Remember the tin man in the story of the Wizard of Oz ?

The poor guy’s joints had rusted, causing him to seize up, leaving him unable to move around much.  In the story, Dorothy comes to his rescue by dabbing a few strategically placed drops of oil on the creaking joints.

We’re never told the type of oil Dorothy used, but research from the University of Bristol suggests it was omega-3 (fish oil).

Rusty joints in guinea pigs

Guinea pigs fed normal laboratory chow often develop osteoarthritis. 

In osteoarthritis,  the trouble starts with degradation of collagen in the cartilage.  The cartilage wars away and as it is  lost,  the ability of the joint to absorb shocks is reduced.  The bits of cartilage which typically wear away are the end bits so the bones end up rubbing against each other.   The smooth motion turns into a painful jarring experience as the bones rub directly against one another.  Eventually the joint seizes completely – stopping motion in the joint all together.

For guinea pigs this means a very stiff and sore animal. 

Not just pain relief

When the researchers supplemented the guinea pigs food, with a little omega-3 oil, the joints loosen up,  significantly decreasing the signs and symptoms of the disease.

The omega-3 supplement did more than just loosen seized up joints, it was able to both lessen the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.  Guinea pigs receiving the omega-3 supplement were less likely to develop osteoarthritis in the first place.

Greasing those joints

Millions of people around the globe contend with stiff and painful joints – which limits their mobility and overall well being.  

The majority of treatments for the condition focus on pain relief, few therapies address the underlying pathology and halt disease progression.  If the joint seizes all together, surgeons can sometimes offer the option of a  joint replacement, using “artificial” parts.

The guinea pig study suggests, that a daub of fish oil on a regular basis,  will help stave off joint problems by keeping the joins between bones, moving backwards and forwards smoothly.

Creaky hinges ?

So if you get a squeaky greeting, each time you get out of the chair, try daub some oil on those human hinges.  Swallow a little omega-3 to decrease the stiffness  and avoid seized joints in the future.

 NB.  Make sure it is omega-3 only ! 

Interested in learning more about winding up that body clock ?

Subcribe to E-spoons, to get e-mail updates once a month to learn how to keep your body chemistry balanced so you can cheat father time…………… a little.

NOTE : Privacy & spam policy. Spoonful of Science will not rent, trade or sell the e-mail list to anyone. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link.

Know someone who will find this post useful ? Share it on facebook, linkedin, twitter

Further reading

The side effects of obesity stopped by omega-3s	How to juice up the heart battery so it pumps in a crisis	You can expect to live longer but the going might not be so good

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Sleep !	Increase Vit D	Culivate microflora	Think champion

Hire Dr Sandy from a Spoonful of Science to be the keynote speaker at your next event.

Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below