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.

Study reveals critical role of omega-3 fatty acids in preserving integrity of the blood-brain barrier

Already extolled for their health benefits as a food compound, omega-3 fatty acids now appear to also play a critical role in preserving the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which protects the central nervous system from blood-borne bacteria, toxins and other pathogens, according to new research from Harvard Medical School.

5 May 2017

Researchers show how fish oil component helps in survival of injured retina, brain cells

A team of researchers led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that NDP1, a signaling molecule made from DHA, can trigger the production of a protective protein against toxic free radicals and injury in the brain and retina.

21 Apr 2017

Head injuries can harm hundreds of genes to increase risk for severe brain disorders

Head injuries can harm hundreds of genes in the brain in a way that increases people's risk for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, UCLA life scientists report.

6 Mar 2017

URMC researchers discover how omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil could be used for asthma patients

University of Rochester Medical Center scientists have discovered new essential information about omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish oil and how they could be used for asthma patients.

9 Feb 2017

Taking omega-3 supplements during pregnancy can reduce risk of childhood asthma by one third

Taking certain omega-3 fatty acid supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of childhood asthma by almost one third, according to a new study from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) and the University of Waterloo.

30 Dec 2016

UAB researchers show how aging and excess dietary fat lead to heart failure

In mouse experiments, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have shown how aging and excess dietary fat create signals that lead to heart failure after a heart attack.

17 Nov 2016

DHA intake can prevent known trigger of lupus, study finds

A team of Michigan State University researchers has found that consuming an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, can stop a known trigger of lupus and potentially other autoimmune disorders.

30 Sep 2016

Decrease in physical activity and concentration of fish oil linked to depressed mood among veterans

Low concentration of fish oil in the blood and lack of physical activity may contribute to the high levels of depressed mood among soldiers returning from combat, according to researchers, including a Texas A&M University professor and his former doctoral student.

22 Sep 2016

Certain fatty acids may increase diabetes risk in women, study finds

Women who consume high amounts of certain fatty acids are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, irrespective of body mass index (BMI), according to a new study.

15 Sep 2016

Injecting omega-3 fatty acid reduces brain damage in neonatal mouse model of stroke

Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center found that omega-3 fatty acids reduced brain damage in a neonatal mouse model of stroke.

23 Aug 2016

Study links Omega 6 fatty acid in adipose tissue to lower mortality among older men

In a study from Uppsala University, published in the American journal JAMA Cardiology, the fatty acid linoleic acid (Omega 6) in subcutaneous adipose tissue was linked to lower mortality among older men followed over a 15-year period.

18 Aug 2016

Omega-3 rich diet during pregnancy has no effect on weight of babies

In Europe, almost one in three schoolchildren under the age of ten is overweight, if not obese. In the search for the cause of this phenomenon, fetal programming inside a mother's womb was put under scrutiny as a potential culprit for this "heavy issue".

28 Jun 2016

Blood levels of omega-3s fatty acids linked to lower risk of deadly heart attacks

Blood levels of seafood and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids are moderately associated with a lower risk of dying from heart attacks, according to a new epidemiological study, published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, led by Liana C. Del Gobbo, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the division of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.

28 Jun 2016

Walnut consumption linked to reduced risk of developing physical function impairments in older women

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that consuming 1-2 servings of walnuts per week (1/4 cup per serving) was associated with reduced risk of developing impairments in physical function, which helps enable older women to maintain independence throughout the aging process.

23 Jun 2016

ANK3 and other genes may play key role in affecting mood, stress and longevity

The visible impacts of depression and stress that can be seen in a person's face -- and contribute to shorter lives -- can also be found in alterations in genetic activity, according to newly published research.

24 May 2016

Eating seafood once a week may protect against age-related memory loss

Eating a meal of seafood or other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids at least once a week may protect against age-related memory loss and thinking problems in older people, according to a team of researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

11 May 2016

Fructose common in western diet can damage brain genes

A range of diseases -- from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and from Alzheimer's disease to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- are linked to changes to genes in the brain. A new study by UCLA life scientists has found that hundreds of those genes can be damaged by fructose, a sugar that's common in the Western diet, in a way that could lead to those diseases.

25 Apr 2016

Children of salmon-eating mothers less likely to develop asthma

Children born to mothers who eat salmon when pregnant may be less likely to have doctor diagnosed asthma compared to children whose mothers do not eat it, new research has shown.

6 Apr 2016

Daily walnut consumption positively impacts blood cholesterol levels in older adults

Initial findings from the Walnuts and Healthy Aging study presented at Experimental Biology 2016 (EB) indicate that daily walnut consumption positively impacts blood cholesterol levels without adverse effects on body weight among older adults.

4 Apr 2016

Omega-6 fatty acids can reduce risk of type 2 diabetes

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that high serum omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations are linked to a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

24 Mar 2016