Increase Bone Density With Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

By now, you probably already know that omega-3 fatty acids are very beneficial to your health.

However, what you may not know is how omega-3 fatty acids came to be.

Scientists in Greenland noticed that Eskimos who consumed a high-fish diet had lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and cancer.

Scientists then investigated this phenomenon and discovered that a fat in the fish, now known as omega-3 fatty acids, could potentially explain these benefits.

Today, in Western society, it has been shown that our diets have altered ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.

It has also been shown that omega-6 fatty acids may increase inflammation, therefore are not as beneficial to your health as the omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-6 fatty acids are typically derived from linoleic acid (LA), which is commonly found in vegetable oil.

When they enter into your body, your body breaks down LA and converts them into Arachadonic acid, which then bind to substances that may increase inflammation in your body.

Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, have been shown to compete for the same substances as omega-6 fatty acids. 

If the omega-3 fatty acids bind to these substances, they end up secreting less inflammatory, less vasoreactive, and less atherogenic substances in your body.

Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids (like what is found in krill oil, fatty fish, or fish oil) has also been linked to improvements in bone mass.

Let me explain…

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Bone Health

There are many different factors that play a part in bone health, strength of the bones, and osteoporosis development.

Current research has shown that the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA, may be linked to improved bone mineral density, in young adults as well as in the elderly.

In fact, according to one study, young adults between the ages of 16 and 22, showed increased bone density in their spine when there were higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood.

In a similar study, the researchers showed that higher omega-3 fatty acid concentrations showed improved bone mineral density.

According to this study, they noted that omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal mice.

Also, a specific factor in your body, called PPARy, may be linked to improvements or decline in bone density.

PPARy is expressed by both your fat cells and your bone marrow, and is responsible for increasing lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and glucose uptake.

It has been shown that mice that were deficient in this factor, showed stronger bones, increased osteoblastogenesis, and increased adipogenesis.

When given a PPARy agonist, the mice showed decreased bone mass and decreased osteoblast formation.

Omega-6 fatty acids may activate PPARy, which therefore could result in lower bone density; whereas omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to diminish the activation of PPARy.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Bone Health

Although more research is needed, increased omega-3 fatty acid concentrations in your body may encourage better bone health.

The researchers noted that more research is needed to further define the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and improvements in bone health.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve many parameters of health, including heart health, eye health, brain health, and even weight loss.

Including a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, through the use of wild fatty fish or a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement, could improve your health and may even increase the density of your bones.


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