Lyme disease is a vector-borne illness. The term "vector-borne" is used to describe diseases that are caused by a microbe transmitted to humans by blood-sucking insects, such as ticks. Symptoms of Lyme disease include rash, fatigue and joint pain. No research suggests that cod liver oil can help treat the specific symptoms of Lyme disease. However, some early studies indicate that cod liver oil can help with the joint pain of rheumatoid arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 60 percent of people in the late stages of Lyme disease experience arthritis and joint pain. Consult your physician before adding cod liver oil to your regimen.
Step 1
Begin by taking the lowest recommended dose of cod liver oil. In 2002, a study published in "Advances in Therapy" revealed that people noticed a reduction in joint pain after taking 1 g of cod liver oil every day. Over 60 percent claimed the pain's intensity had decreased as well.
Step 2
Take 1 g of cod liver oil capsule one time a day with a full glass of water. Increase your dosage as needed by 1 g at a time.
Step 3
Take up to 10 g of cod liver oil daily. In a 2008 study by Dundee University in Scotland published in the journal "Rheumatology," researchers provided participants with rheumatoid arthritis with 10 g of cod liver oil daily. Thirty-nine percent of the participants taking the supplement reduced their intake of prescription pain medication by more than 30 percent.
Step 4
Consume cod liver oil with a meal to prevent nausea. Fish oils in general can cause an upset stomach when first taken. Eating food along with the cod liver oil can lesson nausea. If you have the liquid form, you can drink it plain or mix it with a full glass of water.
Things You'll Need
- Cod liver oil
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease; May 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Lyme Disease Data and Statistics; April 2011
- "Advances in Therapy"; Effect of Cod Liver Oil on Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis; J. Gruenwald, et al.; March-April 2002
- "Rheumatology"; Cod Liver Oil (n-3 fatty acids) as an Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Sparing Agent in Rheumatoid Arthritis; B. Galarraga, et. al; May 2008
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