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A low-calorie diet, rich in fish oil could reduce the markers of inflammation by as much as 90 per cent, according to the results of an animal study.

Chronic Inflammation brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the body’s normal protective mechanism, can lead to a range of inflammatory related disease, particularly cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

In a study published in the journal Life Sciences (Vol. 78, pp. 2523-2532), the effects of fish oil and/or a calorie-restricted diet on various markers of inflammation for old and young female mice were studied.

The diets were given to two months old mice. At the end of the study the researchers measured various biochemical markers of inflammation.

Young mice receiving the fish oil-containing diet had

  • inflammation markers 60 per cent lower than the control group eating a normal oil diet.
  • Calorie-restricted young mice had a 35 per cent level of inflammation,
  • while young mice consuming the calorie-restricted fish oil diet had levels 90 per cent lower than the young controls.

The major findings of the study are that dietary fish oil and/or a 40 per cent reduced food intake, ie. calorie-restriction, effectively suppressed age-related inflammatory process,

One other interesting finding is that fish oil feeding seems more effective than calorie-restriction in its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.

The results of the study are in-line with previous research looking at either calorie-restriction or omega-3 fatty acids on markers of inflammation.

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Vol. 47, Issue 2, pp. 398-402) reported that a calorie-restricted diet could slow down heart aging and prolong the lifespan of people. However, an accompanying editorial questioned whether the majority of people would be able to adopt and sustain such a strict diet.

LI comment. “We are what we eat” The evidence is now overwhelming that we can manipulate our own biochemistry by what and how we eat. Sustaining and creating a new way of eating is a challenge. Our way to meet this challenge is by gently incorporating all the Pathways To Wellbeing into your life.