Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: Health benefits throughout life
Abstract
Omega-3 [(n-3)] fatty acids have been linked to healthy aging throughout life. Recently, fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have been associated with fetal development, cardiovascular function, and Alzheimer's disease. However, because our bodies do not efficiently produce some omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources, it is necessary to obtain adequate amounts through fish and fish-oil products. Studies have shown that EPA and DHA are important for proper fetal development, including neuronal, retinal, and immune function. EPA and DHA may affect many aspects of cardiovascular function including inflammation, peripheral artery disease, major coronary events, and anticoagulation. EPA and DHA have been linked to promising results in prevention, weight management, and cognitive function in those with very mild Alzheimer's disease.
... Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), one species of Pacific salmon, is widely dispersed throughout its natural ranges, from the Bering Sea in the Russian Far East to Alaska and along the coast of South America to California, and is of great significance to commercial facility fisheries [30]. Coho salmon has become an increasingly popularly cultured salmonid species in China due to it being rich in beneficial highly unsaturated fatty acids and other functional health-care substances [31,32]. However, with the expansion of aquaculture and the increase in feed demand, there is still scare understanding of the nutrition including the dietary lysine requirement for coho salmon. ...
The suitable dietary L-lysine concentration for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) alevins was assessed by a dose response feeding trial. Six experimental diets were made with graded L-lysine concentrations of 2.29%, 2.81%, 3.32%, 3.80%, 4.27%, and 4.78% of the dry matter, respectively, each of which was fed to triplicate groups of 100 alevins (initial body weight: 0.30 ± 0.01 g) in 18 plastic baskets (water volume 240 L). The alevins were cultured in a flowing freshwater system and fed manually to apparent satiation four times a day for 12 weeks. The survival rate of alevins did not differ significantly among the dietary groups. The specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and body protein deposition (BPD) increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase in dietary lysine concentration up to 3.80% and then reduced as lysine level further increased. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) had an inverse trend to SGR. The whole-body crude protein content of the alevins increased significantly with increasing dietary lysine level, while crude lipid content showed the opposite trend. In comparison, the contents of morphological indices, whole-body moisture, and ash were not affected significantly (p > 0.05) by the different dietary lysine concentrations. The highest contents of lysine, arginine, and total essential amino acids (EAAs) were observed in the group with 4.27% dietary lysine concentration, which did not differ significantly from those in the 3.32%, 3.80%, and 4.78% groups but was significantly higher than those in the 2.29% and 2.81% groups. Similarly, valine had the highest content in the group with 4.78%. The variations in dietary lysine had no significant impacts on other EAA and non-EAA contents except glycine, which increased with increasing dietary lysine level. Second-order polynomial model analyses based on SGR, PER, BPD, and FCR evaluated the optimum L-lysine requirements of coho salmon alevins as 3.74%, 3.73%, 3.91%, and 3.77% of the diet or 6.80%, 6.78%, 7.11%, and 6.85% of dietary proteins, respectively.
... In agreement with recent reports [51,52], the total value of ω3 unsaturated FAs is considered as a highly valuable index. According to clinical and epidemiological research, EPA consumption has been associated to an inhibitory effect on the development of inflammatory, coronary, and circulatory diseases [53]. Regarding DHA, it has been associated with foetal development, prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, and appropriate functioning of the nervous system and visual organs in the foetus [54]. ...
The combined effects of the thermal processing (i.e., sterilisation treatment) and the prior frozen storage time (3 or 6 months at –18 ºC) on the quality loss in canned Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were determined. Thus, the sterilisation step led to a remarkable (p<0.05) formation in canned fish muscle of fluorescent compounds, free fatty acids (FFAs) and trimethylamine and to an increase of the L* and b* colour parameters; meantime, a decrease (p<0.05) of the total ω3 FA/total ω6 FA ratio and the a* colour value were detected. The prior frozen storage period led to an increased (p<0.05) lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and fluorescent compound formation) and hydrolysis (FFA formation) development and to increased L* and b* colour values in the corresponding canned samples; additionally, a lower (p<0.05) polyene index and phospholipid content were observed in canned fish previously subjected to frozen storage. In most indices, physico-chemical changes related to quality loss were found higher if the previous storage period was increased. According to the marked effects of the sterilisation step and the prior frozen storage period, optimisation of such processing conditions is recommended to maximise the quality of canned horse mackerel.
