Here’s the press release:

The popularity of fish oil supplements has been growing exponentially over the past several decades. As more studies tout the benefits of the supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids for heart health, as well as arthritis and depression, there are more of the products on the market than the average consumer can or is willing to analyze. Enter ConsumerLab.com and its new report on fifty fish oil supplements and fortified foods.

The Nutrition Business Journal reported that dietary supplements containing omega-3’s sold to the total of approximately $35 million in 1995. Ten years later, the 2005 sales number was at $359 million, and the number had increased to $489 million in 2006. If the trend dictates, the number in 2008 will likely be well over the $500 million mark. For such a booming business, it is only appropriate that consumers and medical professionals alike have a comprehensive study that examines the supplements and foods associated with omega-3 and looks at amounts of EPA and DHA (two principal polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish), product purity, and freshness.

ConsumerLab.com has done just that. The private company is based in New York and is known for being a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of health and nutrition products. In this case, researchers compared a total of 50 products, including dietary supplements, food and beverages, 23 of which were selected by ConsumerLab.com and 27 of which were included at the request of their manufacturers through the Voluntary Certification Program. Some products were several of the most popular on the market, such as Vitamin Shoppe, Yoplait, Nature Made, and Nature’s Bounty, and others were store brands like Origin from Target and Spring Valley from Wal-Mart.

The results of the study were multi-fold. Most importantly, all of the products tested were found to have safe levels of mercury, lead, and PCB’s (a type of carcinogen). In addition, all were found to have the amounts of EPA and DHA that their labels maintained, though those levels ranged from 16 milligrams to 1000 milligrams, depending on the product.

On the other side of the coin, it was discovered that one capsule-Kirkland Signature Enteric Coated Fish Oil-released its oil too early into the human body and thus failed its test, becoming the one of only two products not approved by ConsumerLab.com. The other product that did not meet appropriate standards for approval was Lipiderm International Veterinary Sciences, a pet supplement that contained only 25% of the alpha-linolenic acid required and 593% of the linolenic acid needed. It should also be noted that some food products claimed to provide percentages of the “daily value” of omega-3’s, which is a false claim as there is no determined daily value, but this did not warrant an approval failure in those products, which included Tropicana, Silk Soymilk, Yoplait Kids Yogurt, and Aristo nutrition bars.

The levels of EPA and DHA ranged from 8% concentration to 79% of the liquid content of the products, and it varied greatly among the items tested. While higher concentrations are not necessarily better, the intake amount matters when it comes to the frequency and quantity taken. Every person’s requirements are different and unique, but to get the highest concentration from the smallest serving size of the product, the only three products rating very high in that category were OmegaBrite, VitalOils, and Minami Nutrition. Rating very low were Mega Smart for Kids and Lipiderm International Veterinary Sciences for pets.

Overall, the research provides the public with guidelines for supplements and food or beverage items that may work in conjunction with a proper diet to provide the omega-3’s being sought. It also helps doctors, nutritionists, and other medical professionals with a tool to gauge exactly what each patient needs and can handle.

With fish oil supplements being touted as having positive effects on cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation in those with diseases like arthritis and Crohn’s disease, lessening the effects of depression and other mental disorders, aiding in the treatment of asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, cystic fibrosis, osteoporosis, and reducing the risk of prostate and colorectal cancers, it is easy to see why their popularity continues to rise. Therefore, the ComputerLab.com study is imperative to help analyze the growing market.

SOURCE:  Health News

Experts tested a group of 23 women ages 21 to 49. Each participant ate either two servings of tuna and salmon each week or consumed the same amount of omega-3s in capsule form. After four months, the omega-3 blood levels – in all of the women – had risen by 40-50 percent in red blood cells and 60-80 percent in blood plasma. It didn’t make any difference whether the women had received the omega-3s from the seafood or the supplements.

In fact, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association suggest people prone to heart disease should consume at least one gram of omega-3s per day by eating fatty fish or by taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement. Other experts recommend even more: up to two to three grams per day. If you go the seafood route, this could mean consuming tuna or salmon more than once a day!

It could also mean environmental pollutants. Some fish store contaminants in their organs, posing serious health consequences for those who eat them – and particularly for women who are pregnant or nursing young children. The FDA and the EPA have issued an advisory on this matter, but the Institute of Medicine has reported that the benefits of eating fish generally outweigh potential risks.

