Goulart, Ricardo de AlvaresBechara, Marcelo DibQuesada, KarinaCarvalho, Antonely de Cássio Alves deBarbalho, Sandra MariaAdjuvants to the traditional therapy of infl ammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been studied to enhance the effi cacy of the treatment and improve patients' quality of life. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3FA) have been associated with attenuation of the inflammatory responses in IBD, possibly acting as substrates for anti-inflammatory eicosanoid production, similar to prostaglandins and leukotrienes. ω3FA also act as substrates for the synthesis of resolvins, maresins and protectins, indispensable in resolving infl ammation processes. These acids may infl uence the development or course of IBD by: reducing oxidative stress, production of tumor necrosis factor-α and proinfl ammatory cytokines; working as chemopreventive agents; and decreasing the expression of adhesion molecules. There are numerous controversies in the literature on the eff ects of ω3FA in the prevention or treatment of IBD, but their eff ects in reducing infl ammation is incontestable. Th erefore, more studies are warranted to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and establish the recommended daily intake to prevent or induce remission in IBD patients.Keywords Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acidsAnn Gastroenterol 2016; 29 (1): 37-43text/htmlapplication/pdfapplication/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.documenthttp://www.annalsgastro.gr/index.php/annalsgastro/article/view/2366engHellenic Society of Gastroenterology1792-74631108-7471Annals of Gastroenterology; Volume 29, No 1 (2016); 37Inflammatory bowel disease: can omega-3 fatty acids really help?info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion2016-01-07Δημοσίευση σε περιοδικόPublication in journalΓαστροεντερολογίαGastroenterologyisi -Gastroenterology & Hepatology covers resources on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology of the digestive system. This category includes specific resources on the prognosis and treatment of digestive diseases; stomach ulcers; metabolic, genetic, infectious and chemically induced diseases of the liver; colitis; diseases of the pancreas and diseases of the rectum.Επιστημονικό άρθροScientific articleΕλληνική Γαστροεντερολογική ΕταιρίαGreek Aggregator OpenArchives.gr | National Documentation Centre (EKT)other