Stream this Podcast episode:
Summary:
- Many people, including health professionals, recommend fish oil for Crohn’s / U.C. / IBD
- Learn what the research REALLY shows about fish oil and IBD
- A different and *better* way of thinking about omega-3s
Related Posts:
- Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease: What You Need to Know (Plus One Treatment Tip!)
- Best Type of Fiber For IBD / Crohn’s / U.C. (Backed By Research)
- Is Fish Oil Good for Crohn’s / U.C. / IBD?
Full Article:
In this episode, we are going to be talking about the truth of whether fish oil is effective at reducing symptoms of IBD.
Fish oil is one of the most popular supplements nowadays, and it makes sense why.
It is essentially an anti-inflammatory fat that can help to lower inflammation in many different types of disease conditions.
The basic way that it works is that it, being an omega-3, competes with omega-6s to reduce and sometimes help “resolve” inflammation.
Omega-6s and omega-3 are very important when it comes to chronic inflammation, because they each produce their own unique “prostaglandins” that are heavily involved in the propagation of inflammation.
To give you an idea of how intimately omega-3s and omega-6 are tied in to inflammation, when you take an NSAID (ibuprofen, Motrin, aspirin, Advil, etc.), the only way that it works to reduce inflammation is by blocking the ability of these “omegas” to turn into prostaglandins (they do this by blocking what’s called the COX enzymes).
That’s it. That’s how they work.
Since we typically have MUCH more omega-6 “in us” than omega-3, shutting down this process for all omegas leads to a net reduction in inflammation.
Now, there are problems when it comes to using NSAIDs for gut inflammation, because they tend not to play well with the intestinal tract.
However, the most popular first-line treatment for IBD is mesalamine (brand names: Apriso, Asacol HD, Delzicol, Lialda, and Pentasa), which is actually a simple and close derivative of aspirin! (Look up the chemical structures on google images.)
Thus, in theory, fish oil should be a fantastic addition for IBD!
What the Research Really Shows
Many animal studies have shown very positive results with fish oil for IBD. We’ll get more into why this is the case soon.
However, when it came to real human clinical trials, the results were a bit different.
Let’s quickly list a summary of these trials now:
- A 2014 large Cochrane Systematic Review found that fish oil was largely ineffective at maintaining remission in Crohn’s Disease. 37% of patients in the fish oil group relapsed at 12 months compared to 42% of placebo patients, which was statistically insignificant.(1)
- A 1996 study also showed that 5g/day of concentrated, high quality fish oil was not able to prolong remission in Crohn’s Disease patients.(2)
- A 2005 study in kids with Crohn’s Disease (average age was 10 years old) showed that 3g per day of fish oil in “gastro-resistant capsules” as an add-on to mesalazine was able to significantly prolong the time the kids stayed in remission over two years compared to mesalazine alone.(3)
- A 2011 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis found no clinical benefit for fish oil for maintaining remission in both Crohn’s and U.C.(4)
Thus, outside of kids, fish oil got pretty poor, or no, results.
However, There is Hope!
Yet, there were two studies done that makes a unique distinction that should make us slightly shift our focus…
- A diet with an omega 6:3 ratio of 2 (i.e. relatively high in omega 3s, lower in omega 6 compared to usual diets) was able to reduce CRP (a marker of inflammation), allow Crohn’s patients to wean off of an elemental diet without a flair up, and significantly prolong the time the patients were able to stay in remission.(5)
- In a rodent study, researchers induced colitis in rats by giving them a chemical called “DSS”. DSS is one of the most common research chemicals to cause colitis in rats. They gave saline, or placebo, to another group of rats, which was the control group.(6)
- They broke the DSS / colitis rats into 4 different groups. The only difference was the ratio of omega-6s / omega-3s that each group was given. The group with the most omega-6 and least omega-3s had a ratio of 215 (called the DSS-215 group), whereas the group with the least omega-6s and the most omega-3s had a ratio of 2 (called the DSS-2 group).
- After some time, the researchers took out the colon of the rats to see how inflamed and damaged it was.
- As you can see below, the omega-6/3 ratio made a HUGE difference.
***As you can see above, the lower the 6/3 ratio, the better the colon looked. The DSS-215 group (high in omega-6) had a big, very inflamed red colon (that was also a lot shorter). The lowest 6/3 ratio (bottom image, low in omega-6, high in omega-3) looked nearly completely normal!***
What Does This Mean?
From these two studies, we can recognize a pattern.
It is likely that it is the ratio of omega-6 / omega-3 that matters, not just popping a couple grams of fish oil pills.
Most people are consuming dozens of omega-6s per day, usually unknowingly. (They are in EVERYTHING nowadays).
So, sprinkling a few grams of omega-3s on top of that really isn’t going to change the ratio much.
(Possibly why fish oil worked for the kids was that they didn’t have as much omega-6 “in them” compared to the adults!)
You want to do whatever you can to lower your omega-6 intake AND increase your omega-3 intake.
THIS is where the magic happens.
Omega-6s come mainly from vegetable oils, like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, etc.