... In agreement with recent reports [51,52], the total value of ω3 unsaturated FAs is considered a highly valuable index. According to clinical and epidemiological research, EPA consumption has been associated with an inhibitory effect on the development of inflammatory, coronary, and circulatory diseases [53]. Regarding DHA, it has been associated with foetal development, the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, and the appropriate functioning of the nervous system and visual organs in the foetus [54]. ...
The combined effects of thermal processing (i.e., sterilisation treatment) and the prior frozen storage time (3 or 6 months at −18 °C) on the quality loss in canned Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were determined. Thus, the sterilisation step led to a remarkable (p < 0.05) formation in the canned fish muscle of fluorescent compounds, free fatty acids (FFAs), and trimethylamine and an increase in the L* and b* colour parameters; meanwhile, a decrease (p < 0.05) in the total ω3 FA/total ω6 FA ratio and the a* colour value were detected. The prior frozen storage period led to an increased (p < 0.05) lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and fluorescent compound formation) and hydrolysis (FFA formation) development and to increased L* and b* colour values in the corresponding canned samples; additionally, a lower (p < 0.05) polyene index and phospholipid content were observed in canned fish previously subjected to frozen storage. In most indices, physico-chemical changes related to quality loss were found to be higher if the previous storage period was increased. According to the marked effects of the sterilisation step and the prior frozen storage period, the optimisation of such processing conditions is recommended to maximise the quality of canned horse mackerel.
... Seafood is reported to provide a high amount of constituents relevant for the human diet [1]. Among such components, the lipid fraction is currently the subject of considerable attention due to its remarkable ω3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) content and its valuable role in preventing the development of several human diseases [2,3]. However, due to the marine nature of their constitution, seafood products are perishable and can undergo a wide range of detrimental effects during processing, such as microbial development, lipid oxidation, autolysis, and browning development [4,5]. ...
The antioxidant effect of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) ink (CFI) was analysed in the present study. A model system consisting of minced seabream (Sparus aurata) muscle and different concentrations of an aqueous extract of CFI was subjected to a heat (50 °C) treatment for 12 days. The effects of the CFI content and the heating time on lipid oxidation (conjugated diene (CD), conjugated triene (CT), and peroxide values and fluorescent compound formation), hydrolysis (free fatty acid content) development, and changes in the fatty acid (FA) profile (polyene index (PI), unsaturated FA content, ω3/ω6 ratio) were determined. The addition of the aqueous extract of CFI led to a lower (p < 0.05) development of lipid oxidation (CD, CT, and fluorescent compound determination) and to a higher (p < 0.05) retention of unsaturated FAs (PI determination). More important effects were found with increased CFI concentrations and at advanced heating times. However, a definite effect on lipid hydrolysis development (FFA value) could not be inferred. A new approach for the beneficial use of cuttlefish ink is presented. According to the direct relationship between rancidity stability and nutritional and sensory values, the present study provides a new strategy for the quality enhancement of thermally treated seafood.
... Given that circulating metabolites have distinct physiological and regulatory functions, we speculate that some metabolites showing different directions of association to mortality and age may in fact be offering a protective/ adaptive or neutral response to the physiological ageing processes. For instance, DHA is thought to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation by modulating cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 lipid mediator activities (Swanson, Block, & Mousa, 2012;Zhang et al., 2013). ...
Metabolomic age models have been proposed for the study of biological aging, however they have not been widely validated. We aimed to assess the performance of newly developed and existing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) metabolomic age models for prediction of chronological age (CA), mortality, and age-related disease.
98 metabolic variables were measured in blood from nine UK and Finnish cohort studies (N = 31,000 individuals, age range 24 to 86 years). We used non linear and penalised regression to model CA and time to all cause mortality. We examined associations of four new and two previously published metabolomic age models, with ageing risk factors and phenotypes. Within the UK Biobank (N= 102,000), we tested prediction of CA, incident disease (cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and all cause mortality.
