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updated July, 2005

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

see also Fish oil and heart disease. See here if you are a vegan.

From the Linus Pauling Meeting, May, 2005 - Linolenic acid (omega-3) does not provide the benefit which are obtained from fish oils, which are EPA and DHEA. Humans are not able to convert enough linolenic to be protective.

OMEGA 3 REDUCES HEART ATTACK RISK Dietary Linolenic Acid Reduces Inflammatory and Lipid Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women   Guixiang Zhao*, Terry D. Etherton*,, Keith R. Martin*, Sheila G. West**, Peter J. Gillies and Penny M. Kris-Etherton*,2

Linolenic acid (ALA) reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, possibly by favorably changing vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Inflammatory markers and lipids and lipoproteins were assessed in hypercholesterolemic subjects (n = 23) fed 2 diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in PUFA varying in ALA (ALA Diet) and linoleic acid (LA Diet) compared with an average American diet (AAD).,, The 2 high-PUFA diets decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides similarly (P < 0.05); the ALA Diet decreased HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI compared with the AAD (P < 0.05). ALA appears to decrease CVD risk by inhibiting vascular inflammation and endothelial activation beyond its lipid-lowering effects.

Dietary long-chain n–3 fatty acids for the prevention of cancer: a review of potential mechanisms Susanna C Larsson, Maria Kumlin, Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg, and Alicja Wolk Am J Clin Nutr 2004 79: 935-945

…n–3 fatty acids, especially the long-chain polyunsaturatedfatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid,present in fatty fish and fish oils inhibit carcinogenesis.The epidemiologic data on the association between fish consumption,as a surrogate marker for n–3 fatty acid intake, and cancerrisk are, however, somewhat less consistent. This review highlightscurrent knowledge of the potential mechanisms of the anticarcinogenicactions of n–3 fatty acids… Several molecular mechanisms whereby n–3 fatty acids maymodify the carcinogenic process have been proposed. These includesuppression of arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoid biosynthesis;influences on transcription factor activity, gene expression,and signal transduction pathways; alteration of estrogen metabolism;increased or decreased production of free radicals and reactiveoxygen species; and mechanisms involving insulin sensitivityand membrane fluidity.

From AJCN 77:279 (Feb 2003) "n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce the risk of coronary heart disease death: extending the evidence to the elderly" based on the Cardiovascular Health Study, p319.

"In terms of its potential impact on the health of the Western world, the "omega-3" story may someday be viewed as one of the most important in the history of modern nutritional science." The evidence for the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is becoming stronger with each report. This study of 11,324 people who had already had a heart attack gave them 850 mg/day of omega-3 fats DHA and EPA (found in fish oil tablets).

In the new study reported in this issue, a comparison was made of blood levels of fish oil and heart disease. People with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids had a 68% reduction in risk of fatal ischemic heart disease. The average age of participants in the study was 78. This reduction in risk had already been demonstrated in younger men through the Physician's Health Study.