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.

Higher doses of omega-3 supplements may be needed for averting cognitive decline

For years, a scientific puzzle has bedeviled researchers aiming to fight Alzheimer's disease, a common and incurable form of dementia.

19 Jul 2020

Camelina sativa oil and fatty fish have major beneficial effect on lipid metabolism

Camelina sativa oil and fatty fish are rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, but their health benefits seem to differ.

11 Jun 2020

New insights into how parenteral oil emulsions prevent liver disease in preterm babies

Infants born prematurely may require parenteral or intravenous nutrition to provide the necessary nourishment, as their digestive system is immature and cannot digest nutrients.

4 Jun 2020

Dietary supplements are effective and low-cost means to fight COVID-19

Supplements containing vitamins C and D and other micronutrients, sometimes in amounts exceeding the federally recommended levels, are a safe, effective and low-cost means of helping your immune system fight off COVID-19 and other acute respiratory tract diseases, an Oregon State University researcher says.

24 Apr 2020

Higher serum EPA levels from prescription fish oil associated with lower cardiovascular events

Higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in the blood—and not a decrease in triglyceride levels as originally thought—appear to explain the striking reductions in cardiovascular events and deaths seen among people taking 4 grams daily of the prescription fish oil, icosapent ethyl, according to findings from a REDUCE-IT substudy presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology

30 Mar 2020

Does olive oil lose its health benefits when heated?

There have been many past studies that show consumption of extra rich virgin olive oil (EVOO) in the diet is beneficial for health. Also, previous studies have look at the antioxidant potential of this oil and the potential mechanism by which it can benefit health. There is, however, limited research that looks at the use of olive oil in cooking.

1 Mar 2020

Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent complications in women receiving breast implants

For women receiving breast implants during reconstructive or cosmetic breast surgery, scarring around the implant - called capsular contracture - is a common, costly, and painful complication.

26 Feb 2020

More people and dwindling fish stocks create supply gap in omega-3 fatty acids

Everyone knows that eating fish is good for you, in part because of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that it contains.

9 Feb 2020

Methylmercury exposure can attenuate the cardioprotective effects of fish

Higher serum long-chain omega-3 fatty acid concentration, a marker for fish consumption, was beneficially associated with cardiac performance in middle-aged and older men from eastern Finland.

28 Jan 2020

Fish oil supplements could benefit testicular function in healthy men finds study

A large Danish study has shown that fish oil supplements taken by healthy men of the reproductive age could help improve their testicular function as is evidenced by their semen quality and reproductive hormone levels. The study led by researcher Tina Kodd Jensen, titled, “Associations of Fish Oil Supplement Use With Testicular Function in Young Men,” was published this week in the latest issue of the JAMA.

19 Jan 2020

'Methylation clock' gene found to have functional role in aging of the eye

A lengthy-named gene called Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Protein 2 or ELOVL2 is an established biomarker of age.

16 Jan 2020

Omega 3 fish oil supplements may benefit some children with ADHD

A team of researchers from King's College London collaborated with colleagues from China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan to find that omega-3 fish oil supplements could benefit children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Their work was published in the latest issue of the journal Translational Psychiatry.

20 Nov 2019

Researchers elucidate role of inflammation resolution sensor in obesity and heart failure

After heart attack injury, several fatty-acid-derived bioactive molecules -- including one called resolvin D1 -- play an essential signaling role to safely clear inflammation and help repair heart muscle. The mechanism of how this resolution occurs is not well-understood.

20 Nov 2019

New study reveals perception of dementia risk, preventive actions among middle-aged Americans

Nearly half of Americans in their 50s and early 60s think they're likely to develop dementia as they grow older, but only 5% of them have actually talked with a doctor about what they could do to reduce their risk, a new study finds.

15 Nov 2019

Depression in middle and older adulthood associated with nutrition

Your diet can put you at risk of depression, according to a new study. The study also found that the likelihood of depression is higher among middle-aged and older women who were immigrants to Canada when compared to Canadian-born women.

12 Nov 2019

Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids are not effective at reducing systemic inflammation

Vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids -- also known as fish oil -- are purported to have many health benefits, including reducing systemic inflammation.

7 Nov 2019

Keto diet may cause skin problems

Researchers from Austria have found that ketogenic diets could affect psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice. They noted that keto diets including medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut along with omega-3 fatty acids obtained from nuts and seeds and fish oil could be a recipe for psoriasis exacerbation. They speculated that this could be true for humans as well. The study titled, “The Influence of Ketogenic Diets on Psoriasiform-Like Skin Inflammation,” was published this week in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

17 Oct 2019

Omega 3 Fatty Acid News and Research

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