Cross validated Pearsons r between metabolomic age models and CA ranged between 0.47 to 0.65 in the training set (mean absolute error: 8 to 9 years). Metabolomic age models, adjusted for CA, were associated with C reactive protein, and inversely associated with glomerular filtration rate. Positively associated risk factors included obesity, diabetes, smoking, and physical inactivity. In UK Biobank, correlations of metabolomic age with chronological age were modest (r = 0.29 to 0.33), yet all metabolomic model scores predicted mortality (hazard ratios of 1.01 to 1.06 / metabolomic age year) and CVD, after adjustment for CA.
While metabolomic age models were only moderately associated with CA in an independent population, they provided additional prediction of morbidity and mortality over CA itself, suggesting their wider applicability.
Oral cancer ranks sixth among Taiwan’s top 10 cancers and most patients with poor prognosis acquire metastases. The essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been found to diminish many cancer properties. However, the anti-cancer activity of ALA in oral cancer has yet to be determined. We examined the mechanisms underlying ALA inhibition of metastasis and induction of apoptotic cell death in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Migration and invasion assays confirmed the cancer cells’ EMT capabilities, whereas flow cytometry and Western blotting identified molecular pathways in OSCC. ALA dramatically reduced cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner according to the findings. Low concentrations of ALA (100 or 200 μM) inhibit colony formation, the expression of Twist and EMT-related proteins, the expression of MMP2/-9 proteins, and enzyme activity, as well as cell migration and invasion. Treatment with high concentrations of ALA (200 or 400 μM) greatly increases JNK phosphorylation and c-jun nuclear accumulation and then upregulates the FasL/caspase8/caspase3 and Bid/cytochrome c/caspase9/caspase3 pathways, leading to cell death. Low concentrations of ALA inhibit SAS and GNM cell migration and invasion by suppressing Twist and downregulating EMT-related proteins or by decreasing the protein expression and enzyme activity of MMP-2/-9, whereas high concentrations of ALA promote apoptosis by activating the JNK/FasL/caspase 8/caspase 3-extrinsic pathway and the Bid/cytochrome c/caspase 9 pathway. ALA demonstrates potential as a treatment for OSCC patients.
Inadequate fish consumption is common and may result from multiple reasons, especially in adolescents who are a population at particular risk of the negative consequences of not consuming the recommended amounts of fish. The aim of the study was to analyze the knowledge about fish-consumption benefits and safety in a population-based sample of Polish adolescents. The stratified random sampling was conducted within two stages: sampling of counties from all voivodeships in Poland (being the basic administrative units of Poland) and inviting secondary schools from the drawn counties to obtain a sample representative of all regions of Poland. The Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method was applied to gather the data within the study, and a questionnaire concerning knowledge about fish-consumption benefits and safety with 20 true-false statements was applied. Among 1289 participants, the statement with the highest share of correct answers concerned fish being a source of protein (78.9%) and fish-derived fats being health promoting (77.0%). The statement receiving the least correct answers concerned the type of fatty acids found in fish (7.6%) and the risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish (20.5%). Participants who were female, older than 18, underweight, living in an urban environment, from a region far away from the sea and from comprehensive schools provided a higher share of correct answers than other subgroups (p < 0.05). Knowledge concerning fish-consumption benefits and safety among Polish adolescents is in many cases inadequate; thus, nutritional education is needed, especially among younger adolescents, those attending vocational schools, males and those living in a rural environment.
Introduction
There exists a correlation between obesity and the consumption of an excessive amount of calories, with a particular association between the intake of saturated and trans fats and an elevated body mass index. Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, have been identified as potential preventive nutrients against the cardiometabolic hazards that are commonly associated with obesity. The objective of this comprehensive review was to elucidate the involvement of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in the modulation of gene expression during the progression of obesity.
