Omega 3 Fatty Acid News and Research

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Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid (EFA), consisting of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Oily fish, including anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and salmon, are the only known natural sources of Omega-3 EPA/DHA. ALA is found in plants, such as flax and chia. It is important to note that only EPA and DHA contribute to the many health benefits associated with Omega-3. While the body can convert ALA into EPA/DHA, it does so very inefficiently (less than one percent), making it impossible to derive Omega-3-related health benefits from plant sources. Furthermore, although Omega-3 EPA/DHA is vital to overall good health, the human body is not able to produce it on its own, so supplementation is required, either by eating oily fish or foods fortified with Omega-3 EPA/DHA, or by taking fish oil supplements.

Genetic background linked to elevated risk of omega-3 deficiency in Hispanic Americans

Hispanic people with a high percentage of American Indigenous ancestry are at increased risk of a nutritional deficiency that could affect their heart health and contribute to harmful inflammation, new research suggests.

26 Aug 2021

Metabolomics lab analysis reveals large nutritional differences between near-meat and meat

Plant-based meat substitutes taste and chew remarkably similar to real beef, and the 13 items listed on their nutrition labels - vitamins, fats and protein -- make them seem essentially equivalent.

6 Jul 2021

Discovery of blood biomarker opens new perspectives for dietary prevention of AMD-related risks

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the principal cause of vision loss in industrialised countries, with nearly 20 million people affected in Europe in 2020. Although identified as a risk factor, until now it was impossible to evaluate retinal omega-3 fatty acid deficits.

30 Jun 2021

New details on transport protein could help develop drugs for neurological diseases

New details on the structure and function of a transport protein could help researchers develop drugs for neurological diseases that are better able to cross the blood-brain barrier.

18 Jun 2021

Study sheds new light on the function of a sight-saving growth factor

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have determined how certain short protein fragments, called peptides, can protect neuronal cells found in the light-sensing retina layer at the back of the eye.

17 Jun 2021

Study reveals structural details of omega-3 fatty acid transport across the blood–brain barrier

Spectacular images of a molecule that shuttles omega-3 fatty acids into the brain may open a doorway for delivering neurological therapeutics to the brain.

16 Jun 2021

Adolescents with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids less likely to develop psychotic disorder

New research has found that adolescents with higher levels of an omega-3 fatty acid in their blood were less likely to develop psychotic disorder in early adulthood, suggesting that it may have a potential preventative effect of reducing the risk of psychosis.

1 Jun 2021

Investigational drug reduced triglycerides in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis

The investigational drug evinacumab reduced triglycerides in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) and a history of hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis in a phase 2 global study led by Mount Sinai.

17 May 2021

Triglyceride-lowering medication may lower stroke risk in people with heart disease

Taking the triglyceride-lowering medication icosapent ethyl cut the risk of stroke by an additional 36% in people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease who already have their bad cholesterol levels under control using statin medications, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2021.

11 Mar 2021

Researchers discover novel therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke using experimental model

Research conducted at LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence reports that a combination of an LSU Health-patented drug and selected DHA derivatives is more effective in protecting brain cells and increasing recovery after stroke than a single drug. The findings are published in Brain Circulation, available here.

4 Jan 2021

Fish oil supplements not associated with increases in bad cholesterol

The Fatty Acid Research Institute has published a new research paper in conjunction with The Cooper Institute on the omega-3s EPA and DHA in fish oil and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

17 Dec 2020

Which dietary supplements can help prevent COVID-19?

Researchers explore dietary supplement usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Dec 2020

STRENGTH trial: Fish oil-based medication did not decrease risk of cardiac events

The fish oil-based medication known as omega-3 carboxylic acids or omega-3 CA did not decrease the risk of cardiac events compared to a placebo, according to late-breaking research presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2020.

16 Nov 2020

Foods rich in omega-3 EPA & ALA improve outcomes in people who suffered serious heart attack

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that regular consumption of foods rich in omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found in marine foods like fatty fish, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in plant foods like walnuts, was associated with improved outcomes in individuals who suffered a heart attack, including decreased risk of death.

28 Oct 2020

Omega-3 rich foods improve prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction

A team of researchers from the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and Research Institute and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute has shown that regularly consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, from both animal and vegetable origins, strengthens the heart's membranes and helps improve the prognosis in the event of a myocardial infarction.

27 Oct 2020

Study finds direct link between physical fitness, cognitive performance, and optimal nutrition

Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Abbott and, the U.S. Air Force Research Lab announced today the results of a new study that found a direct link between physical fitness, cognitive performance, and optimal nutrition.

19 Oct 2020

Novel multimodal intervention improves physical fitness and cognitive function

Researchers studied the effects of a 12-week exercise regimen on 148 active-duty Air Force airmen, half of whom also received a twice-daily nutrient beverage that included protein; the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA; lutein; phospholipids.

19 Oct 2020

Linoleic acid binds SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Now, a team of researchers at the Max Planck-Bristol Center for Minimal Biology and Bristol's School of Biochemistry has identified a druggable pocket in the virus's spike protein that can be used to prevent the infection of cells. The study findings, published in the journal Science, are a groundbreaking discovery that will help develop new therapies and drugs to stem the growing pandemic.

24 Sep 2020

Novel mechanism that may confer protection against glaucoma identified

A team of researchers from LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence and the University of Copenhagen provides the first evidence that patients with ocular hypertension may exhibit superior antioxidant protection that promotes resistance to the elevated intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma.

17 Sep 2020

New process enriches omega-3 fatty acid content in dietary supplements

A new study, co-led by University of Cincinnati researchers, describes the development of a refining process that scientists deem a superior method to help produce better dietary omega-3 health and dietary supplements containing fish oil.

16 Sep 2020