COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 25 (UPI) -- Omega-3 fish body oil supplements affect
the healing of wounds in an unexpected way, U.S. researchers say.
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are widely considered to benefit
cardiovascular health and other diseases related to chronic inflammation because
of their anti-inflammatory properties. But insufficient inflammation during the
initial stage of wound healing may delay the advancement of later stages
Blister wounds on the arms of 15 people taking fish oil supplements as a source
of omega-3 fatty acids were different from those on the 15 people with blisters
taking a placebo. Proteins associated with inflammation -- expected to be lower
in the blisters in people taking fish body oils -- were actually higher.
"That finding was hard to explain," lead author Jodi McDaniel of Ohio State
University in Columbus says in a statement. "These proteins may have other
functions that we don't yet fully understand. And our results also suggested
there could be a difference between men and women in the amount of inflammatory
proteins that are produced, because on average, women had lower levels of one of
the proteins."
Source : United Press International
