Low Omega-3 Fatty Acids Cause Chronic Disease

Omega-3 Lipid Mediators Naturally Resolve Inflammation

Jan 16, 2009

Inflammation is a healthy defense that becomes a disease risk, if natural reversal is hampered by omega-3 oil deficiency.

Chronic inflammation that is the foundation of Western degenerative, autoimmune and cancer diseases is the result of inadequate resolution of an effective defense. The inflammatory tetrad, rubor (redness), calor (warmth), dolor (pain) and tumor (swelling), is triggered by infection or injury and should be reversed by subsequent restorative activity of anti-inflammatory products of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Aspirin is a potent anti-inflammatory drug, because it not only blocks production of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid products, but it activates production of anti-inflammatory lipoxins from arachidonic acid (ARA), and resolvins/protectins from eicosapenaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Inflammation Starts as Neutrophils Release ARA Derived Prostaglandins and Leukotrienes

In response to common bacterial wall fragments, such as lipopolysaccharides, neutrophils of the immune system produce enzymes, phospholipases and cyclooxygenases (COX-2), that release ARA from phospholipid in the cell membrane, and convert it into inflammatory prostaglandins, e.g. PGE2. These lipid mediators change the attachment proteins on the surface of capillaries and facilitate the adhesion and penetration (diapedesis) of leukocytes cells between blood vessel endothelial cells and into tissue. This signaling results in inflammatory dilation of blood vessels to produce reddening, warmth, swelling and pain.

Inflammatory Prostaglandins Trigger Anti-inflammatory Lipoxins

The production of inflammatory prostaglandins also initiates the expression of genes coding for the enzymes that produce the group of eicosanoids known as the lipoxins that include resolvins and protectins. Thus, the synthesis of inflammatory omega-6 lipid mediators sets the stage for the next wave of omega-3 lipid mediators that normally resolve inflammation.

Lipoxins Heal Inflammation Damage

The resolvins and protectins are derived from omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. They reduce permeability of the capillaries to stop further recruitment of leukocytes and provide chemotactic trails for monocytes that clean up wound debris to find their way to the site of inflammation.

Aspirin Triggers ARA Derived Lipoxins

It is well known that aspirin acts on COX-2 to inhibit the production of inflammatory lipid mediators, e.g. PG2, thromboxanes. A further anti-inflammatory activity of aspirin on COX-2 is channeling the production of ARA into anti-inflammatory lipoxins. Additional resolvins and protectins are produced from EPA and DHA in the presence of aspirin.

Lipoxins Can Participate in Disease

Resolvins can be used to reduce symptoms in inflammation in periodontal disease and chemically-induced colitis. In these cases, the resolvin binds to a membrane receptor and turns down the inflammatory transcription factor, NFkB. These actions have been used to explain related efficacy of dietary omega-3 oils in treatment of intestinal and oral inflammation. These observations underscore the broader thesis that chronic inflammation results from dietary disruption of the normal balance of ARA-based inflammation and EPA/DHA-based resolution of inflammation.

Reference:

Schwab JM, Serhan CN. 2006. Lipoxins and new lipid mediators in the resolution of inflammation. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 6(4):414-20.

The copyright of the article Low Omega-3 Fatty Acids Cause Chronic Disease in Healthcare Research is owned by Art Ayers. Permission to republish Low Omega-3 Fatty Acids Cause Chronic Disease in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

May 9, 2009 2:26 PM

Guest :

I've seen a number of web sites saying that although both omega-3 fatty acids and some types of omega-6 fatty acids are essential to maintaining good health, keeping a good ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 is also important.