Fish oil supplements, on the other hand, have been purified to remove harmful compounds. They’re harvested only from the fishes’ bodies – not the organs, where pollutants are stored. And for many, capsules are simply more convenient to consume.

SOURCE: Nutrition Horizon

Unipolar depressive disorder was ranked as the fourth highest global burden of disease in 2000. For the ages 15-44 they generated the second highest burden. If current trends for epidemiological and demographic transition continue, depression would become the highest ranking cause of disease in the developed regions and the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost worldwide. A systematic review of the treatment of depression comparing placebo with antidepressants demonstrated that 56% to 60% of patients responded well to antidepressants. Overall, 19% to 34% of patients will become treatment resistant.
 
Complementary and alternative treatments are commonly used by patients with depression as is the use of dietary supplementation. Little is known however about the interaction between drugs and supplements and from a clinical perspective this is very important to establish. Omega-3 fatty acids (ω- 3 FAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two key long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and deficiencies are considered to have important implications for depression. Studies have reported that long term consumption of ω- 3 FAs in adolescents, adults and the elderly are inversely linked to depression in the Island of Crete. Furthermore, several countries have provided evidence of a negative correlation between fish consumption and major depressive disorder (Hibbeln, 1998). Edwards et al. (1998) demonstrated that the severity of depression negatively correlated with the red blood cell membranes of ω- 3 FAs and their dietary intake with depressed patients. Evidence to date although inconsistent, suggests that ω- 3 FAs may have therapeutic benefits to unipolar depression. Research has reported that an elevated ratio of ω- 6/ω- 3 FAs can predict the risk of suicide behaviour in depressed patients. Recent reviews of the effects of ω- 3 FAs to improve depression have suggested more research trials are required (Appleton et al., 2006). Yet contrasting evidence supports a protective effect of ω- 3 intake in both mood disorders, bipolar and unipolar depression and recommended that trials are needed to establish which FA is optimal in different disorders.
 
Patients aged 20-59 years of age were referred from the Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran, Iran to take part in this study. Written informed consent was obtained and the protocol adhered to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethical Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The patients met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder without psychotic features based on the semi-structured interview. Scores were less than 15 on the 17 item Hamilton Depression Scale and patients were free of medication for at least 6 weeks prior to recruitment. Exclusion criteria also included consumption of ω- 3 supplementation and dietary intake of more than 1 portion of oily fish weekly.
 
Soft gel capsules containing 550 mg of ethyl-EPA (500 mg of pure EPA and 11 mg vitamin E as antioxidant) were supplied. The placebo contained 550 mg of rapeseed oil, 11 mg of vitamin E and was identical to the active capsule. Participants (approximately 15 in each group) were randomly allocated into 3 groups to receive 2 capsules (i) (1000 mg) of EPA plus fluoxetine placebo, (ii) 1 fluoxetine capsule (20 mg fluoxetine) plus ethyl-EPA placebo, or (iii) 2 ethyl-EPA soft gels (1000 mg EPA) plus 1 fluoxetine capsule (20 mg fluoxetine) for 8 weeks. The study was double blind and because the fluoxetine capsule and EPA gel were not identical a double dummy model was used to blind patients and physician. Psychiatric assessments were carried out at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. Compliance was set at 90% of consumption of the medication.
 
Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for HDRS at week 8 was performed on the data. Baseline HDRS, age of onset and number of previous episodes were covariates. Treatment, age of onset and baseline HDRS had a significant effect on HDRS at week 8. The fluoxetine + EPA combination was significantly better than fluoxetine or EPA alone. Fluoxetine and EPA appeared to be equally effective in controlling depressive symptoms. ANCOVA for HDRS at week 2 were not significant. Treatment was shown to have an effect at both weeks 4 and 6 (p = 0.016, 0.02 respectively). Response rates ( > 50% decrease in baseline HDRS) were 50%, 56% and 81% in the fluoxetine, EPA and combination groups respectively. Repeated measure analyses of variance were carried out to test for significant differences in depressive scores within each group over time. When all groups were combined together there was a significant effect of time within each group starting at week 2 (in al cases p < 0.05).
 
