Fish oil reduces heart disease risk in arthritis patients ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. August 1, 2006
The potential benefit of fish oils on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been the subject of many previous studies. Overall, the results suggest that fish oil supplements containing the omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can reduce stiffness and pain. But could these supplements also help reduce the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in RA patients? A team from the Royal Adelaide Hospital investigated the effects of fish oil supplementation on several cardiovascular risk factors. They recruited 31 early RA patients all taking drug treatment for the condition, of whom 18 also chose to take fish oil. The dose was considered by the researchers to be sufficiently high to have an antiinflammatory action. After three years of supplementation, data from the patients who did not take fish oil was compared with data from those did and reached a level of EPA greater than 5 per cent of total plasma fatty acids. Arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid which competes with omega 3 FAs, was lower in participants who reached the required level of EPA. It was 30 per cent lower in platelets and 40 per cent lower in peripheral blood cells. Serum thromboxane B2, a cardiovascular risk factor, was 35 per cent lower. Prostaglandin E2, a compound which RA drug treatment seeks to
reduce, was 41 per cent lower. International Health News October 2006 Page 5 Fish oil was also linked to positive changes in blood lipids, and a greater rate of remission after the 3 years - 72 per cent compared to 31 per cent in the non-fish oil group. The authors conclude that fish oil reduces cardiovascular risk in RA patients, and that this takes places via several biological pathways.
They suggest that fish oil could potentially replace drug treatment for many RA patients. In this study, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use was reduced by 75 per cent in the fish oil group between the start and finish of the study, compared with 37 per cent in the non-fish oil group. Added to which, RA drugs may themselves contribute to cardiovascular risk. Fish oil is a cheaper, safer treatment option and could also serve as a preventative measure against RA, the authors conclude. Cleland, LG, et al. Reduction of cardiovascular risk factors with longterm fish oil treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Rheumatology, published online.
Garlic compounds may stop liver cancer growth...
By Stephen Daniells 5/4/2006
Water-soluble compounds from garlic reduced the size of liver cancer cells by a factor of three, research that adds to other anti-cancer studies with garlic, says a new laboratory study from Italy. Consumer awareness of the health benefits of garlic, mostly in terms of cardiovascular and immune system health, has benefited the supplements industry, particularly since consumers seek the benefits of garlic without the odours that accompany the fresh bulb. Several compounds from garlic have already been reported to have anti-cancer activity, including allicin, the substance that gives garlic its distinctive aroma and flavour, and its derivative, diallyl disulfide (DADS). However, both have been shown to kill not only cancer cells, but also healthy human body cells. The compounds are highly unstable and break down quickly once ingested, and are not likely to be the active compounds in ingested garlic. "Water-soluble compounds, less odorous than the oil-soluble compounds, besides being more stable, appear to have a higher bioavailability and appear to be able to enter the blood and reach target organs," explained lead author Angelo De Martino in the Journal of Nutrition Biochemistry (doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2005.12.005). The researchers, from the University of Rome, obtained extracts from fresh garlic bulbs from two different geographical locations, and added these extracts to human liver cancer cells. The potential inhibition of the cancer cells was compared with a control batch of cancer cells (no intervention) and cancer cells exposed to DADS. After 48 hours the researchers found that the control liver cancer cells had multiplied by over 300 per cent. Similar results were observed for the DADS-exposed cancer cells. A one per cent solution of each garlic extracts appeared to inhibit the growth of the tumour completely. The garlic extracts, said the researchers, "showed a dose- and time-dependent effect on cell proliferation, with a significant reduction of viable cell number at 24 hours with a less pronounced recovery of cell proliferation at 48 hours." The researchers admitted that they had not identified the specific compound or compounds responsible for the anti-cancer effects of the water-soluble garlic extracts, nor could they be sure if the compounds were modified during their metabolic processing. "Metabolomic studies should be performed in the future to investigate which are the molecules... that promote cell death upon administration of water-soluble garlic extracts," suggested De Martino. Importantly, the researchers reported that the induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) by the garlic extracts appeared to be selective to cancer cells. De Martino said that, since the liver is where nutraceuticals are metabolised and that the cancer cells used in this experiment are known to be resistant to several anticancer therapies, that the results suggest the water-soluble garlic extracts may be effective against other forms of cancer. It should be stressed that inhibition of cancer cell growth in a laboratory experiment may not be transferable to actual inhibition in humans. This study does however add to other research reporting that garlic and its extracts may protect against certain types of cancer. Liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, and third most common cause of death from cancer, according to Cancer Research UK. Despite these figures, the cancer remains relatively rare, with 18,500 new cases in the US every year, and about 3,000 in the UK. The highest incidences of the disease are in east and Southeast Asia, and middle and eastern Africa. South Central Asia and Northern Europe have the lowest incidence of the disease.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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