.

During the study 100 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) who used to take to non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID) were subjected to 10 gram of cod liver oil or placebo for nine months. After 12 weeks they were asked to reduce or discontinue their intake of NSAIDs.

The patients were accessed after nine months and it was marked that after nine months 10% of those who were taking placebo could reduce their daily NSAIDs requirements by more than 30% while those who took cod liver could cut their NSAID use by more than 30%.

“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. This was achieved in all of the clinical parameters studied,” the researchers explained.

Millions of people suffer from Rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. It also causes inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as in other organs in the body.