Tag Archives: omega-3 fatty acids

August 21, 2016 · 3:53 PM

Fight Aging With Fish-Derived Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Cold-water fatty fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, trout, sardines, herring, and mackerel

Cold-water fatty fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, trout, sardines, herring, and mackerel

A daily fish oil supplement for six months improved muscle size and strength in a group of elderly folks.

Admittedly it was a small study but it was randomized and the only intervention applied was for the experimental group to take 1.86 grams of EPA and 1.5 grams of DHA daily for six months. The control group was given corn oil. Study participants were 60–85 years old. The specific form of the fish-derived fatty acids was a proprietary product called Lovaza.

Improved strength during aging should help with maintenance of independent daily activities and prevention of falls. In other words, these fatty acids are anti-aging. I’d like to see the study replicated with more study participants.

I don’t know if the study was paid for by Lovaza’s manufacturer, nor whether that would influence results.

This study supports my recommendation of cold-water fatty fish (great sources of omega-3 fatty acids) in all my diets:

Steve Parker, M.D.

 

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May 17, 2014 · 3:28 AM

Supplemental Omega-3 Fats’ Effect on Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer, and Death: No Relationship In a General Population

Salmon is one the the cold-water fatty fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids

Salmon is one the the cold-water fatty fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids

I’ve been sitting on this research report a few years, waiting until I had time to dig into it. That time never came. The full report is free online (thanks, British Medical Journal!). I scanned the full paper to learn that nearly all the studies in this meta-analysis used fish oil supplements, not the cold-water fatty fish the I recommend my patients eat twice a week.

Here’s the abstract:

Objective: To review systematically the evidence for an effect of long chain and shorter chain omega 3 fatty acids on total mortality, cardiovascular events, and cancer.

Data sources: Electronic databases searched to February 2002; authors contacted and bibliographies of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) checked to locate studies.

Review methods Review of RCTs of omega 3 intake for 3 6 months in adults (with or without risk factors for cardiovascular disease) with data on a relevant outcome. Cohort studies that estimated omega 3 intake and related this to clinical outcome during at least 6 months were also included. Application of inclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality assessments were performed independently in duplicate.

Results: Of 15 159 titles and abstracts assessed, 48 RCTs (36 913 participants) and 41 cohort studies were analysed. The trial results were inconsistent. The pooled estimate showed no strong evidence of reduced risk of total mortality (relative risk 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 1.03) or combined cardiovascular events (0.95, 0.82 to 1.12) in participants taking additional omega 3 fats. The few studies at low risk of bias were more consistent, but they showed no effect of omega 3 on total mortality (0.98, 0.70 to 1.36) or cardiovascular events (1.09, 0.87 to 1.37). When data from the subgroup of studies of long chain omega 3 fats were analysed separately, total mortality (0.86, 0.70 to 1.04; 138 events) and cardiovascular events (0.93, 0.79 to 1.11) were not clearly reduced. Neither RCTs nor cohort studies suggested increased risk of cancer with a higher intake of omega 3 (trials: 1.07, 0.88 to 1.30; cohort studies: 1.02, 0.87 to 1.19), but clinically important harm could not be excluded.

Conclusion: Long chain and shorter chain omega 3 fats do not have a clear effect on total mortality, combined cardiovascular events, or cancer.

Reference: Hooper, Lee et al. Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. BMJ  2006;332:752-760 (1 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.38755.366331.2F (published 24 March 2006).

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April 19, 2012 · 6:53 AM

Right Diet Preserves Brain Function and Size

mp9004223691.jpg  Neurology last year reported that the proper diet seems to help prevent age-related brain shrinkage and cognitive decline.

From the press release:

People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Those with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins also had higher scores on mental thinking tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found in fish. The B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables.

So the dietary pattern linked to preservation of brain size and function in this study is: high omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E. I don’t know if study participants were getting these nutrients from supplements or from food or a combination. (I haven’t read the full article.)

Note that the time-honored Mediterranean diet is also associated with lower rates of dementia and slower rate of age-related mental decline.

I previously reported that a supplement cocktail of three B vitamins slowed the rate of brain shrinkage. 

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Bowman, G.L., et al. Nutrient biomarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI measures of brain aging. Neurology. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182436598

h/t to Randall Parker at FuturePundit

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November 21, 2009 · 2:00 AM

Fish With Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk of Blindness

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65.  Impaired vision precedes blindness.  A recent study linked consumption of omega-3 fatty acids with 30% lower risk of developing macular degeneration.  Believe me, it’s a lot better to prevent it than try to treat it once present. 

[I have a couple older relatives with macular degeneration, so I pay close attention to the scientific literature.]

What’s the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids?  Our friend, the fish.  Especially cold-water fatty fish such as tuna, trout, sardines, herring, mackerel, halibut, and sea bass.  A few plants are also decent sources, but our bodies don’t utilize those omega-3 fatty acids as well as they do from fish.

Note that the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet has a prominent role for fish.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference:  SanGiovanni, J.P., et al.  Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and 12-y incidence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and central geographic atrophy: AREDS report 30, a prospective cohort study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90 (2009): 1,601-1,607. First published October 7, 2009.   doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27594

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October 20, 2009 · 6:54 PM

Fish Consumption Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

CB064567A recent study suggests that fish intake may modestly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Harvard researchers examined the dietary habits of over 195,000 study participants over the course of at least 14 years.  Increasing consumption of fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (mostly from fish) was linked to a higher onset of type 2 diabetes—up to 24% higher comparing the lowest with the highest consumers.

Implications

This is a preliminary research finding and requires validation by other studies.  The study authors write:

Given the beneficial effects of LCFA [long-chain fatty acids] intake on many cardiovascular disease risk factors, the clinical relevance of this relation and its possible mechanisms require further investigation.

At this point, I believe that the benefits of reasonable omega-3 fatty acid and fish consumption outweight the possible risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Steve Parker, M.D.

References: Kaushik, M., et al.  Long-chain omega-3 atty acids, fish intake, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90 (2009): 613-620.

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