Colitis Symptoms: Reduce Them with a Diet Rich in Omega-3
Colitis: a diet rich in fish reduces its symptoms!
The symptoms of colitis and the associated intestinal inflammation can be contained by introducing Omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), replacing part of the Omega-6 fatty acids. According to researchers from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad (India), this fatty acid reduces the production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes. The study leading to this discovery was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Intestinal inflammation: the role of fatty acids
Intestinal inflammation can be associated with an imbalance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 introduced through the diet. Years of research have shown that the balance between these two types of fatty acids influences the production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes. Specifically: Omega-6 promotes inflammation, while Omega-3 counteracts it. However, the modern Western diet is richer in the former than in the latter. A diet-based approach could therefore reduce inflammatory phenomena.
The study
Indian researchers studied this possibility in mice where colitis, a fairly common inflammatory disorder affecting the colon, was induced by treatment with sodium dextran sulfate. The animals were divided into 5 groups. In the first, whose diet had a ratio between Omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) and Omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) of 215, colitis was not induced. The other four groups were given different amounts of fatty acids, obtained by adding peanut oil, palm oil, and flaxseed oil mixed to achieve an LA to ALA ratio of 215, 50, 10, or 2. After feeding the mice the assigned diet for about 3 months, colitis was induced in these 4 groups by administering sodium dextran sulfate for 11 days. The symptoms of intestinal inflammation were assessed by measuring various clinical, biochemical, and tissue parameters.
Omega-3 against colitis: demonstrated effectiveness
The collected data revealed that an LA to ALA ratio of 2 allows to reduce the symptoms of colitis. Increasing the amount of alpha-linolenic acid introduced through the diet reduces the activity of myeloperoxidase and alkaline phosphatase, proteins associated with inflammation. Furthermore, levels of other pro-inflammatory molecules, the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha and Interleukin-1beta cytokines, were significantly reduced by increased intake of alpha-linolenic acid. Finally, the appearance of the intestinal tissue was much improved in mice that had taken the highest amounts of ALA, and supplementation with this fatty acid increased the amount of Omega-3 present in the intestinal structures. Conversely, animals that had consumed higher amounts of ALA showed a decrease in Omega-6 levels in the intestine.
Reducing colitis symptoms: the role of diet
According to the authors of the research, these results demonstrate that replacing one third of linoleic acid introduced through diet with Omega-3 ALA can alleviate colitis symptoms.
Source
1. Tyagi A, Kumar U, Reddy S, Santosh VS, Mohammed SB, Ehtesham NZ, Ibrahim A, “Attenuation of colonic inflammation by partial replacement of dietary linoleic acid with α-linolenic acid in a rat model of inflammatory bowel disease”, Br J Nutr. 2012 Jan 16:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]
