feed for fish and fish as food
Duodenal seal oil administration may reduce joint painInflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related joint pain (arthralgia) is often difficult to treat because traditional medication (NSAID) for joint pain might exacerbate the intestinal inflammation.NIFES has a research collaboration with Haukeland University Hospital concerning the use of seal oil as an alternative treatment for IBD-related joint pain. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related joint pain (arthralgia) is often difficult to treat because traditional medication (NSAID) for joint pain might exacerbate the intestinal inflammation. NIFES has a research collaboration with Haukeland University Hospital concerning the use of seal oil as an alternative treatment for IBD-related joint pain. Unsatisfactory effect of treatment contributes to decreased quality of life of these patients. Since 1998, National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) have collaborated with Haukeland University Hospital concerning the use of seal oil as an alternative treatment for IBD-related joint pain. Both seal oil and cod liver oil (fish oil) are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (approximately 20 %) which have anti-inflammatory effects. But these oils are structurally different concerning the distribution of n-3 PUFAs on the triacylglycerol-molecules, our main form of dietary fat, which might favour the uptake of omega-3 PUFAs from seal oil compared with that from cod liver oil and result in different physiological effects. In the pilot study of Arslan et al. 2002 10 IBD-patients received a 10-day duodenal administration (directly to the upper part of the small intestine via a feeding tube) of seal oil (10 millilitres x 3 per day) which ameliorated the IBD-related joint pain significantly. Administration of easily absorbable omega-3 PUFAs from seal oil together with duodenal administration might explain the improvement in the joint pain. The high ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids of the current Western diet compared to a 100 years ago, may partly explain the increased incidences of chronic inflammatory diseases in Western countries. In accordance with this development, studies document that omega-6 PUFAs, which constitute over 55 % in soy oil, might be inflammation inducing. In a recent published study by Bjørkkjær et al. 2004 the effect of seal oil and soy oil on IBD-related joint pain confirmed the positive results from the pilot study by Arslan et al. In the study of Bjørkkjær et al. 19 patients with IBD-related joint pain were given either duodenal administration of seal oil or soy oil for 10 days. Compared with soy oil, seal oil treatment significantly improved IBD-related joint pain and the effect persisted for several months post-treatment. Soy oil tended (not significantly) to exacerbate the condition. Contact: |