Omega-3s for Joint Pain and Much More

May 4, 2015   |   17 Comments   |   13

Omega-3s are a type of fat ESSENTIAL for our bodies. However, our bodies cannot make these nutrients by itself, we must get them from food sources like flax, green vegetables and cold water fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. And when our bodies are given the proper amounts of Omega-3s… we get amazing benefits as a result.

Omega-3s Reduce Joint Pain

Research suggests that omega-3s reduce joint pain. Many people have experienced amazing results and a lessening of joint pain from arthritis and other injuries after taking omega-3s for as little as two weeks.

Dr. Joseph Maroon, neurosurgeon at the University of Pittsburgh, spent 20 years biking, swimming, and running in triathlons, and all of this movement eventually took a toll on his joints. This is common with many athletes. While sports and exercise are good for our bodies, it is easy to overuse your joints and end up with pain and disability.

Dr. Maroon had one knee in particular that gave him a lot of trouble. He took so much Advil from the pain he developed an ulcer. It was soon recommended that he get a full knee replacement. After conducting his own research, Dr. Maroon discovered fish oils and wondered if they could hold the answer to his joint pain. Sure enough, soon after starting his fish oil supplements, Dr. Maroon was able to get off all of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine he had been taking.

How Exactly Do Omega-3s Help With Joint Pain?

Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically the DHA and EPA inside them, work to block inflammation pathways in the cell. And, they block not one, but multiple pathways in the cell. Now, when it comes to the most common types of joint pain, the inflammation in those joints is one of the common culprits.

Omega-3s Fight Depression and Memory Loss

The next amazing health benefit you will start to see once you begin taking omega-3s is better memory and cognitive function, and even help against depression. Researchers have found that adding Omega-3s into your diet has a profound benefit to your cognitive health, because the human brain is made up of about 60% fat, and your cerebral cortex is made up of about 15% DHA.

The mechanism in play has to do with keeping your nervous cells supple and soft rather than stiff, and also in preventing inflammation in the brain.

When the nerve cells in your brain become stiff and hardened, it makes the normal transmission of information from cell to cell more susceptible to error. Studies are also finding that the older we get, the more omega-3s are needed in order to keep the brain operating at optimum levels and prevent mental decline.

One study in particular showed that mental decline and memory loss could be prevented, and in some cases reversed, through supplementation with DHA, which is contained within the omega-3s themselves. These DHA nutrients even have a positive effect on mood and emotion. In fact, this is the reason why an Omega-3 deficiency can lead to all kinds of depression-related issues.

Omega-3s Keep Your Heart Healthy

Studies suggest that the EPA and DHA found in fatty acids help reduce the risk factors of heart disease, including high cholesterol. Fish oil has also been shown to lower the risk of stroke and even abnormal heart rhythms in individuals who have already had a heart attack.

Fish oil also helps prevent hardening of the arteries by slowing the development of plaque and blood clots which can clog up the arteries.

Omega-3s Naturally Lower Blood Pressure

Several clinical studies suggest that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The studies found that taking three or more grams of fish oil daily may reduce blood pressure in people with untreated hypertension.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), omega 3s may also:

  • Improve cholesterol by decreasing triglycerides (the bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (the good cholesterol) levels. These benefits come primarily from DHA and EPA.
  • Improve bone health by positively impacting the body’s calcium levels, thereby reducing the incidence of bone loss, commonly known as osteoporosis.
  • Improve skin conditions by helping to alleviate symptoms related to certain disorders like acne and psoriasis.
  • Improve bowel health by reducing inflammation of the bowels and helping alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
  • Improve lung health by reducing inflammation in diseases like asthma.
  • Reduce the pain associated with PMS and menstruation.
  • Help prevent certain types of cancer. Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been linked to low levels of omega-3s.

If your breakfast, lunch and dinner resemble those of the average adult in the United States, you are very likely to be deficient in omega-3s. Your best way to solve this problem is to eat more nuts (peanuts aren’t a great choice – try eating walnuts and Brazil nuts) and seeds (like flaxseeds and chia seeds). You may also want to consider eating cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, and cod two to three times per week. And you can also consider making the switch to eating grass-fed beef and other pasture-raised foods including meats, cheeses, yogurt and eggs.

Alternatively, there are many good supplements on the market that are convenient and work just as well as consuming these foods – but it’s important to pick the right one (something we will definitely help you with in our next few blog posts, so stay tuned!)

If you suffer from joint pain, memory problems, hypertension, mood disorders, skin problems or a whole host of other problems: it’s important to know that fatty acids, like omega-3, can bring tremendous benefits to your health and may just be the answer you’re looking for.

17 Comments

  1. Jacqueline Mcnair

    July 25, 2017 Reply

    I just signed on to this program. I have a problem. All i read about is that it will help me lose (weight). My dietabites eats my nutrients. So, I have lost alot of weight. I also have low blood pressure and alittle cholesterol.I do not needs to lose anymore. The recipes are great. I will appreciate it, if you guys can do alittle research on this matter. Will love to hear from Primal Source.

    JM Help me!