Methods
The present analysis focused on primary studies that investigated the association between long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, gene expression, and obesity in individuals aged 18 to 65 years. Furthermore, a comprehensive search was conducted on many databases until August 2023 to identify English-language scholarly articles utilizing MeSH terms and textual content pertaining to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, gene expression, obesity, and omega-3. The protocol has been registered on PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42022298395. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on a total of nine primary research articles. All research collected and presented quantitative data.
Results and Discussion
The findings of our study indicate that the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid may have potential advantages and efficacy in addressing noncommunicable diseases, including obesity. This can be attributed to their anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to regulate genes associated with obesity, such as PPARγ and those within the ALOX family.
Systematic Review Registration
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022298395 , CRD42022298395.
Introduction
The status of an impaired gut microbial community, known as dysbiosis, is associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity and insulin resistance. The use of probiotics has been considered an effective approach for the treatment and prevention of obesity and related gut microbial dysbiosis. The anti-obesity effect of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei AO356 was recently reported. However, the effect of L. paracasei AO356 on the gut microbiota has not yet been identified. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of L. paracasei AO356 on gut microbiota and ensure its safety for use as a probiotic.
Methods
Oral administration of L. paracasei AO356 (10⁷ colony-forming units [CFU]/mg per day, 5 days a week, for 10 weeks) to mice fed a high-fat diet significantly suppressed weight gain and fat mass. We investigated the composition of gut microbiota and explored its association with obesity-related markers.
Results
Oral administration of L. paracasei AO356 significantly changed the gut microbiota and modified the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, and Oscillospira. Bacteroides and Oscillospira were significantly related to the lipid metabolism pathway and obesity-related markers. We also confirmed the safety of L. paracasei AO356 using antibiotics resistance, hemolysis activity, bile salt hydrolase activity, lactate production, and toxicity tests following the safety assessment guidelines of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Discussion
This study demonstrated that L. paracasei AO356 is not only associated with an anti-obesity effect but also with changes in the gut microbiota and metabolic pathways related to obesity. Furthermore, the overall safety assessment seen in this study could increase the potential use of new probiotic materials with anti-obesity effects.
Fish are a rich source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty
acids (LC n-3 PUFA) with cardiovascular benefits. A related but less-investigated LC n-3 PUFA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA),
is more common in seal oil and pasture-fed red meats. This study compared indicators of platelet function and plasma lipids
in healthy volunteers given supplements containing these different fatty acids (FA) for 14days. Subjects, randomised into
three groups of ten, consumed capsules of tuna oil (210mg EPA, 30mg DPA, 810mg DHA), seal oil (340mg EPA, 230mg DPA,
450mg DHA) or placebo (sunola) oil. Supplementary LC n-3 PUFA levels were approximately 1g/day in both fish and seal oil
groups. Baseline dietary FA and other nutrient intakes were similar in all groups. Both fish and seal oil elevated platelet
DHA levels (P<0.01). Seal oil also raised platelet DPA and EPA levels (P<0.01), and decreased p-selectin (P=0.01), a platelet activation marker negatively associated with DPA (P=0.03) and EPA (P<0.01) but not DHA. Plasma triacylglycerol decreased (P=0.03) and HDL-cholesterol levels increased (P=0.01) with seal oil only. Hence, seal oil may be more efficient than fish oil at promoting healthy plasma lipid profiles
and lowering thrombotic risk, possibly due to its high DPA as well as EPA content.
KeywordsDocosapentaenoic acid-Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids-Cardiovascular disease-Triacylglycerols-Platelet activation-P-selectin
Epidemiological and clinical evidence suggests that an increased intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids protects against mortality from coronary artery disease. We aimed to test the hypothesis that long-term use of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is effective for prevention of major coronary events in hypercholesterolaemic patients in Japan who consume a large amount of fish.
18 645 patients with a total cholesterol of 6.5 mmol/L or greater were recruited from local physicians throughout Japan between 1996 and 1999. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1800 mg of EPA daily with statin (EPA group; n=9326) or statin only (controls; n=9319) with a 5-year follow-up. The primary endpoint was any major coronary event, including sudden cardiac death, fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, and other non-fatal events including unstable angina pectoris, angioplasty, stenting, or coronary artery bypass grafting. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00231738.
