Omega 3 acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids, study finds

19 Jul 2017 --- A new study in animal tissue has shown chemical reactions that convert omega 3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits, but without a psychotropic high. Cannabinoids, chemical compounds that are found in marijuana and are also produced naturally in the body from omega 3 fatty acids, include tetrahydrocannabinol. The cannaboid is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Foods such as meat, eggs, fish and nuts contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which the body converts into endocannabinoids – cannabinoids that the body produces naturally, says Aditi Das, a University of Illinois professor of comparative biosciences and biochemistry, who led the study.

Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body can support the body's immune system and therefore are attractive targets for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics, she adds.

Researchers discovered that endocannabinoids are produced naturally in the body in 1992. Since then, several other endocannabinoids have been identified, but not all have known functions. Cannabinoids bind to two types of cannabinoid receptors in the body – one that is found predominantly in the nervous system and one in the immune system, Das says. 

“Some cannabinoids – such as THC in marijuana or endocannabinoids – can bind to these receptors and elicit anti-inflammatory and anti-pain action,” she explains.

“Our team discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega 3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules that predominantly bind to the receptors found in the immune system,” Das says. “This finding demonstrates how omega 3 fatty acids can produce some of the same medicinal qualities as marijuana, but without a psychotropic effect.”

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.