Beneficial effects of fish oil and cranberry juice on disease activity and inflammatory biomarkers in people with rheumatoid arthritis
Elis C.S.Fatel Nutrition Volume 86, June 2021, 111183
Highlights
• Cranberry juice added beneficial results to fish oil supplementation in terms of disease activity score (Disease Activity Score-28 for rheumatoid arthritis with C-reactive protein) in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Cranberry juice added beneficial results to fish oil supplementation on the inflammatory mediators of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Ingestion of cranberry juice added beneficial effects to the well-known action of fish oil on disease activity and inflammatory biomarkers in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Objectives
We sought to determine whether cranberry juice consumption would ameliorate laboratory and clinical measurements of disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis receiving fish oil supplementation.
Methods
A prospective study was performed with 62 people with rheumatoid arthritis. We analyzed C-reactive protein modification of the Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28-CRP) and inflammatory markers. The first group was assigned to eat their typical diet, a second group was asked to consume 3 g of fish oil ω-3 fatty acids daily, and a third group received both 3 g of fish oil n-3 fatty acids and 500 mL of reduced-calorie cranberry juice daily.
Results
Compared with baseline values, the group receiving both fish oil and cranberry juice showed reductions in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.033), C-reactive protein (P = 0.002), DAS28-CRP (P = 0.001), adiponectin (P = 0.021), and interleukin-6 levels (P = 0.045), whereas the fish oil group showed decreased DAS28-CRP (P = 0.0261) and adiponectin (P = 0.0239). Differences across treatments showed that the group receiving both fish oil and cranberry experienced reductions (P < 0.05) in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein compared to the control group and the group treated with fish oil alone, and a reduction in DAS28-CRP was verified when the fish oil and cranberry group was compared to the control group.
Conclusions
The ingestion of cranberry juice adds beneficial effects to fish oil supplementation, decreasing disease activity and inflammatory biomarkers in people with rheumatoid arthritis.