They are used in nearly every restaurant to cook with (since they are very cheap), in most packaged and processed foods, in most snacks, in many boxed foods, in TV dinners, pizzas, etc.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to cut out all snacks or anything like that.
You just have to know what to look for and choose better options!
Free Gift: “3 Natural Strategies for IBD”!
If you would like to know exactly how to choose foods that are low in omega-6s, and get even more omega-3s, you’ll want to grab my free “3 Natural Strategies for IBD” mini-online course!
Besides showing you step by step how to make these choices about omega-6s / 3s easily, I also teach you:
- 1 POWERFUL supplement that has multiple clinical trials showing effectiveness for IBD
- 1 Easy way to change your diet that can “move the needle” with IBD symptoms
- 1 Simply way to decrease inflammation in IBD
The entire mini-course is based on research and evidence, so you can have full trust in the info you’re getting.
It is entirely free and something you don’t want to miss out on.
It will give you clarity so you no longer have to be confused at which foods to eat and which to avoid.
Most importantly, it is NOT a “limiting” or “restrictive” diet plan.
You can grab it for FREE here.
Warmly,
Dr. Sean DC
References:
1. Lev-Tzion R, Griffiths AM, Leder O, Turner D. Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) for maintenance of remission in Crohn’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Feb 28;(2):CD006320. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006320.pub4. PMID: 24585498.
2. Lorenz-Meyer H, Bauer P, Nicolay C, Schulz B, Purrmann J, Fleig WE, Scheurlen C, Koop I, Pudel V, Carr L. Omega-3 fatty acids and low carbohydrate diet for maintenance of remission in Crohn’s disease. A randomized controlled multicenter trial. Study Group Members (German Crohn’s Disease Study Group). Scand J Gastroenterol. 1996 Aug;31(8):778-85. doi: 10.3109/00365529609010352. PMID: 8858747.
3. Romano C, Cucchiara S, Barabino A, Annese V, Sferlazzas C. Usefulness of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in addition to mesalazine in maintaining remission in pediatric Crohn’s disease: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. World J Gastroenterol. 2005;11(45):7118-7121. doi:10.3748/wjg.v11.i45.7118
4. Turner D, Shah PS, Steinhart AH, Zlotkin S, Griffiths AM. Maintenance of remission in inflammatory bowel disease using omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil): a systematic review and meta-analyses. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 Jan;17(1):336-45. doi: 10.1002/ibd.21374. PMID: 20564531.
5. 37. Tsujikawa T, Satoh J, Uda K, Ihara T, Okamoto T, Araki Y, Sasaki M, Fujiyama Y, Bamba T. Clinical importance of n-3 fatty acid-rich diet and nutritional education for the maintenance of remission in Crohn’s disease. J Gastroenterol. 2000;35(2):99-104. doi: 10.1007/s005350050021. PMID: 10680664.
6. Tyagi, Anupama & Putcha, Uday & Reddy, Suryam & Santosh, Vadakattu & Mohammed, Saazida & Ehtesham, Nasreen & Ibrahim, Ahamed. (2012). Attenuation of colonic inflammation by partial replacement of dietary linoleic acid with α-linolenic acid in a rat model of inflammatory bowel disease. The British journal of nutrition. 108. 1-11. 10.1017/S0007114511007197.
14 Comments
jobs.com.bn · May 19, 2025 at 2:56 pm
Some transgender persons endure medical remedy
which includes gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and/or
surgery to align their bodily characteristics with their gender identity and to alleviate gender dysphoria.
GAHT is provided in order to induce feminizing or masculinizing adjustments [2].
The major criticism is the absence of diagnostic criteria and therapeutic doses established in pre and postmenopausal ladies.
The second level, already related to the implants, refers to
the lack of standardization of therapeutic doses and safety studies
on the hormone launch price from implant units. A vital concern additionally exists relating to the
excessive or inappropriate use of HRT, especially in excessive dosages.
Though models of supraphysiologic T levels, corresponding to polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS), have proven an elevated threat of presenting CAD.
The mechanism of hyperandrogenemia in PCOS is believed to be secondary to hyperinsulinemia.
Alteration in the lipid profile, significantly a rise in TG and a lower in HDL-C,
was discovered to be fairly consistent in transgender males receiving GAHT along with mixed outcomes for TC and LDL-C.
Blood pressure was also discovered to be elevated in some studies though there are conflicting outcomes.
The evidence of elevated cardiovascular risk in transgender men is limited.
GAHT is a collective term that encompasses androgen and estrogen remedy in several formulations and routes of administration together with other endocrine therapies.
In fact, this form of estrogen impacts metabolism and
blood vessel functioning in each ladies and men. In addition to
medical therapy, lifestyle adjustments also can make a giant distinction. Eating a heart-healthy food regimen, exercising regularly,
and avoiding smoking can all improve your heart health, even if you have low testosterone.
These changes help cut back the general strain in your coronary
heart and hold it functioning well for longer. In addition to TRT,
lifestyle modifications can also assist handle blood pressure.
Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and decreasing stress can all enhance blood vessel health
and lower blood stress.
Lastly, untreated low testosterone can result in severe
long-term consequences for coronary heart health. Over time, the risks
of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other heart-related circumstances can add up,
probably resulting in coronary heart failure. This is a condition during which the
heart can no longer pump sufficient blood to satisfy the physique’s wants, and it can be life-threatening.
Regular monitoring of testosterone ranges and heart health can help stop these long-term problems.
Many studies have explored the relationship between low testosterone levels and coronary heart disease.
Some analysis has found that men with low testosterone usually have a tendency to develop heart conditions than males with normal testosterone levels.
This includes points like coronary artery disease (CAD),
where the arteries that offer blood to the guts turn into narrowed or blocked,
which can lead to coronary heart attacks.
Like clomiphene, hCG works by encouraging the physique
to supply its personal testosterone. HCG is commonly used in combination with
other therapies, but it can typically be used alone.
Clomiphene citrate is a medicine that is generally used as an different
to TRT. In Distinction To TRT, clomiphene doesn’t involve giving the physique exterior
testosterone. As An Alternative, it helps the body produce extra of its personal, which
may help preserve fertility, in distinction to TRT, which might sometimes lower sperm manufacturing.
“It’s important to recognize that mental well being influences cardiovascular well being,”
says Khandelwal. “Right now we deal with people in accordance with their bodily symptoms, however maybe that’s not sufficient.
However, the reduction within the danger of heart attack largely depends on how nicely the remedy is managed. Common evaluations of cardiovascular risk components corresponding to ldl cholesterol and serum testosterone ranges are essential. While TRT has been shown to improve sexual perform, bone mineral density, and lean physique mass, there may be rising curiosity in its effects female bodybuilders on steroids side effects; jobs.com.bn, heart well being.
Cardiovascular danger components like hypertension, ldl cholesterol imbalances, and diabetes
can all be influenced by testosterone, so understanding whether TRT is beneficial or dangerous
to the center is a pressing query. Nonetheless, many endocrinologists
disagreed with the statement of the Endocrine Society Scientific Follow Tips on androgen therapy [17].
Notably, the guideline ignored research that compared T levels in wholesome premenopausal girls with
hypoactive sexual want disorder (HSDD) and outlined normal ranges
for calculated free T [2,18,19].
Most patients were on the same formulation of intramuscular
testosterone or oral estrogen, so the effects of other formulations want additional research.
Additionally, the examine did not have a large sufficient pattern to detect statistically
important modifications in blood pressure measures among Black or
Latinx sufferers. As Quickly As treatment is concluded,
your doctor will set up a schedule for ongoing cardiac monitoring based on the kind of therapy obtained and the identified risk components.
Medications are sometimes obtainable to manage some of the physiological results of heart disease that affect sexual well being.
Talking together with your companion and making other
adjustments also can contribute to a satisfying sex life.
In males, testosterone is pivotal for athletic activity during adolescence and in adulthood.
While it’s well-known that train acutely increases testosterone ranges in men, its influence within the
long-term is much less clear (16). Multiple cross-sectional studies have recognized decreased testosterone levels in endurance and resistance athletes, as in comparison with controls.
Rayford · May 22, 2025 at 8:16 pm
The ladies are usually led by males who give them recommendation based mostly on how
males use AAS. They request first-hand details about how AAS works in a feminine body but rarely
change experiences with every another. The ladies suppose that societal data from a feminine perspective where not solely the adverse effects
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Many ladies who compete in these categories still really feel like
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Nonetheless, she grew to become the first Women’s Physique professional bodybuilder in the NPC and IFBB by winning the 2011 Junior
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Tanji Johnson and Regiane Da Silva had been Grishina’s most prominent rivals throughout
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Grishna introduced her retirement from competitive bodybuilding after her 2017 Olympia victory.
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Genetically, everyone has a muscle group or a physique half that genetically does not develop as quickly”. However, some of the ladies who had used AAS for a really lengthy time suffered psychological problems and critical bodily problems. Many of the ladies had been troubled with anxiety and the emotions of inferiority. Many stated that being part of a gym and training surroundings was essential for feeling they had been in control; they lost their nervousness once they began with steroids. In latest decades the female physique best has changed in plenty of minds from a slender to a muscular physique.
Bergmann (lightweight) and Murray (heavyweight) received the 2 weight courses in both 2002 and 2003. Murray gained the overall title both years, setting a new normal of eight Ms. Olympia titles. The 1992 Ms. Worldwide can also be well-known for an incident involving British competitor Paula Bircumshaw. Bircumshaw was the same top as Schreiner and possessed a similar stage of symmetry and definition, but carried significantly extra muscle, weighing in at 162 kilos.
Steroids are identified for their capacity to increase muscle mass by enhancing protein synthesis and nitrogen retention. For ladies, this can be particularly beneficial for achieving a extra muscular physique and improving power levels. Steroids like Anavar, Winstrol, and Testosterone (in managed doses) are generally utilized by girls to enhance efficiency.
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