Flax Oil As a Joint Supplement?

The most common use of flaxseed oil is for the treatment of joint pain and as a joint supplement. To understand how this works, it’s important to understand how essential fatty acids work. If you’re familiar with the topic, the information below will probably be of little use, if not, is important that you read.

Essential nutrition cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained through consumption, thus is the case with essential fatty acids (EFAs). Along with essential fats, we need to eat many vitamins and minerals which are also essential to our health.

The two essential fatty acids (EFAS) are called linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Omega-3 fats are perhaps the most beneficial of all the EFAs. And what does this have to do with sore joints? Flax oil is exceptionally high in Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linoleic acid). This type of fat is a proven anti-inflammatory.

So how does flaxseed oil and the fats it contains work? Substances called prostaglandins are formed from these fats. It is this action that is the likely source of any benefits as a joint supplement.

These prostaglandins have a short lifespan and behave like hormones that help manage cell activity. They are known to be strongly implicated with regulating blood pressure, inflammatory responses, insulin sensitivity, immune responses, anabolic/catabolic processes, as well as many other processes in the body that science is still researching.

In the end, omega-3 fatty acids are needed to form the anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and stop some of the “pro-inflammatory” activity of another omega fat – omega-6The long and the short of all this, without going into a long and boring biochemical explanation: Omega 3 fatty acids are responsible for forming the anti -inflammatory prostaglandins and the prostaglandins are crucial in making many of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, and other substances that are created from EFAs.

To Sum It Up

If you are an arthritis sufferer or have chronic joint pain, essential fatty acids are a great option as a joint supplement. Wait at least a few months before you make your assessment. There are other joint supplements you can use as well – such as glucosamine and chondroitin to add for a full joint health regimen.