At mean follow-up of 4.6 years, we detected the primary endpoint in 262 (2.8%) patients in the EPA group and 324 (3.5%) in controls-a 19% relative reduction in major coronary events (p=0.011). Post-treatment LDL cholesterol concentrations decreased 25%, from 4.7 mmol/L in both groups. Serum LDL cholesterol was not a significant factor in a reduction of risk for major coronary events. Unstable angina and non-fatal coronary events were also significantly reduced in the EPA group. Sudden cardiac death and coronary death did not differ between groups. In patients with a history of coronary artery disease who were given EPA treatment, major coronary events were reduced by 19% (secondary prevention subgroup: 158 [8.7%] in the EPA group vs 197 [10.7%] in the control group; p=0.048). In patients with no history of coronary artery disease, EPA treatment reduced major coronary events by 18%, but this finding was not significant (104 [1.4%] in the EPA group vs 127 [1.7%] in the control group; p=0.132).
EPA is a promising treatment for prevention of major coronary events, and especially non-fatal coronary events, in Japanese hypercholesterolaemic patients.
Although several epidemiological studies have reported that higher intake of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy is associated with both a reduced risk of postpartum depression and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, the results of other intervention trials have been inconsistent. Despite the uncertainty of benefit, there are now international recommendations for pregnant women to increase their intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids believed to be responsible for the improved outcomes. The DHA to Optimize Mother Infant Outcome (DOMINO) study was a double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial designed primarily to determine whether DHA supplementation during the last half of pregnancy would reduce the risk of maternal postpartum depression and improve early neurodevelopmental outcome of offspring. The study subjects were 2399 women with singleton pregnancies <21 weeks' gestation who were enrolled in 5 Australian maternity hospitals between 2005 and 2008, and 726 offspring who were followed up until 18 months of age. The women were randomly assigned to receive fish oil capsules providing 800 mg/d of DHA (n = 1197) or identical capsules without DHA (n = 1202). The level of postpartum depression was evaluated using a self-reported Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A score >12 on the EPDS at 6 weeks or 6 months postpartum indicated a high level of depression. In the offspring, neurodevelopmental outcomes were compared at 18 months of age in the DHA group (n = 351) and the control group (n = 375) using the Cognitive and Language Composite Scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. More than 96% of the 2399 enrolled women completed the trial. There was no significant difference between the DHA and control groups in the percentage of women reporting high levels of depressive symptoms (EPDS score >12) at 6 weeks (DHA group: 9.6% vs. control group: 10.9%) or 6 months postpartum (9.7% vs. 11.5%); the adjusted relative risks were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–1.10; P = 0.24) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.66–1.05; P = 0.11). Similarly, there was no significant difference between children in the DHA group and those in the control group with respect to mean cognitive scores (adjusted mean difference, 0.01; 95% CI, −1.36 to 1.37; P = 0.99) and mean language composite scores (adjusted mean difference, −1.42; 95% CI, −3.07 to 0.22; P = 0.09). These findings provide no support for routine supplementation with DHA in pregnant women, either to reduce symptoms of postpartum depression or to improve neurodevelopmental cognitive or language outcomes in early childhood.
Background-Our purpose was to assess the time course of the benefit of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on mortality documented by the GISSI-Prevenzione trial in patients surviving a recent (<3 months) myocardial infarction. Methods and Results-In this study, 11 323 patients were randomly assigned to supplements of n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E (300 mg/d), both, or no treatment (control) on top of optimal pharmacological treatment and lifestyle advice. Intention-to-treat analysis adjusted for interaction between treatments was carried out. Early efficacy of n-3 PUFA treatment for total, cardiovascular, cardiac, coronary, and sudden death; nonfatal myocardial infarction; total coronary heart disease; and cerebrovascular events was assessed by right-censoring follow-up data 12 times from the first month after randomization up to 12 months. Survival curves for n-3 PUFA treatment diverged early after randomization, and total mortality was significantly lowered after 3 months of treatment (relative risk [RR] 0.59; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.97; P=0.037). The reduction in risk of sudden death was specifically relevant and statistically significant already at 4 months (RR 0.47; 95% CI 0.219 to 0.995; P=0.048). A similarly significant, although delayed, pattern after 6 to 8 months of treatment was observed for cardiovascular, cardiac, and coronary deaths. Conclusions-The early effect of low-dose ( I g/d) n-3 PUFAs on total mortality and sudden death supports the hypothesis of an antiarrhythmic effect of this drug. Such a result is consistent with the wealth of evidence coming from laboratory experiments on isolated myocytes, animal models, and epidemiological and clinical studies.
