Tuberculosis - how effective is fish oil?
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Fish oil has been an effective treatment for tuberculosis since 1848, according to a study by Professor Sir Malcolm Green.
In a study of doctors from the Royal Brompton Hospital (USA), 1,077 people with tuberculosis participated. Of these, 542 participants underwent standard treatment with fish oil, and 535 people (control) - the standard treatment without fish oil.
The results of the study showed that the disease stabilized in 18% of participants who received fish oil, compared with only 6% of participants in the control group. In the control group, progression of tuberculosis or death occurred in 33% of patients compared with 19% of patients taking fish oil.
According to Professor Green, some children still take fish oil, as it was used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries mainly for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis.
Reduction of mortality from tuberculosis, as a rule, is associated with better living conditions. According to Green, rational nutrition is also of vital importance. It is possible that the widespread use of fish oil in the past, recommended by doctors, has played a significant role.
Fish oil is a rich source of vitamin D, which plays an important role in fighting infections, as well as in preventing rickets.
The obvious role of vitamin D in the fight against tuberculosis is the basis for light therapy, which used to be widely used in sanatoria before the era of chemotherapy.
To date, most people who develop tuberculosis suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
Green concludes that since tuberculosis is still a common infection that kills millions of people every year around the world, vitamin D can be a significant addition to the standard treatment for this serious illness.