Supplements - Nutrition

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Supplements - Nutrition

Fatty Acids

NEWS:

Cardiovascular Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reviewed “Two omega-3 fatty acids that have been associated with cardiovascular benefit, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are found in fish oils. The best source for DHA and EPA are fatty coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Fish oil supplements or algae supplements also can provide omega-3 fatty acids. … "The most compelling evidence for the cardiovascular benefit provided by omega-3 fatty acids comes from three large controlled trials of 32,000 participants randomized to receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements containing DHA and EPA or to act as controls," explains Dr. O'Keefe. "These trials showed reductions in cardiovascular events of 19 percent to 45 percent. Overall, these findings suggest that intake of omega-3 fatty acids, whether from dietary sources or fish oil supplements, should be increased, especially in those with or at risk for coronary artery disease." How much fish oil should people attempt to incorporate into their diets? According to Dr. O'Keefe, people with known coronary artery disease should consume about 1 gram per day, while people without disease should consume at least 500 milligrams (mg) per day. "Patients with high triglyceride levels can benefit from treatment with 3 to 4 grams daily of DHA and EPA," says Dr. O'Keefe. "Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent." About two meals of oily fish can provide 400 to 500 mg of DHA and EPA, so patients who need to consume higher levels of these fatty-acids may choose to use fish oil supplements to reach these targets.”

Fish oil capsules pack same omega-3 punch as fish “Fish oil capsules and fatty fish do an equally good job of enriching the blood and other body tissues with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, new findings suggest. … Nevertheless, Harris said, he would encourage people to eat fish rather than relying on fish oil capsules. "Fish of course brings with it proteins and minerals and other factors that are good for our health that the capsules don't bring, but we weren't able to measure any of those things," he said.”

Fish oil helps patients with chronic heart failure: Omega-3 pill worked slightly better than cholesterol medication, study says “Fish oil supplements may work slightly better than a popular cholesterol-reducing drug to help patients with chronic heart failure, according to new research released Sunday. Chronic heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently around the body. …. Bonow said that since cell membranes are made of fatty acids, fish oils may help to replace and strengthen those membranes with omega-3. Fish oils also are thought to increase the body's good cholesterol levels, as well as possibly stabilizing the electrical system in heart cells, to prevent abnormal heart rhythms. In contrast, statins act on the body's bad cholesterol, which may not have a big impact on heart failure. … Weaver said that guidelines in the United States would likely change to recommend that more heart patients eat more fish or take supplements. "This is a low-tech solution and could help all patients with cardiovascular problems." “

Fish Oil May Be Helpful To Some And Harmful To Others

Fish oil supplements during pregnancy appear safe “It is safe for women to take fish oil supplements during pregnancy; they do not harm the fetus and may have beneficial effects on the child, according to a report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood--Fetal and Neonatal Edition. The few previously published studies on the effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFAs) in full-term pregnancies have shown associations between fish oil supplements during pregnancy and improved attention and mental processing in the young children, the authors explain. … Eye and hand coordination scores were significantly higher among children in the fish oil group than among the controls, the investigators say, and correlated positively with omega-3 LC PUFA content of red blood cells in the cord blood. They were also inversely correlated with omega-6 LC PUFA. … However, an area that still requires further investigation is the possibility that relatively selective supplementation with n-3 PUFA may have detrimental effects on the fetus and infant "by displacing other essential fatty acids," they add.”

Flaxseed Oil Pills vs. Fish Oil Pills

n–3 Fatty acids and health: DaVinci's code “The 3 studies conducted in elderly subjects discussed above underscore the potential importance of maintaining high dietary n–3 FA intakes throughout life. “

Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008) “Conclusions: Eating oily fish at least once per week compared with less than once per week was associated with a halving of the OR for NV-AMD.”

Omega-3 Intake During Last Months Of Pregnancy Boosts An Infant's Cognitive And Motor Development “For the members of the research team, there is no doubt that all pregnant women should be encouraged to get sufficient amounts of omega-3s. "A diet rich in omega-3s during pregnancy can't be expected to solve everything, but our results show that such a diet has positive effects on a child's sensory, cognitive, and motor development. Benefits from eating fish with low contaminant levels and high omega-3 contents, such as trout, salmon, and sardines, far outweigh potential risks even during pregnancy," conclude the researchers.”

Omega-3 may ease depression during pregnancy “For pregnant women diagnosed with major depressive disorder, treatment with omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce depressive symptoms, according to the findings of a small clinical trial. "Perinatal depression is common, and treatment remains challenging," Dr. Kuan-Pin Su, of China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, and colleagues explain in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. When a pregnant woman needs to be treated for major depression, "the possible risks and benefits of antidepressant medication are considered to have significant impacts on both mother and baby," Su commented to Reuters Health. "Many women and their health care providers prefer the use of non-medication treatments," Su added. "Depression has been reported to be associated with the abnormality of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)," the team notes in their article. They propose that the requirements of the growing baby lead to "a profound decrease of omega-3 PUFAs in the mother during pregnancy," and this might "precipitate the occurrence of depression." “

Omega-3 Pills for Stroke: A Fish Story? Study Shows Supplements Flounder in Preventing Stroke; Fish Diet May Be Better “Fish oil supplements don't pack the same stroke-preventive punch as a diet rich in fish, a new study suggests. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish and some plant and nut oils, such as olive and walnut, has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Several public health organizations have recommended that people eat more oily fish, such as salmon and tuna.“

Omega-3 rather than genetics is key to lack of CHD in Japanese?