Background
Several epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can exert favourable effects on atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias. We investigated whether n-3 PUFA could improve morbidity and mortality in a large population of patients with symptomatic heart failure of any cause.
Methods
We undertook a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 326 cardiology and 31 internal medicine centres in Italy. We enrolled patients with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association class II–IV, irrespective of cause and left ventricular ejection fraction, and randomly assigned them to n-3 PUFA 1 g daily (n=3494) or placebo (n=3481) by a concealed, computerised telephone randomisation system. Patients were followed up for a median of 3·9 years (IQR 3·0–4·5). Primary endpoints were time to death, and time to death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00336336.
Findings
We analysed all randomised patients. 955 (27%) patients died from any cause in the n-3 PUFA group and 1014 (29%) in the placebo group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·91 [95·5% CI 0·833–0·998], p=0·041). 1981 (57%) patients in the n-3 PUFA group and 2053 (59%) in the placebo group died or were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons (adjusted HR 0·92 [99% CI 0·849–0·999], p=0·009). In absolute terms, 56 patients needed to be treated for a median duration of 3·9 years to avoid one death or 44 to avoid one event like death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. In both groups, gastrointestinal disorders were the most frequent adverse reaction (96 [3%] n-3 PUFA group vs 92 [3%] placebo group).
Interpretation
A simple and safe treatment with n-3 PUFA can provide a small beneficial advantage in terms of mortality and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons in patients with heart failure in a context of usual care.
Funding
Società Prodotti Antibiotici (SPA; Italy), Pfizer, Sigma Tau, and AstraZeneca.
Background: Perinatal depression is common, and treatment remains challenging. Depression has been reported to be associated with the abnormality of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). A pro- found decrease of omega-3 PUFAs in the mother during pregnancy is associated with the higher demand of fetal development and might precipitate the occurrence of depression. In this study, we examined the efficacy of omega-3 PUFA monotherapy for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.
Since the first AHA Science Advisory “Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease,”1 important new findings, including evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), have been reported about the beneficial effects of omega-3 (or n-3) fatty acids on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with preexisting CVD as well as in healthy individuals.2 New information about how omega-3 fatty acids affect cardiac function (including antiarrhythmic effects), hemodynamics (cardiac mechanics), and arterial endothelial function have helped clarify potential mechanisms of action. The present Statement will address distinctions between plant-derived (α-linolenic acid, C18:3n-3) and marine-derived (eicosapentaenoic acid, C20:5n-3 [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6n-3 [DHA]) omega-3 fatty acids. (Unless otherwise noted, the term omega-3 fatty acids will refer to the latter.) Evidence from epidemiological studies and RCTs will be reviewed, and recommendations reflecting the current state of knowledge will be made with regard to both fish consumption and omega-3 fatty acid (plant- and marine-derived) supplementation. This will be done in the context of recent guidance issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the presence of environmental contaminants in certain species of fish.
### Coronary Heart Disease
As reviewed by Stone,1 three prospective epidemiological studies within populations reported that men who ate at least some fish weekly had a lower coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rate than that of men who ate none.3–6⇓⇓⇓ More recent evidence that fish consumption favorably affects CHD mortality, especially nonsudden death from myocardial infarction (MI), has been reported in a 30-year follow-up of the Chicago Western Electric Study.7 Men who consumed 35 g or more of fish daily compared with those who consumed none had a relative risk of death from CHD of 0.62 and a relative risk of nonsudden death from MI of 0.33. In an …
