Omega-3 for Osteoporosis: Protecting Bones and Reducing Inflammation

Omega-3 for bones: fish oil reduces inflammation and osteoporosis

The Omega-3 EPA and DHA from fish oil reduce inflammation levels and help improve bone health. They also represent one of the remedies for osteoporosis associated with aging. This was demonstrated in a study published in the journal Bone, which showed that only fish oil and borage possess these properties. According to the authors, these results indicate that a proper diet could help prevent osteoporosis in old age.

Fatty acids, friend-enemies of bones

The typical Western diet is characterized by very high levels of fats. These molecules harm the muscles’ ability to respond to insulin, the hormone that regulates sugar consumption by the body, and may contribute to bone loss. No study had clarified the relationship between fatty acids and musculoskeletal disorders typical of old age, such as osteoporosis. The researchers analyzed how different dietary fats (primarily Omega-3 and Omega-6) influence inflammation and musculoskeletal health during aging.

Omega-3 and osteoporosis: the protective action of fatty acids

The researchers conducted their studies on two different mouse strains:

• one healthy;
• the other affected by progeria, a disease causing premature aging.

The latter allowed them to evaluate the effect of fatty acid intake on age-related complications, including osteoporosis. Two-month-old mice were assigned to one of four possible diets:

• standard diet;
• diet with Omega-3 and Omega-6;
• diet based on borage (Omega-3 gamma-linolenic acid);
• diet based on fish (long-chain Omega-3).

In all cases, animals were allowed to eat freely.

At 12 months, the scientists analyzed the bones and the expression of typical markers of bone cells, muscle and fat masses, and inflammation. The data showed that borage and fish counteract inflammation and normalize parameters associated with bone health.

Fish Omega-3 or plant Omega-3?

Although both borage and fish produced the same results, these two foods differ. Borage contains Omega-3 in the form of gamma-linolenic acid, while fish oil is characterized by high amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Omega-3 known for their ability to improve the structural and mechanical properties of bones. The Italian Ministry of Health has also included extracts from flowers, leaves, and flowering plants of borage among plant products not allowed for use in dietary supplement synthesis. Conversely, the use of fish oil in supplement production is regularly permitted.    

Source 

1. Wauquier F, Barquissau V, Léotoing L, Davicco MJ, Lebecque P, Mercier S, Philippe C, Miot-Noirault E, Chardigny JM, Morio B, Wittrant Y, Coxam V, “Borage and fish oils lifelong supplementation decreases inflammation and improves bone health in a murine model of senile osteoporosis”, Bone. 2012 Feb;50(2):553-61. Epub 2011 Jun 6