Need another reason to add fish to your plate? New research shows eating fish as part of your regular diet can greatly reduce your odds of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
 

The findings, published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, suggest a weekly portion of fatty fish (such as salmon) or four servings of lean fish (such as cod) can halve the risk of developing the painful inflammatory condition. But there is a catch: Such a diet is only beneficial if it’s followed for at least a decade.
 

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, said fish’s anti-arthritis properties are largely attributable to the long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) they contain.
 

For the study, the Karolinska investigators tracked the dietary habits of more than 32,000 women born between 1914 and 1948, whose health was tracked between 2003 and 2010 as part of the Swedish Mammography Cohort population based study. They assessed the women’s dietary intake of omega-3s, noting past studies have shown they have anti-inflammatory properties.

The women also completed a questionnaire on their diets, height, weight, motherhood, and educational background between 1987 and 1997. They were also surveyed on how often and how much fatty and lean fish they ate.
 

The results showed women who ate at least one serving of fatty fish or four servings of lean fish a week were 52 percent less likely to have rheumatoid arthritis than those who consumed less.
 

"The inverse association between fish consumption and [rheumatoid arthritis] can be attributed mainly to its content of long chain [omega] 3 PUFAs," concluded the authors, who added that their findings indicate a potentially important role for these substances in the development of the disease.