Autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, have been on the rise for about four decades and are now increasing at a rate of 3% to 9% a year, worldwide. bridge.first As the leading cause of death in women and the third leading cause of morbidity in industrialized countries,2 Researchers have speculated that environmental and dietary factors may be to blame.
James Lee, a scientist at the Francis Crick Institute in London, told The Guardian: “Human genetics have not changed over the past few decades. “So something must be changing in the outside world in a way that is increasing our predisposition to autoimmune disease.”3
Changes in vitamin D and omega-3 levels may be among them, and a study published in The BMJ found that supplementing with these compounds can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease. autoimmune, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, thyroid disease, etc. as you get older.4
Vitamin D and Omega-3 Reduce risk of autoimmune disease
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, used data from the vitamin D and omega-3 trial (VITAL), which included 25,871 participants aged 50 (men) or 55 (women) ) or more, to investigate whether vitamin D and omega-3 fats from marine sources reduce the risk of autoimmune disease.
Participants took either vitamin D3 (2,000 IU), omega-3 fats (1,000 milligrams) or a placebo every day and were followed for more than 5 years. They self-reported all autoimmune diseases diagnosed during the study period, and those taking vitamin D and/or omega-3 had a lower risk of the disease.
“Five years of vitamin D supplementation, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, reduced autoimmune disease by 22%, while omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with or without vitamin D reduced the incidence of autoimmune disease.” immunity down to 15% (not statistically significant),” the researchers wrote.5
For those who supplemented with both vitamin D and omega-3 fats, the risk of autoimmune disease was reduced by about 30%.6 What’s more, when the participants took vitamin D for at least two years, their risk of autoimmune disease fell even more – 39%.7
Vitamin D’s involvement in inflammation and both innate and acquired immune responses may explain why it is beneficial for the prevention of autoimmune diseases.8 Vitamin D receptors are present in nearly all cells of the human immune system, including monocytes/macrophages, T cells, B cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells.
Vitamin D has many effects on the immune system, including enhancing the production of antibacterial peptides by immune cells, reducing harmful pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promoting the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines.9 Likewise, the omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) inhibit the production of C-reactive proteins and inflammatory cytokines, and are known to help address inflammation.ten
Study author Dr Karen Costenbader, director of the lupus program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explains that the findings are so powerful that she can now answer one of the most common questions. of patients – “What vitamins or supplements do you recommend?” She speaks:11
“This is the question my colleagues and I posed to answer in the adjunct study The Prevention of Autoimmune Disease in the VITAL trial.
Now, when my patients, colleagues, or friends ask me, I can point to the results of our study, which shows that for women 55 and older and men 50 and older, , marine omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 1000 mg a day and vitamin D 2000 IU a day – dosages used in VITAL – resulted in a 22% reduction in all autoimmune diseases with vitamin D and a 15% reduction in similar to fish oil supplementation for 5.3 years of randomized-upward follow-up.
In the trial, these supplements were obtained by prescription and underwent rigorous quality control. They were safe and well tolerated and no increase in adverse events was found. ”
Low Omega-3 and Vitamin D COVID Outcome Worse
Making sure you have optimal levels of omega-3s and vitamin D is a smart health move that reduces your risk of many diseases – not just autoimmune disorders. COVID-19 is among them. A study published in January 2021 evaluated the omega-3 levels of 100 individuals and compared this with their COVID-19 results.twelfth
The omega-3 index is a measure of the amount of EPA and DHA in the membranes of your red blood cells (RBCs). Your number is expressed as a percentage of your total RBC fatty acids. The omega-3 index has been shown to be a stable, long-term indicator of your omega-3 status, and it reflects the levels of EPA and DHA in your tissues.
Omega-3 index over 8%13 Associated with the lowest risk of dying from heart disease, while a reading of less than 4% places you at the highest risk of dying from heart disease. However, it can also be predictive of COVID-19 outcomes.
After separating blood samples from the highest to the lowest quintile, they found only one death – a 66-year-old man admitted to the hospital with orders not to be resuscitated – in the group where the omega-3 levels were measured. is 5.7. % or better. In the other three-quarters, a total of 17% of the patients died.
