Fish Oils and Asthma Research
Breathing Easier with Fish Oils

Are there benefits from mixing fish oils and asthma treatment? Is this a natural cure for asthma?

Working as a Respiratory Therapist allows me to treat many patients with asthma. Statistics show more people are being diagnosed with asthma, compared to 10 years ago. What could be the reason for this increase? Pollution? Diet? Genetics?

Reading through an old National Geographic magazine, I remember reading an article about ancient Eskimos (now called Inuit) and their daily diet of fresh fish and seal blubber.

Scientists were curious why the Inuit had low rates of asthma compared to Westerners. Could the answer lie in their diet of oily fish high in omega 3 fatty acids?

Could omega 3 fatty acids and fatty fish oils be a natural cure for asthma?

Oily fish and omega 3 fish oil supplements contain two omega 3 fatty acids:

1. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
2. Docohexaenoic acid (DHA)

Research shows these fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. So this begs the question if we could use these substances to fight inflammation seen in asthma.

Ask any doctor and they'll tell you asthma is a reversible lung condition including, but not limited to, inflammation of your airways.

So I set out to find any studies and research on fish oils and asthma. Please note that not all studies were favorable. However, some show promising results in the use of fish oils and asthma.

Using Fish Oils to Prevent Exercise-Induced Asthma

Bloomington, Indiana - Researchers gave omega 3 fish oils to patients with exercise-induced asthma.

Exercise-induced asthma affects millions of people throughout North America. Its trademark symptom is shortness of breath during exercise; which can be relieved by anti-inflammatory drugs.

Participants in this study received a daily dose of fish oil soft gels containing 3 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 2 grams of DHA.

After 3 weeks of treatment, patients performed breathing tests before, during and after working out.

Surprisingly, the omega 3 fish oil soft gels caused significant improvements:

• Patients performed better on lung function tests, some to the point where there were no symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.
• Patients reduced their use of bronchodilator asthma drugs.
• Blood tests showed lower levels of inflammatory chemicals in the lungs.

Researchers concluded omega 3 fish oils may be an effective way to reduce the inflammation seen in exercise-induced asthma and the use of asthma medication.

A pretty impressive debut for fish oils and asthma. Can this hardy marine oil prove equally well at treating childhood asthma?

Fish Oils and Asthma in Children

Japan - Seeking a natural cure for asthma, Japanese researchers compared the effects of fish oil or olive oil on a group of asthmatic children.

Now we know olive oil is a great cooking oil. You can't argue with thousands of years of Mediterranean history. But can this oil prove fruitful in reducing asthma in children?

Children were given fish oils based on their bodyweight. Average dosages were 20 mg. of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 10 mg. of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) per kilogram of bodyweight. For an 80 lb. child, it works out to around 700 mg. of EPA and 360 mg. of DHA per day.

After 10 months of treatment, researchers found that children taking fish oils experienced:

• Decrease in asthma symptoms.
• Increased EPA levels in their blood.
• Lower likelihood for an asthmatic reaction.

Unfortunately, children taking olive oil had no decrease in their asthma symptoms.

A similar study using adults taking 1800 mg. EPA in a supplement called Epadel showed improvements in asthma symptoms and lung tests.

Putting Out the Fire with Fish Oils

South Carolina - What causes the inflammation seen in asthma patients?

One substance responsible for the 'burn' in asthma are chemicals called Leukotrienes. These substances are inflammatory chemicals produced during an allergic asthma attack. They cause airway inflammation and edema.

Is it possible to reduce leukotriene levels with omega 3 fatty acids, thereby lessening asthma symptoms?

Scientists in South Carolina gave 43 adult patients with mild asthma either a daily supplement of EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and GLA (Gamma linoleic acid) or olive oil. Gamma linoleic acid is an omega 6 fatty acid found in black currants, evening primrose oil and some vegetable oils.

They discovered that supplementing a diet with EPA and GLA lowered the levels of leukotrienes.

Now whether this translated into a decrease of asthma symptoms remains to be seen. Researchers didn't measure for asthma symptoms...only if there was a measurable decrease in leukotriene production.

However, it makes sense if you reduce the chemicals that cause inflammation in your lungs, you may reduce the onset of asthma symptoms brought on by substances that cause inflammatory-like conditions in the body.

Comments:

Looking at these studies, it appears there are health benefits from using fish oils and asthma:

• Reduces inflammation in the lung.
• Improvements in lung function tests.
• Reduces the frequency to use breathing medications.

4 other studies using children and a diet of oily fish had similar positive results between fish oils and asthma.

Another factor to look at is whether the patients involved in these studies were using any breathing medications, which may affect the breathing tests. Some of these studies didn't discuss this factor.

Are fish oils a natural cure for asthma? Research shows promise in combining fish oils and asthma treatment plans. More research is needed to find improved treatments (and hopefully a cure) for asthma.

Reduce Inflammation with One of the Strongest Fish Oils in the World!

Yes, that's a bold statement.

But take a look at the latest International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) report and you'll find a special type of fish oil that provides some of the highest anti-inflammatory effects found in any brand.

Dr. Barry Sears has created a specialized high-dose fish oil called Zone Labs Omega 3 Concentrates.

Dr. Sears fish oils have been proven to offer you the following benefits not found in other fish oils:

• Patented, highly purified and extremely powerful.
• Patented to assure superior inflammation control.
• Deemed one of the top performing oils for concentration of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, purity and oxidation by IFOS, the world's strictest lab.
• Twice as strong and 100 times more pure than fish oils sold in stores.
• Proven in studies to help you lose weight by satisfying your hunger and increase the breakdown of stored fat.
• Slows down the aging process and enhances your body's innate anti-inflammatory response.

One of the hallmark symptoms seen in asthma is inflammation.

Research shows that reducing the amount of inflammation in your lungs, you reduce the duration and intensity of asthma attacks. You'll also reduce the amount of bronchodilator medications needed to keep your airways open.

Dr. Sear's Zone Labs Omega 3 Concentrates are patented to provide superior inflammation control.

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