Fish oil may fight Crohns Disease symptoms

Essential fatty acids found in fish oil could help reduce the inflammatory bowel conditions in those people with Crohn's Disease.

Chrohn's Disease is a severe form of colitis that involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause is unknown but it may be a response to infection or stress, or it may have a genetic cause.

A recent British study tested fish oil's anti-inflammatory effects on white blood cells on patients with Crohn's Disease. Fish oil contains two essential fatty acids – Eicosapentanoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA), both of which are Omega 3 fatty acids. The researchers gave fish oil supplements to 31 patients and placebo to another group of equal number for 24 weeks.

Blood samples showed that the white blood cells from the fish oil group produced fewer markers of inflammation. Researchers suggest that fish oil supplements may fight Crohns Disease complications.