This study had limitations in that it contained a small sample size and lacked a placebo group yet the findings suggest that EPA had equal therapeutic benefits to fluoxetine but was more superior as an adjunctive treatment with fluoxetine. The authors concluded that the consumption of dietary supplements may be more acceptable to patients than antidepressants. Furthermore, because major depression is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, supplementation with EPA may be of mutual benefit, reducing inflammatory cytokines and controlling depressive symptoms.

SOURCE: Jazayeri, S., Tehrani-Doost, M., Keshavarz, S. A., Hosseini, M., Djazayery, A., Amini, H., Jalali, M. & Peet, M. (2008). Comparison of therapeutic effects of omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid and fluoxetine, separately and in combination in major depressive disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42, 192-198.

High-fat meals can impair endothelial function and flow-mediated dilation within 3 to 4 hours, the time when peak postprandial lipemia—the rise in blood fats following a meal—occurs. Different fatty acids also affect flow-mediated dilation, at least in individuals with type 2 diabetes, with saturated fatty acids reducing it and n-3 PUFAs increasing it. However, others have reported increased forearm blood flow and flow-mediated dilation in healthy volunteers following a fatty meal, changes that were not associated with impaired endothelial nitric oxide release. Increases in flow-mediated dilation may offset reductions in blood flow, helping to maintain healthy vascular reactivity. Diminished endothelial function is believed to contribute to atherosclerosis and diabetes. In this report, the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n-3 LC-PUFA, on postprandial vascular function, including oxidative stress, nitric oxide production, was examined in 21 healthy, non-smoking, young men, aged 18 to 35 years. Seventeen men completed the study.

After an overnight fast, participants were given a high-fat test meal containing 51 g of fat mainly from high-oleic sunflower oil that included either 5 g of EPA (and about 700 mg DHA) or 7 g of additional oleic acid. Measurements of blood pressure, digital volume pulse to assess arterial stiffness and vascular tone, and plasma isoprostanes, triglycerides and fatty acids were obtained at baseline, 3 and 6 hours after consumption of the test meal. Participants consumed a second high-fat meal containing 44 g fat (26 g saturated fat) after 4 hours to enhance any lipemia-induced change in arterial function and mimic typical eating behavior.

Men consuming the EPA-enriched meals exhibited a steep increase in plasma EPA that peaked 5 hours after the test meals (Figure 1). There was a small, but statistically significant, increase in DHA as well. Neither fatty acid concentration was altered by consumption of the placebo high-oleic acid meal. Arterial stiffness calculated from the digital volume pulse measurements was significantly reduced 6 hours after the EPA test meal, but not after the placebo meal. Vascular tone decreased at 6 hours in both groups, suggesting vasodilation, but did not differ between the two meals. Plasma 8-isoprostane F2α concentration, a marker of lipid peroxidation, increased after 6 hours in the EPA group, but the two groups did not differ significantly. Lack of group difference is likely attributable to the small number of participants. Total nitrate and nitrite, metabolites of nitric oxide, decreased in both groups compared with baseline values, but changes did not differ between the groups. There were no significant differences in blood pressure and heart rate either.

The reduced arterial stiffness observed with increased consumption of a high dose of n-3 LC-PUFAs—5 g of EPA—supports previous reports of improved endothelial function with n-3 LC-PUFAs (vasodilation, brachial artery dilation) in healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The marked increase in plasma 8-isoprostane F2α suggests increased lipid peroxidation not specific to EPA. Overall, the study suggests that consumption of EPA contributes to improved endothelial function during postprandial lipemia that may offset the potentially harmful effects of high-fat meals associated with impaired vascular activity.

Hall WL, Sanders KA, Sanders TAB, Chowienczyk PJ. A high-fat meal enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid reduces postprandial arterial stiffness measured by digital volume pulse analysis in healthy men. J Nutr 2008;138:287-291.

SOURCE: PUFA Newsletter

This study reports the associations between changes in anger and anxiety scores and serum levels of EPA and DHA in 22 substance abusers who consumed about 3 g/day of n-3 LC-PUFAs or soybean oil for 3 months. The n-3 LC-PUFA capsules provided 2.2 g/day of EPA, 500 mg/day DHA, and 50 mg of n-3 docosapentaenoic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Participants were enrolled in an outpatient substance abuse program in Brooklyn, New York, and were free of major psychiatric and physical illnesses and had liver function tests no greater than 1 SD above maximum normal values.