  2. Betty

    May 4, 2017 Reply

    Just last week my husband's doctor told us that he no longer has diabetes. Then she asked how I did it. I told her it is all diet. Red meat, chicken and pork, fresh veggies and eggs, milk ,butter and cheese. No prepackaged anything. No "diet" products ever. Everything in moderation, eat like we did 50+ years ago. Before that he has had diabetes for 15 years while I tried everything the Dr.'s said to do. When that wasn't working I tried what I know was not what I believed to be the right thing. Since cooking and doing what I feel is right, we have now made his Dr a believer. This is all before I found this site and reaffirmed what I already knew. Now I have proof and other's do too. I will keep reading and learning, thanks for a great site.

    • Lynda Kamrath

      March 4, 2018 Reply

      Betty - That is exactly what I have wanted to hear. I am also doing the right things and want to get my blood sugars under control after 20 years. I am tired of being a diabetic and have tried the Western Medicine route and it just doesn't work for me. What does work is acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, and functional medicine. I know I got diabetes from my bad habits while I was working, but now that I am retired, I am going to eat right and live right. I have a new 60 x 24 ft. garden and can't wait to get it planted.

  3. Colleene Johnson

    August 30, 2016 Reply

    Pasteurizing milk kills bacteria that causes typhoid fever, TB, diptheria and brucellous. Maybe why we don't hear too much about those disease anymore. Sure you can get raw milk from special small farmers that have there herds constantly tested. But most of us have lived a ripe old age buying pasteurized. TB has seemed to be having a little rise lately.

  4. claudette

    August 6, 2016 Reply

    I had been taking a Krill oil supplement for about 6 months, but I went on vacation and didn't take any with me...and I did not start taking it again. But I got a supplement with EPA, DHA and Resveratrol which I have just started taking. I have wanted to get Resveratrol for a while because it was recommended in a book by Dr. Perlmutter, but I couldn't find where to get it from a source I trusted. i just got your books on blood pressure and brain health and I am really excited to start the program.

  5. Birgit Mains

    August 6, 2016 Reply

    I love reading the question's and answer's, I am getting started still learning.

  6. Lee

    April 22, 2016 Reply

    I think Charles answered his own question when he said that the Maisi warriors drink milk straight from the cows.Just try that in the USA and see how hard it is to find Whole milk.The pasteurized poison on our store shelves has all the healthy parts stripped out and rbst, growth hormones and a host of other garbage added to it.

  7. jacqueline hodgon

    March 27, 2016 Reply

    thank you for the warning

  8. Bobbie Sena

    March 20, 2016 Reply

    I am 82. I take no medsor supplements. I take 2 tablespoons of freeze dried ground flax seed daily usually mixed with oatmeal or other healthy food. I eat a variety of home grown or organic veggies and berries. I put olive oil, minced garlic, and apple cider vinegar on both my raw and my steamed veggies. i drink milk and eat cheese. eat an egg every day, and eat an apple a day.i have cholesterol level of 210 and very high good cholesterol with very low triglycerides. i have blood sugar levels of 97 or less and blood pressure of 120 over 60 or less.I ommit steak not because I am afraid of it, but to save money.I eat only home made goodies and never bakery items nor processed foods.I eat beans at least twice a week with no bacon nor fat; just cominos and red pepper. i put olive oil on my 100% whole wheat toast. I drink at least 3 cups of either Bigelow's breakfast tea or Folgers coffee every day.Your books have a lot of valuable info. However, I do not like your recipes. Mine are easier to make and very delicious.

  9. charles alban

    January 14, 2016 Reply

    i wonder why you don't emphasize dairy products for omega-3. they are one of the best and and easiest accessible. there are plenty of scientific studies attesting to their efficacy, such as george mann's studies on the masai of kenya. he found the blood pressure of a 90-year-old masai was the same as a 19-year-old. the omega-3 in the milk maintains the flexibility of the arterial wall to accommodate any plaque build-up. the masai warriors drink up to 7 liters a day of milk straight from their cows, with no other foods, for a period of 15 years while they are in the warrior clan. this is when they are at their fittest and their blood cholesterol is at its lowest. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/1/26.short

    • Hamza

      January 20, 2016 Reply

      That's a good point Charles, we haven't talked about dairy products as a source of Omega-3, but I think it's time we look into it! Thanks for the heads up, and keep an eye on more from us :)

  10. ramjavi11@gmail.com

    November 20, 2015 Reply

    Is it true that OMEGA3 is bad for diabetes?

    • Hamza

      November 23, 2015 Reply

      Quite the contrary Ramjavi, Omega-3 is very good for diabetes! :)

  11. Lynn

    October 23, 2015 Reply

    Thank you so much for all your insightful emails, I do not want to miss a one!

    • Hamza

      November 2, 2015 Reply

      You're very welcome Lynn :)

  12. juliette

    August 8, 2015 Reply

    what are the best omega 3 supplements to take & where can they be purchased

    • Hamza

      August 8, 2015 Reply

      Hi Juliette, I can personally recommend the Ultra Pure Omega-3 supplement. You can read all about it in this blog post: http://primalsourcenews.com/how-to-choose-an-omega-3-supplement/ And the link to buy is at the end of that post.

      Be sure to keep me updated on all of the progress you're making in your health! :)

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