Omega-3, Some Omega-6 Fatty Acids Boost Cardiovascular Health: Reduce heart attack risk and blood pressure, studies show “High intake of the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish and vegetable cooking oils appear to help prevent heart attacks, while the omega-6 fatty acids in vegetables and nuts help keep blood pressure low, two international research teams report. A study in Costa Rica found that high intake of omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk of heart attack by 59 percent, said a report published in the July 8 online issue of Circulation. …A number of other studies have shown that high intake of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This is the first study to look at its association with heart attack risk, Campos said.”

Pregnant Women Consuming Flaxseed Oil Have High Risk Of Premature Birth “A study has found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. … "In the general population, the average rate of premature births is 2 to 3 percent. But for women consuming flaxseed oil in their last two trimesters that number jumps up to 12 percent," says Bérard. "It's an enormous risk." The correlation existed only with flaxseed oil, yet women consuming the actual seed were unaffected. Even if more studies must be undertaken to verify these results, Bérard recommends caution when it comes to consuming flaxseed oil.”

ARTICLES:

Cases in CAM: What's the Good of Flaxseed?

Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

A 22-year Prospective Study of Fish, n-3 Fatty Acid Intake, and Colorectal Cancer Risk in Men. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008) “CONCLUSIONS: Our results from this long-term prospective study suggest that intakes of fish and long-chain n-3 fatty acids from fish may decrease the risk for colorectal cancer.”

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is not associated with a reduction in carotid atherosclerosis: The Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives study (Atherosclerosis 2008)

Fatty acids and oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders. (BMC Psychiatry. 2008)

Flaxseed and cardiovascular risk factors: results from a double blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2008)

Flaxseed oil and fish-oil capsule consumption alters human red blood cell n–3 fatty acid composition: a multiple-dosing trial comparing 2 sources of n–3 fatty acid (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008) “Background: An increase in plasma n–3 fatty acid content, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n–3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n–3; DHA), is observed after consumption of fish oil–enriched supplements. Because -linolenic acid (18:3n–3; ALA) is the direct precursor of EPA and DHA, ALA-enriched supplements such as flax may have a similar effect, although this hypothesis has been challenged because of reported low conversion of ALA into DHA.”

Flaxseed oil prevents trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid-induced insulin resistance in mice. (Br J Nutr. 2008)

Flaxseed Reduces Total and LDL Cholesterol Concentrations in Native American Postmenopausal Women. (J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2008)

Historical overview of n-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2008) “These studies demonstrate that fish oil fatty acids have beneficial effects on coronary heart disease.”

How relevant is the ratio of dietary n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to cardiovascular disease risk? Evidence from the OPTILIP study. (Current Opinion in Lipidology 2008) “It reinforces current recommendations to increase the consumption of preformed eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid in fish, and supports dietary measures to increase and decrease intakes [alpha]-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, respectively, to promote the endogenous synthesis of these longer chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.”

Long-chain n–3 fatty acids and mortality in elderly patients (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008) “Conclusions: Overall mortality in frail, elderly, acutely sick patients was inversely and nonlinearly associated with EPA concentrations. Approximately 25% of the population had EPA concentrations below the indicated threshold for maximal protection, suggesting that only this part of the population might have benefited from additional EPA intake. “

Low n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio, with fish- or flaxseed oil, in a high fat diet improves plasma lipids and beneficially alters tissue fatty acid composition in mice. (Eur J Nutr. 2008) “CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that health benefits may be achieved by lowering dietary n-6:n-3 FA even in a high fat diet medium.”

N-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for optimal function during brain development and ageing. (Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008)

Omega3 Fatty acids for cardioprotection. (Mayo Clin Proc. 2008)

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation enhances stroke volume and cardiac output during dynamic exercise. (Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008) “ … dietary supplementation with these fatty acids can increase oxygen delivery during exercise, which may have beneficial clinical implications for individuals with cardiovascular disease and reduced exercise tolerance.”

Omega-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk: Clinical and mechanistic perspectives (Atherosclerosis 2008)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammatory processes and inflammatory bowel diseases. (Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008)

The emerging role of docosahexaenoic acid in neuroinflammation. (Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2008)

The impact of fish-oil supplements on insulin sensitivity (Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics 2008) “Conclusion: The findings of this pilot study show that the intake of high dose fish oil supplements over 60 days can help to reduce the risk of CHD and mortality in overweight individuals.”

The Importance of the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Cardiovascular Disease and Other Chronic Diseases. (Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008)

The science behind dietary omega-3 fatty acids (CMAJ 2008)

Very Low n-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Status in Austrian Vegetarians and Vegans. (Ann Nutr Metab. 2008)

INTERNET SITES:

NIH - Dietary Fats

NIH - Health Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids: AHRQ Reports Available

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Fat

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Omega-3 fatty acids

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Trans-fatty acids

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