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Regular weekly portion of oily fish may halve rheumatoid arthritis risk
August 13, 2013
Omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are thought to help lower women's risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
A regular weekly portion of oily fish such as salmon could halve women's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, Swedish scientists have found.
Research involving more than 32,000 women who were tracked between 2003 and 2010 found that those who regularly ate a weekly serving over a number of years had a 52 per cent lower risk of the disease, compared with those who consumed less.
Writing in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, scientists at the Karolinska Institute claimed that the link between fish consumption and reduced rheumatoid arthritis risk "can be attributed to its content of long chain [omega-]3 polyunsaturated fatty acids".
In order to gain this level of benefit, women would need to maintain a fish-rich diet for several years, the study authors noted.
They also revealed that non-oily fish would need to be consumed in far higher quantities - approximately four servings per week - to bring about a similar reduction in rheumatoid arthritis risk.
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