Should You Switch to Fish Oil With PRMs?

Kelly writes:

My chiropractor is recommending that I switch to fish oil with 'pro-resolving mediators' or PRMs. What are PRMs? Could I buy them separately and take them with the fish oil I’m already taking rather than switching to her more expensive fish oil product, which (unlike the one I’m taking) is not third party tested for purity?

What are PRMs?

One of the things I love about this job is that I’m never done learning. And I have to confess that Kelly’s email was the first I’d ever heard of pro-resolving mediators! Let me fill you in on what I’ve learned.

Fish oil is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Most American adults don’t get the recommended amount of these nutrients from their diet and a fish oil supplement can help to fill that gap. Fish oil is also used in higher, therapeutic doses to treat and prevent a wide variety of health conditions, including heart disease, auto-immune disorders, arthritis, and even depression.

There are a few different mechanisms of action. Omega-3s are anti-thrombolytic, meaning that they reduce the tendency of blood to form clots. They are also potent anti-inflammatories.

How omega-3s work in the body

Omega-3s are enzymatically converted in the body into various biologically active molecules, which orchestrate the body’s inflammatory and immune responses at the cellular level. There are a lot of different types of these active compounds, including prostaglandins, eicosanoids, and leukotrienes.

The three main types are protectins, resolvins, and maresins. (The fact that the three PRMs start with P, R, and M, is quite handy.)

Pro-resolving mediators (or PRMs) are a newly recognized category of these active compounds. The three main types are protectins, resolvins, and maresins. (The fact that the three PRMs start with P, R, and M, is quite handy.) In some papers, they are referred to as SPMs, which or Specialized Proresovlng Mediators, which isn’t nearly as handy as a mnemonic device, so I’ll stick with PRMs.

How do PRMs promote health and healing?

As the name implies, pro-resolving mediators act to actively resolve or turn off the body’s inflammatory responses.

Inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s part of the body’s immune response and, in the right place and the right time, it serves a very important function.

Chronic or excessive inflammation, on the other hand, can start to create problems. And that’s where the PRMs come in: their job is to switch off inflammatory activity once the immediate threat has been dealt with, which allows the inflammation to resolve and healing...

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