IU researchers find fish oil lessens asthma symptoms

If asthmatic patients suffering from exercised-induced asthma (EIA) could treat their condition without the use of traditional asthma medications, they could avoid the potential side effects posed by them. \nIU exercise physiologist Timothy Mickleborough and his research team recently reported a breakthrough in asthma therapy that could potentially eliminate the need for asthmatic individuals to rely on traditional asthma medications in treating EIA, according to a published report published in Chest journal.\nDietary supplementation with fish oil reduces the airway constriction caused by EIA for individuals suffering from mild to moderate cases, according to the report.\n"The fish oil diet reduced airway inflammation and the severity of exercise-induced asthma with a concomitant decrease in bronchodilator use," Mickleborough said.\nA bronchodilator is a drug that widens the air passages of the lungs and eases breathing.\nEIA is a gradual narrowing of an asthmatic individual's airway, resulting in a gradual reduction in pulmonary or lung function, post-exercise, due to vigorous physical activity, Mickleborough said. \nWith a narrowing of the airway, during and following exercise, breathing inevitably becomes difficult and asthma symptoms are triggered. Approximately 80 percent of asthmatic individuals experience this condition, the report said.\nIU research scientist Martin Lindley said the agents responsible for restricting bronchial passages in asthmatics (called pro-inflammatory mediators) are released during exercise leading to symptoms of EIA.\nTraditionally, EIA has been treated with asthma medications which can be potentially toxic and can cause an eventual reduction in their effectiveness due to long-term use, Lindley said. \nMickleborough said his research team's recent breakthrough in asthma therapy, "now gives asthmatic individuals the prospect of reducing their intake of asthma medication, and supplementing fish oil in their diets, in a possible treatment that could be as beneficial as the medication or the dietary supplementation alone."\nThe report described the study protocol as a randomized, double-blind cross-over study of 16 people suffering from mild-to-moderate asthma, all requiring daily medication to manage their asthma symptoms. During the study, none of the participants relied on their medications to control their asthma symptoms as they engaged in recreational activities, such as exercise.\nStudy results showed a 64 percent improvement in the post-exercise pulmonary function of the participants. There was a 31 percent decrease in inhaler use while consuming a fish oil supplemented diet, containing high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, for a three week period.\n"Fish oil is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory in nature," Mickleborough said. "(Because) EIA is an inflammatory airway disease, (the) fish oil effectively reduces airway inflammation and therefore alleviates airway obstruction."\nOmega-3 fatty acids contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are both directly responsible for reducing restriction of bronchial passages. \nA key finding of the study demonstrated that EPA and DHA were the ultimate chemical components in the fish oil that were responsible for reducing inflammatory cells and pro-inflammatory mediators, said Lindley.\nUnlike anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids are considered to be pro-inflammatory. Lindley stated that individuals of Western diets typically consume 20-25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. \n"Western diets are very high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids when compared to those of Asia and less developed countries," Lindley said. "In the typical Western diet, 20-25-fold more omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids than omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are consumed, which leads to a pro-inflammatory diet."\nIn reducing airway obstruction in asthmatic individuals, omega-3 fatty acids are particularly important, because of the high concentrations of EPA and DHA. \n"Individuals with EIA and asthma can improve their quality of life and reduce the amount of medication they take," Mickleborough said.