Regular consumption of oily fish, such as salmon, once a week or lighter, such as cod, 3-4 times a week halves the risk of developing arthritis . The properties of this food to combat the disease that causes painful inflammation of the joints have been extensively studied and published in the renowned journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The advantages of the fish diet are mainly attributed to the richness of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, because their properties of anti-inflammatory agents .
The team from the Swedish Karolinska Research Institute collected and analyzed data on the eating habits of 32,232 Swedes born between 1914 and 1948, whose health was monitored personally by the team from 2003 to 2010.
The ladies completed extensive questionnaires about their diet in 1987 and 1997, detailing the type and frequency of fish they ate .
During the study, 205 of the women surveyed developed rheumatoid arthritis, and analysts noted that almost without exception, all of them were at the bottom of the statistics on the consumption of oily fish. In their data, the 20% bottom of the group received 4-5 times less omega-3 fatty acids compared to the top group.
27% of women who developed arthritis consumed less than 0.21 grams of omega-3 acids per day. Those who have taken more than this daily amount for several years are more than 50% more likely to enjoy healthy joints . The required dose of useful fatty acids is obtained with only one bite of oily fish once a week, which does not cost much effort.
According to scientists, good levels of these acids in the human body protect against arthritis, and in the first place do not allow the onset of inflammatory processes in the knees . Adequate intake does not interfere with the normal diet and at the same time protects against painful disease.
The most at risk of arthritis are women in the range of 40-60 years, and in men it is about 3 times less common.