Omega-3s Revealed

Researchers have long known omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation. Now they know how.

by Linda RichardsPosted 2/12/07

Understanding how your body benefits from eating omega-3 fatty acids is an important part of understanding why you should eat them. But, until recently, no one really knew what made omega-3s so beneficial. Researchers, however, have uncovered the secret of omega-3 fatty acids. A study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston revealed that omega-3s actually convert into compounds that are 10,000 times more potent than the original fatty acids themselves. So what does this mean to us? The new compounds include resolvins, which help bring the inflammatory response to an end, says the study’s lead researcher, Charles Serhan, PhD, director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Harvard Medical School, Boston. Continue reading ...