When compared with older age, the researchers found that the risk of dying from COVID-19 in people with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids was at least 10 years younger than predicted. Regarding vitamin D, in a meta-analysis of two data sets, a strong correlation was found between mortality from SARS-CoV-2 and vitamin D levels, resulting in a significant reduction in mortality. when vitamin D levels reach 30 ng/mL.14
Furthermore, the researchers note, “our analysis showed a correlation for the combined data sets that intersect the axis at about 50 ng/mL, which suggests that vitamin D3 blood levels This could prevent any excess mortality.”15 Having levels below 20 ng/mL was associated with a 19.12-fold higher risk of death, and “the vast majority of cases of COVID-19 insufficient and vitamin D deficiency died,” they added.16
Also important for heart health
Omega-3s and vitamin D are two substances that play an important role in creating a healthy heart, plus more reasons why you don’t want to be deficient. I firmly believe that the omega-3 index test is one of the most important annual health checks that people need, and it is a more important predictor of your heart disease risk than the level of heart disease. cholesterol.
In fact, research supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that omega-3 testing is a good predictor of overall health and all-cause mortality.17,18 The study measured omega-3 levels in 2,500 participants and found that those with the highest omega-3 levels had a lower risk of heart problems and overall mortality. However, cholesterol levels were not similarly related.
“When baseline serum cholesterol levels were substituted for the Omega-3 Index in the same multivariable model,” said lead author Dr. William Harris, “the former was not significantly associated with any outcomes are monitored while the latter involves four of the five outcomes being evaluated. “19
Vitamin D also plays a role in heart disease, as it improves circulation and may be beneficial for high blood pressure. In addition, because of its effects on endothelial function, vitamin D may also help improve or prevent heart failure, heart attack, vascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.20
Why cutting back on Omega-6 is so important
Supplementing with omega-3 fats or increasing intake of foods rich in omega-3s is important, but it is not enough to achieve optimal health. This is because most Americans are consuming so much omega-6 fats that the vital omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is completely out of balance.
Your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio should be around 1-1 or possibly up to 4-1, but simply increasing your omega-3 intake won’t be enough to counteract the damage caused by too much omega-6. out. . You really need to minimize your omega-6s to prevent damage from happening.
Industrially processed seed oils, often referred to as “vegetable oils,” are at the root of the problem. Linoleic acid is the main fatty acid found in these polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and makes up about 80% of the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils. Linoleic acid causes chronic diseases because, once it is oxidized as in most processed foods, it degrades to oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAM).
OXLAM is cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, atherogenic and thrombotic,21 So minimizing them is key to protecting your health and getting the full benefits of omega-3s.
At best, consider cutting linoleic acid (LA) to 2 or 3 grams per day, which is close to the levels our ancestors had before all these chronic health conditions, including obesity. , diabetes, heart disease and cancer, became common. This means removing all of the following oils:
|
Soy bean |
Corn |
Canola oil |
|
Safflower |
sunflower |
Peanuts |
Other high LA foods include french fries in vegetable oil, commercial dressings and salad dressings, virtually all processed foods, and any fried fast food, such as french fries. As an added bonus, cutting out fast food and processed foods is also key to reducing autoimmune disorders. For instance, it has recently been suggested that changes in our microbiome caused by a fast food diet are causing autoimmune diseases.22
The take-home message is this: In addition to increasing your omega-3 intake, you also need to reduce your omega-6 intake — especially the linoleic acid from seed oils.
How much vitamin D do you need?
It is possible to optimize your vitamin D levels through proper sun exposure and this is ideal, as it is increasingly recognized that there are many benefits to even sun exposure. in addition to vitamin D. However, if this is not an option for you due to your background or lifestyle, a daily vitamin D3 supplement of up to 10,000 units may be needed to reach vitamin D levels between 40 and 60 ng/mL.
Data from Grass Motorcycle D*Action studies suggest that optimal levels for health and disease prevention are between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL, while the cut-off for adequate levels appears to be around 40 ng/mL. In Europe, the measurements you’re looking for are 150 to 200 nmol/L and 100 nmol/L, respectively.
However, the only way to gauge if you may need a supplement and how much is needed is to check your levels, ideally twice a year – in early spring and early fall – when Your levels are low and high, respectively. If you go the supplement route, make sure your vitamin D intake is balanced with other nutrients, including vitamin K2 (to avoid complications related to excessive calcification in your arteries). ), calcium and magnesium.
