Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid - dha - are precursors to potent bioactive mediators that possess both anti-inflammatory and protective properties. These mediators are coined resolvins, docosatrienes, and protectins as general classes.

A diet high in oily fish like salmon, halibut, and mackerel may help improve inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. A key anti-inflammatory fat in humans is derived from a fatty acid found in fish oil. The researchers, from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, found the diet worked best when combined with low aspirin doses. The inflammatory response protects the body against infection and injury, but when it goes wrong it can lead to conditions such as arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. The Harvard team identified a new class of fats in the human body, called resolvins, which they showed can control inflammation. They do this both by stopping the migration of inflammatory cells to sites of inflammation, and the turning on of other inflammatory cells. Resolvins are made from the omega-3 fatty acids, found in high concentration in oily fish. Their production also appears to be stimulated by taking aspirin.

Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including resolvins, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Resolvins and Gum Disease
Topical application of the eicosapentaenoic acid-derived Resolvin E1 (RvE1) helps prevent soft tissue inflammation and destruction, as well as bone loss associated with periodontal disease. Inflammation may be a good target in the treatment of gum disease. Resolvins are a new family of biologically active products of omega-3 fatty acids and natural regulators of the inflammatory process. Gum disease is similar to other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, where inflammation causes tissue damage. Currently, oral hygiene and regular dental care are used to control plaque and prevent gum disease. However, plaque control may not be enough to prevent gum disease in susceptible people with a high inflammatory response.