Omega 3 Supplements And Vit D Are Good For Autoimmune Disease – Study

Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease affect millions worldwide. According to statistics, these diseases affect 24 million Americans. However, a study says vitamin D and omega 3 supplements can be effective.

What is omega 3? Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat that our bodies need but cannot produce, meaning we must obtain them from our diet.

Autoimmune diseases result in chronic inflammation, painful symptoms, and a poor quality of life for sufferers. Current treatments typically involve immunosuppressive drugs. They can reduce symptoms but usually come with serious side effects and fail to tackle the underlying immune dysfunction.

However, supplements that regulate inflammation and pain are found to be effective. Researchers have been looking for two supplements, in particular vitamin D and omega-3.

This latest study provides a source of hope and has the potential to transform how we approach autoimmune disorders. 

About The Study

The American College of Rheumatology carried out this research. They published the research in the journals Arthritis and Rheumatology and the research findings in the BMJ under the title Vitamin D and Marine omega 3 fatty acid supplements, in January 2024.

The researchers followed 21,592 participants in the VITAL trials for 2 or more years, which were conducted among 25,000 participants. They were looking for the effect of vitamin D and omega-3 supplements on cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The aim was to confirm further autoimmune disease cases arising during and after observation. They used the Cox model to calculate the hazard ratios for all confirmed incidents of autoimmune diseases during the random and observational phases.

A Closer Look At The Vit D And Omega 3 Supplements Research Findings

Among the total participants (21,592), men were more than 50 and women were over 55 years of age. Among the total participants, 514 individuals had incidentally confirmed autoimmune diseases. Out of these cases, 236 were already reported for disease occurrence.

255 individuals were randomly given vitamin D supplementation, while 259 were given a vitamin D placebo (a fake pill with no active ingredients).

Similarly, 234 were given omega-3 supplements, while 280 were given a placebo. One group of 63 participants with onset disease were given 2000 IU of vitamin D and 1000 mg of omega 3.

Researchers found that those who took vitamin D had fewer cases of autoimmune diseases compared to those who took a placebo. However, for those who took omega-3 alone, there wasn’t a significant difference. Interestingly, the group that took both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids had the fewest cases of autoimmune diseases.

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases

The body’s immune system normally fights off harmful foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. In autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its healthy cells and tissues. 

This self-attack can lead to inflammation, tissue damage, and various symptoms throughout the body. Women account for nearly 80% of those with chronic autoimmune diseases.

Common Types

Some common autoimmune diseases include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This condition primarily affects the joints, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. These supplements were effective in arthritis treatment.
  
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): MS is a neurological autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers. The rest of the body has issues communicating with the brain. In this case, omega 3 supplements benefits can show good results
  
• Lupus: Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organs and tissues, leading to symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and organ damage.
  
• Type 1 diabetes: In this autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, which leads to high blood sugar levels.
  
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: This condition occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This thyroid disorder leads to hypothyroidism and symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and cold sensitivity.

Current Treatments

Standard treatments for autoimmune diseases usually focus on managing symptoms. They suppress the immune system to reduce inflammation and prevent further damage. Common treatments may include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed to treat pain and inflammation.
• Corticosteroids limit the immune response and reduce inflammation.
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow down the progression of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
• Immunosuppressant medications reduce the immune system’s activity and prevent it from attacking healthy tissues.
• Biologic therapies, such as TNF-alpha inhibitors, target specific molecules involved in the inflammatory response.

However, these autoimmune treatments have side effects from long-term use. Moreover, they provide incomplete symptom relief, and the inability to cure the underlying autoimmune process. 

Additionally, they may not work for everyone, and there is a need for more targeted and personalized approaches to treatment.

Role Of Vit D And Omega 3 Supplements In Preventing Autoimmune Diseases

This study suggests that vitamin D and omega-3 supplements can reduce autoimmune disease incidence through various mechanisms.

Vitamin D binds to receptors on immune cells, affecting gene expression and suppressing inflammatory cytokines. It also promotes anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells.

Omega 3 foods have omega-3 fatty acids which inhibit inflammatory proteins, decrease T-cell activation, and promote the resolution of inflammation.

Interestingly, individuals with a lower body mass index seem to benefit more from vitamin D supplementation, possibly due to its fat-soluble nature. However, more research is necessary to understand how body mass index influences the effects of vitamin D on autoimmune diseases.

Similarly, those with a family history of autoimmune disease may benefit more from omega-3 supplementation, highlighting the need for further investigation in this higher-risk group.

Strengths And Limitations Of The Study

This trial had some good points. It involved a lot of different people; they held on to the treatment plan well, and they had ways to check if people were taking their supplements correctly. They also had clear goals for what they were looking for in terms of autoimmune diseases.

However, because the participants were older, the results might not be the same for younger people, even though the diseases work similarly. They only tested one type of vitamin D and omega 3 supplements, which could limit what they found.

Because there weren’t many people with certain diseases, they might have missed some effects. Also, it was hard to confirm some diagnoses from medical records, which could have affected the results.

Conclusion

This study shows that the combination of both supplements was successful in reducing autoimmune disease incidence by 22%. The effects were stronger after two years of taking the supplements.

These findings are important because the supplements used are safe and don’t have side effects. There were consistent results across different autoimmune diseases, and the benefits got better over time.

The researchers are still studying the participants for more information, and in the future, we might test these supplements on younger people or those at high risk of autoimmune diseases.

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Disclaimer

This research article will help you understand that exercise is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This scientific evidence will help you motivate you to take steps to active lifestyle. So, be aware and initiate your steps. It is important to make yourself mentally strong before starting any new thing. Therefore, before starting, always seek advice from a doctor or dietitian if you have any concerns.

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