According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five American adults (over 53 million) has some form of arthritis. Among the various types, the most common is Osteoarthritis, which currently affects over 30 million people in the country (approximately 56% of all arthritis cases).
Joints are areas where two or more bones meet. Most joints are mobile and allow bones to move. The main structures comprising a joint are bones and cartilage, but there are also others such as the synovial membrane, ligaments, tendons, bursae, and synovial fluid.
Cartilage is a type of tissue that covers the surface of a bone in a joint, helping to reduce friction during movement. Cartilage does not appear in X-rays, but cartilage loss is indicated by the narrowing of the space between joint bones.
Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory joint disease where the cartilage within a joint begins to degenerate, and the underlying bone starts to change. These changes usually develop slowly and worsen over time. Osteoarthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling, and in some cases, it can lead to reduced function and disability. In severe cases, individuals may struggle to perform daily tasks or work. Osteoarthritis can also impact mental health, with many cases associated with depression, possibly due to loss of independence and resulting social isolation.
Osteoarthritis can be classified as primary when it appears spontaneously and is not the result of a traumatic incident, and secondary when it is the result of trauma or joint misalignment. The cause of Osteoarthritis seems to be multifactorial, involving inflammatory, biochemical, metabolic, traumatic, and biomechanical factors. Numerous chemical mediators of inflammation are present in the process.
Various alternatives have been employed for the treatment of Osteoarthritis, including analgesics, anti-inflammatories, therapies such as physiotherapy, more invasive procedures like intra-articular injections, and surgical procedures such as joint replacements.
The Role of Omega 3
Considering that inflammation and inflammatory mediators play a fundamental role in the development of Osteoarthritis, researchers suggested that nutrition could be crucial, with the incorporation of nutrients possessing anti-inflammatory properties becoming a potential strategy to assist individuals with the disease. Omega 3 emerged as the prime candidate.
The benefits of Omega 3 in Osteoarthritis have been analyzed in vitro research, animal models, and human studies. For example, in vitro studies have shown that Omega 3 is capable of inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), an enzyme that causes connective tissue degradation, a factor involved in Osteoarthritis.
In animal models where Osteoarthritis has been induced, Omega 3 has demonstrated protective properties for cartilage. Preclinical research results indicate that treatment with Omega 3 and its derivatives/metabolites could be an option to aid in the treatment of Osteoarthritis. Evidence suggests that Omega-3 could protect against cartilage loss in Osteoarthritis and reduce inflammatory markers within the joint synovial fluid.
Human studies are ongoing, with encouraging results. Comparative studies have found, for example, that the group of individuals whose regimen included dietary supplementation with Omega 3 reported less pain and greater joint functionality. Other studies corroborated these findings, demonstrating reduced analgesic consumption in groups receiving Omega 3.
There are also other research studies with very objective evidence, such as those using X-rays to demonstrate a reduction in intra-articular space loss in Osteoarthritis groups consuming Omega 3, indicating that cartilage destruction had decreased, thus slowing disease progression.
While research continues, the results obtained so far show benefits that would add to the list represented by dietary supplementation with Omega 3. With the advent of the new generation of Omega 3, which, thanks to nanotechnology, has been transformed into a nanoemulsion, i.e., an Omega 3 that can dissolve in both water and oil, being hydrophilic and lipophilic, Omega 3 can now reach all cellular compartments in all organs. This nanoformulation allows it to achieve four times the absorption and potency of conventional Omega 3.
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