Participants completed a dietary history questionnaire and a modified version of the Profiles of Mood States questionnaire 1, 2 and 3 months following the start of the study and gave blood samples at the beginning and end of the study. Fatty acids were determined in plasma. The Profiles in Mood States includes scores for anger, anxiety, depression, vigor, confusion and fatigue. Eight patients received methadone treatment and 5 took antidepressants in stable doses throughout the study. Participants did not differ at baseline in body mass index, energy consumption or low intake of n-3 LC-PUFAs.

After 3 months of treatment, participants consuming the n-3 LC-PUFAs had a significant decline in their anger scores, whereas scores in those taking the placebo capsules increased slightly. Scores reached their maximum after 2 months of n-3 LC-PUFA consumption. Anger scores continued to decline throughout the 3-month period for those on the active n-3 LC-PUFA treatment. A similar pattern of significantly improved anxiety scores was observed for substance abusers consuming the n-3 LC-PUFAs, but scores were unchanged in those taking the placebo.

When the investigators examined the relationship between the anger and anxiety scores at the end of the study with the percent change in plasma fatty acids over the 3-month study, they observed significant associations (Figure 1). Lower anger scores were associated with increased DHA, n-3 docosapentaenoic acid and total n-3 LC-PUFAs, but not with increased EPA concentrations. In contrast, reduced anxiety was associated with increased EPA, but not with changes in DHA. Changes in anger and anxiety scores were not associated with changes in any n-6 PUFAs.

It is worth noting that improved scores for anger and anxiety related to increased DHA and EPA, respectively, but neither behavior related to both DHA and EPA when these fatty acids were examined individually. However, both behaviors were significantly associated with increases in the total concentration of n-3 LC-PUFAs measured in µg/ml.

Only a few studies have reported an association between low plasma DHA and hostility in violent men and young urban males. Students under the stress of school exams who consumed 1.5 to 1.8 g/day of DHA exhibited no aggression against others compared with increased aggression observed in those taking a placebo. This study adds another link between DHA and aggressive behavior as reflected in anger scores.

As with anger, studies of anxiety and n-3 PUFAs are scarce. A few have suggested a link between increased anxiety and low levels of EPA or n-3 LC-PUFAs. The administration of a mixture of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs to anxious college students was associated with improved appetite, mental concentration and academic organization. Patients with social anxiety disorder had significantly lower concentrations of n-3 PUFAs compared with those not having this disorder. Moderate fish consumption (83 to 112 g/day or 3 to 4 oz/day) or n-3 LC-PUFA intake was associated with a significant 30% lower risk of incurring depression, anxiety or stress in a 2-yr prospective study of Spanish adults. The present report identified increased EPA specifically with improved anxiety scores and higher DHA with less anger. Although it may be tempting to suggest that EPA and DHA influence anxiety and anger behaviors through different mechanisms, and plausible explanations could be proffered, these specific associations need more robust confirmation before reaching firm conclusions. Investigation of EPA and DHA administered individually without the other would be useful across an array of mental disorders. This study supports others in demonstrating that anxious or angry substance abusers who have low blood levels of n-3 LC-PUFAs achieve significant improvements in their mental health when treated with a moderate dose of EPA and DHA. This finding could ease the mind and, one hopes, encourage additional research.

Buydens-Branchey L, Branchey M, Hibbeln JR. Associations between increases in plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids following supplementation and decreased anger and anxiety in substance abusers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008;32:568-575.

SOURCE: PUFA Newsletter

Two omega-3 fatty acids that have been associated with cardiovascular benefit, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are found in fish oils. The best source for DHA and EPA are fatty coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Fish oil supplements or algae supplements also can provide omega-3 fatty acids.

Author James O’Keefe, M.D., a cardiologist from the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., cites the results of several large trials that demonstrated the positive benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids, either from oily fish or fish oil capsules.

