Dose-response effects of fish-oil supplementation in healthy volunteers

Article Abstract:

In the mid-1970s it was observed that despite their consumption of large quantities of fat, Eskimos in Greenland had a low incidence of heart disease. This is widely believed to be due to the specific fatty acids making up the fat of marine fish and seals. These fatty acids, which are unsaturated at the number 3 carbon position on the fatty acid chain and hence are called n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), appear to have a number of beneficial effects including reduced platelet aggregation and reduced blood viscosity. However, many studies have reported conflicting results, particularly concerning the effects of n-3 PUFAs on serum (blood) lipid levels. Some of these contradictions may be attributed to a general lack of appropriate control subjects in many of the studies. In order to provide a clearer picture of the effect of fish oils on serum lipids including cholesterol, a carefully controlled study was conducted with 45 healthy men who took daily supplements for 12 weeks. The study confirmed that fish oils are associated with a dose-dependent reduction in serum triglycerides. However, the study did not find any changes in blood pressure, red blood cell flexibility, total serum cholesterol or the LDL- or HDL-cholesterol fractions with fish oil consumption. The authors suggest that high doses of fish oil may have detrimental side effects, and that a dose of 3 grams n-3 fatty acids as a diet supplement may be most appropriate amount based on the research available to date. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega 3 fatty acids

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Fish-oil concentrate: effects on variables related to cardiovascular disease

Article Abstract:

Consumption of fatty fish or fish oil supplements may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have reported that fish oils can lower blood pressure and blood levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol. Fish oils have also had beneficial effects on blood clotting mechanisms. The influence of fish oils on other risk factors for CVD, such as levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, has been variable and not always beneficial. It should be noted that many studies of the effects of fish oils were done with patients who had elevated blood lipids, and the results may not apply to the general population. This study investigated the effects of fish oils in healthy men aged 35 to 45 years. The 64 subjects received either 14 grams of fish-oil concentrate per day or 14 grams of olive oil daily for six weeks. At the end of the study period, it was found that subjects who took fish oils had a 22 percent reduction in blood triglycerides and a 13 percent reduction in plasma fibrinogen, which has recently been recognized as a potentially important risk factor for CVD. These benefits were temporary; three weeks after the end of the fish-oil supplementation the reductions had been reversed. The fish-oil group experienced a reduction of HDL cholesterol and HDL-2 activity; these changes are thought to increase the risk of CVD. There was no difference between the fish oil and olive oil groups in blood pressure or total cholesterol. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Cardiovascular diseases, Fish as food, Fish (Food product)

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