Your joint health is nothing to take for granted — Experiencing joint discomfort can be a discouraging feeling, as it can keep you from doing your favorite activities and even make daily tasks uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are ways you can support your joint health on a daily basis.Â
By understanding how omega-3s work and how to obtain them, you can decide whether this nutrient would be a good addition to your daily routine.
What Is Omega-3?
Many people know of omega-3 for its reputation of providing multiple possible health benefits. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that serves several potential roles in the body. These lipids serve as building blocks for cell membranes and influence how cells interact with each other, helping to regulate several bodily functions.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients, which means that your body cannot make them on its own. As a result, it is crucial that you consume foods or supplements that contain these nutrients to help support the systems in your body.
Your body contains three main types of omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the most common type of omega-3, as it is easily obtained through a standard diet, and found in foods like nuts, seeds, and plant oils. However, ALA is a short-chain omega-3 precursor, rather than being a true form of omega-3.
The other two types are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in marine foods.
Some of the potential benefits associated with omega-3s include:
- Supporting heart and cardiovascular health
- Supporting healthy skin, hair, and nails
- Helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure
- Helping to maintain healthy cholesterol already within the healthy range
- Supporting healthy cognitive functioning
- Supporting healthy aging
- Supporting healthy growth and development in children
What Are the Benefits of Omega-3 for Your Joints?
In addition to the many benefits omega-3s serve around the body, omega-3s also have a reputation for promoting healthy joints. The following are some of the possible benefits of regularly consuming omega-3s to support overall flexible, resilient joints.
Supports an Overall Healthy Inflammatory Response
Omega-3 fatty acids have soothing properties that may provide several benefits for your joint health. EPA supports the proper production of signaling molecules in the body called eicosanoids. These eicosanoids can support a healthy inflammatory response in the body, which works to keep your tissues feeling soothed, supported, and comfortable.
Supports Healthy Blood Flow to Your Joints
Increased blood flow is valuable for all parts of your body, especially your joints. Blood flow in the body is important for bringing oxygen and nutrients to muscles and tissues. By bringing essential nutrients to the tissues surrounding your joints, omega-3s may support overall blood flow to provide relief.
A lack of oxygen can exacerbate the effects of joint discomfort and limit the transfer of nutrients, leading to further challenges, especially in those with medical conditions that affect the joints. By maintaining healthy circulation and blood flow, omega-3 fatty acids may help to support this process.
The role of omega-3s in supporting healthy circulation may also have an impact on supporting joint health as you age. Whether you are exercising or putting your joints to use in other daily activities, enhanced blood flow is an excellent way to support healthy joint function and reduce the risk of discomfort.Â
Since omega-3 fatty acids are valuable nutrients for supporting blood flow, they can be a good addition to your daily routine to support your joints as well.
May Support Joint Health Through Aging
Your joints go through a lot of wear and tear just moving around during daily activities. If you exercise, your joints are only doing more work. Consequently, it can be hard to maintain healthy joints as you age.
The best way to support your joint health is by avoiding discomfort rather than responding to it whenever possible. Omega-3s have an important role in supporting the proper formation of cells and tissue, and this role may extend to supporting the lubrication of your joints for comfortable movement and keeping your joint tissue healthy over time. It is never too early to start taking omega-3 to help you give your joints extra support.
May Support Recovery After Exercise
Your body is a complete, connected system. Your muscles, bones, and joints all work together in harmony to support you during regular daily functions, including exercise. Sometimes, sore muscles or tendons can manifest as joint discomfort.
For example, overusing your leg muscles during a long run can result in soreness around the knee, seeming to be a joint issue. There are many instances where sore muscles can present as discomfort in a different area. After all, our bodies are complex, interconnected systems, and it can be hard to tell the difference from the outside.Â
Since the body is interconnected and complex, it is important to support all of our important tools, from our joints to our muscles. Fortunately, omega-3 fatty acids not only support joint health but may also contribute to athletic performance by supporting muscle recovery. The potential of omega-3 fatty acids to support muscle recovery can also support overall muscle flexibility.
How Can You Obtain Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
There are a variety of ways you can obtain omega-3 fatty acids that will work for a multitude of lifestyles. Keep in mind, though, that the most beneficial forms of omega-3 are DHA and EPA, which are only found in select foods. While you may have seen flaxseed or chia seed omega-3 supplements, these options don’t feature high levels of DHA and EPA, and instead are abundant in ALA. The most well-known source of DHA and EPA is fatty fish, like sardines, mackerel, tuna, and salmon. Experts recommend eating fish at least twice a week.
Omega-3 supplements are the easiest way to consume your daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids. One of the most popular supplements is fish oil. Fish oil supplements take the omega-3s from fatty fish and reduce them to a form that can be taken either through a capsule or by the spoonful. Cod liver oil is a form of fish oil that is also rich in vitamin A.
However, fish oil is far from the only supplement option. Krill oil is another popular supplement made from tiny ocean crustaceans called krill. Krill oil is similar to fish oil, except it has higher antioxidant properties due to astaxanthin, a potent free-radical scavenger which gives krill its pinkish-red color.
Still, though, both krill and fish oil supplements have a few drawbacks. The most considerable drawback of both supplements is that they are not conducive to people on a plant-based diet or people with seafood allergies. Even for people who do consume fish, many do not enjoy the side effect of unpleasant fishy burps.
Fortunately, there is a dietary supplement that provides effectiveness without the drawbacks of fishy sources. Algae is one of the only plant-based sources of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids. Algae has even been shown to be more effective than other marine omega-3 sources, but it is also friendly to a wider range of lifestyles with fewer drawbacks. iwi life produces excellent omega-3 supplements to provide a variety of benefits, including joint health.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare professional about including omega-3 in your daily diet.
Support Your Joints with iwi life
Your joints take on a lot of responsibility throughout the day, carrying you through all of your activities. The best way to support your joints is to provide them with the nutrition they need for healthy function. Fortunately, including omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is a great way to do just that.
When you take iwi life’s algae-based joint supplement, you are not only getting valuable omega-3 fatty acids but also several other helpful natural ingredients. This supplement is specially formulated to encourage long-term joint health, complete with curcuminoids and white willow bark to promote maximum support. Try iwi life’s Joint supplement for yourself to give your joints the support they deserve.
Sources:
Hypoxia--a key regulator of angiogenesis and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis | NCBI
» Does Fish Oil Help Your Joints? | Campbell Clinic
