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Fish Oil: According to the latest scientific research on fish oil, the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil is very significant. Here you will find the latest fish oil news and omega-3 fish oil research. Using the links to the left you can browse our database, which currently contains research articles focusing on omega-3 fish oil.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids and rheumatoid arthritis
Abstract: Jerry Katzman Rheumatoid arthritis is largely identified by an infiltration of T lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells into the synovium, and the start of an inflammatory state that involves overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and a dysregulated T-helper-1-type response. Eicosanoids synthesized from arachidonic acid and cytokines cause progressive destruction of cartilage and bone. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as found in fish oil and afew other foods, on the other hand, are often described by researchers as being anti-inflammatory in nature.
EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, which is an mega-3 fatty acid component found in fish oil, helps to decrease arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoids and to decrease the production of proinflammatory cytokines, among certain other benefits. Several placebo-controlled trials of fish oil in arthritis have shown substantial and noteworthy improvements. Jerry Katzman They probably should be included as part of a normal therapeutic approach to arthritis. But it is not known what the best dosage really is.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Immune Function:
Diets which are low in fat or high in omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils increase the survival and reduce disease severity in spontaneous autoantibody mediated disease, and linoleic acid rich diets appear to increase disease severity.
Inflammation as a consequence of immune activation in autoimmune disease might be a vital mechanism of action whereby dietary fatty acids modulate disease activity. In conclusion, regulation of gene expression, signal transduction pathways, production of eicosanoids and cytokines, and the action of antioxidant enzymes are all mechanisms by which omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids may exert effects on the immune system and autoimmune disease. DHA and EPA are omega-3's, which is found perhaps most abundantly in fish oil
An important mechanisms in respect to our understanding of immunoregulation and inflammation may be from fatty acid effects on cytokines. Jerry Katzman The amount as well as balance of dietary fatty acids appear to impact on the immune system to produce immune deviation or immunosuppressive effects, and to reduce immune-mediated inflammation which will in turn affect the susceptibility to autoimmune disease in general.
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters Health) - The omega-3 fatty acid called DHA or docosahexaenoic acid found in fish oil may boost insulin function in people who are obese and vulnerable to type 2 diabetes, say researchers.
90 days of supplementation with DHA caused a " significant" improvement in insulin sensitivity in overweight study subjects.
Som 90 percent of diabetics (news - web sites) have type 2 of this disease, where the body's gradual failure to respond to insulin can cause blood sugar levels to rise perilously.
In the study, and colleagues had twelve overweight subjects injest 1.8 grams of DHA at breakfast for 90 days. While none of the subjects had full-blown diabetes, they all suffered from insulin resistance--a pre-diabetic condition in which the body fails to effectively respond to insulin.
Jerry Katzman MD Using blood tests taken at the start and end of the study, the researchers assessed changes in each person's insulin resistance.
"We did see a change in insulin sensitivity after 12 weeks of DHA supplementation," Seventy seventy percent of the study participants showed an improvement in insulin-related function, she said, "and in 50% it was a clinically significant change."
stressed that the small size of the study sample means that the results remain preliminary, and diabetics should never replace their medications with any dietary supplement, including fish oil. Individuals considering upping their intake of fish oil should also consult their physician, especially if they are being treated for any cardiovascular condition, she added.
Nutrition experts currently recommend a daily intake of 0.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, preferably from fish or fish oil. Fatty fish and fish oil are perhaps the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources include flaxseed, avacodo and certain grass fed meats.
DHA and Memory
A particular type of brain wave called Omega3 has been shown to be linked to memory and learning. The faster the rate of transmission, the more efficiently and effectively the brain is functioning. Jerry Katzman MD This rate unfortunately declines with age, and is slower in people with dementia. To see whether Omega-3 fatty acids could influence this brain function, researchers took 26 normal adult volunteers hooked them up to electrodes and gave them a test that determined their p300 rate. Immediately after taking the test, they were given supplements of either EPA or DHA (both derivatives of Omega-3 from fish). Two hours later, their brain waves were measured, and this time the p300 rate was significantly faster in the group given the DHA supplements, supporting their hypothesis that DHA may actually enhance mental abilities in adults as well.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Health:
Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center have reported that docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a primary component of fish oil, provides protection against the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Their study involved over 6,000 middle-aged men who had samples of their blood taken between 1973 and 1976. Jerry Katzman MD During the next 7 years, 94 of these men had a heart attack or died suddenly due to heart disease. The 94 men were matched with 94 healthy men and the fatty acid profile of their blood samples compared. The researchers found that the 94 men with heart disease had a higher serum level of the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid and conclude that a high level of this acid increases the risk of CHD by 68 percent. Palmitic acid is the main saturated fatty acid in most diets. This acid is known to cause worse both total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol levels; the researchers, however found that the detrimental effect of a high intake of palmitic acid persisted even after allowing for its cholesterol- increasing
effect.MD Jerry Katzman Researchers determined that men with a higher blood level of the Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid had an almost 50% lower risk of developing heart disease than did men with lower levels. The researchers also found that men with CHD had a higher serum level of Omega-6 fatty acids derived from linoleic acid, but were unable to confirm previous reports that these acids are linked to a heightened risk of CHD.
Studies show that populations who eat fish versus those who do not, have a reduced death rate from cardiovascular disease. Experimental studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids affect the function of cells involved in atherothrombosis in numerous ways, including the modification of eicosanoid products in the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways, the reduced synthesis of cytokines and platelet-derived growth factor, and alterations of leukocyte and endothelial cell properties. Intervention studies in patients with restenosis, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrhythmias with Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation have been performed in several clinical studies to date.
Consuming Omega-3 fatty acids following one episode of myocardial infarction appears to decrease the rate of cardiac death. Dr Jerry Katzman These effects of Omega-3 fatty acids appear to be due to their antiarrhythmic properties. In fact, fish oil has been shown to reduce ventricular arrhythmias and even shown to be more beneficial than currently used pharmacological agents. The dose, duration, and mechanisms involved in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease following Omega-3 fatty acid consumption and/or supplementation still need to be investigated by double blind controlled clinical trials.
People who eat the most fish have the fewest eye problems.
According to the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) fish oil protects eyes from age-related macular degeneration.
National Eye Institute researcher and colleagues analyzed dietary data from 4,513 60- to 80-year-old participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Those who ate fish more than twice a week were half as likely to get macular degeneration as those who ate no fish at all. More than one weekly portion of broiled/baked fish or tuna lowered the risk by a third.
In a second study, Eye Research Institute, and colleagues asked whether fish oil protects from dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is when a person's eyes don't make enough tears. This can lead to scarring of the cornea and vision loss analyzed data from 32,470 female health professionals in the huge Women's Health Study. They found that women whose diets had the most omega-3 fatty acids -- as measured by how much fish they ate -- were least likely to have dry eye syndrome. Those whose diets had the most fish oil were less likely to have dry eye syndrome than those whose diets had the least fish oil.