“The most compelling evidence for the cardiovascular benefit provided by omega-3 fatty acids comes from three large controlled trials of 32,000 participants randomized to receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements containing DHA and EPA or to act as controls,” explains Dr. O’Keefe. “These trials showed reductions in cardiovascular events of 19 percent to 45 percent. Overall, these findings suggest that intake of omega-3 fatty acids, whether from dietary sources or fish oil supplements, should be increased, especially in those with or at risk for coronary artery disease.”

How much fish oil should people attempt to incorporate into their diets? According to Dr. O’Keefe, people with known coronary artery disease should consume about 1 gram per day, while people without disease should consume at least 500 milligrams (mg) per day.

“Patients with high triglyceride levels can benefit from treatment with 3 to 4 grams daily of DHA and EPA,” says Dr. O’Keefe. “Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent.”

About two meals of oily fish can provide 400 to 500 mg of DHA and EPA, so patients who need to consume higher levels of these fatty-acids may choose to use fish oil supplements to reach these targets.

Dr. O’Keefe also notes that research supports the effectiveness of combining the consumption of fish oil with the use of cholesterol-lowering medications called statins. Combination therapy with omega-3 fatty acids and a statin is a safe and effective way to improve lipid levels and cardiovascular health beyond the benefits provided by statin therapy alone. Blood DHA and EPA levels could one day be used to identify patients with deficient levels and to individualize therapeutic recommendations.

Dr. O’Keefe found little evidence of serious adverse effects associated with fish oil consumption. “In prospective placebo-controlled trials, no adverse effects were observed to occur at a frequency of more than 5 percent, and no difference in frequency was noted between the placebo and omega-3 fatty acid groups,” he says.

The most commonly observed side effects include nausea, upset stomach and a “fishy burp.” Taking the supplement at bedtime or with meals, keeping fish oil capsules in the freezer or using enteric-coated supplements may help reduce burping and upset stomach symptoms.

Adapted from materials provided by Mayo Clinic.

SOURCE: Science Daily

Three studies carried out in different parts of the world – New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands – suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish (one of which is eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA) help boost cognitive health in a number of ways.

The New Zealand study (i), carried out by researchers at the University of Otago, analysed data taken from health questionnaires and blood samples linked to the National Nutrition Survey, which involved more than 2,000 people. They discovered that the ratio of EPA to arachidonic acid (or AA, an omega-6 fatty acid) in the blood was positively linked to mental wellbeing.

Oxford University scientists, on the other hand, studied more than 2,000 elderly Norwegians, and specifically the relationship between cognitive performance and seafood consumption (ii). In cognitive performance tests, those who ate at least 10g of fish a day performed significantly better than those who ate less. Those who ate the most – up to 75g a day – got the best test results.

Meanwhile, Dutch scientists from Wageningen University used data from a trial that involved 807 men and women in their 60s (iii). The researchers found that those with increased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had not declined in terms of certain speed-related cognitive skills over the three-year trial period as much others who had lower omega-3 blood levels.

In an independent editorial in the same issue, Tufts University expert Irwin Rosenberg commended the trials’ findings: “These recent reports are novel in that they address the association of omega-3 fatty acid intake and cognitive function in non-demented individuals and, thus, present a shift in the attention to earlier stages of cognitive decline with the hope of preventing progression to states of dementia and disability before they become irreversible,” he said.

Neurological experts are indeed beginning to realize how important fatty acids are for cognitive health. Even the Alzheimer’s Society recommends eating a portion of oily fish at least once a week to help prevent the inflammation in the brain associated with dementia.

Igennus’ range of clinical-grade omega fatty acid suppements contain ultra-pure EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) from marine fish oil and GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) from organic virgin evening primrose oil, providing a highly concentrated source of omega-3 & omega-6 long-chain fatty acids and botanical triterpenes.

VegEPA is a unique combination of natural fatty acids, providing cell membranes with the nutrients required for efficient chemical signalling, integral to healthy brain function. Just two capsules daily provides 560 mg EPA and 200 mg organic EPO, helping to reverse fatty acid deficiencies by nourishing the brain’s phospholipids. An increasing number of doctors and nutrition experts are using our premium supplements for a variety of conditions including depression, anxiety, M.E., schizophrenia, ADHD and skin conditions.

References:

(i) F Crowe, C Skeaff, T Green, A Gray. “Serum phospholipid n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and physical and mental health in a population-based survey of New Zealand adolescents and adults.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 86, Pages 1278-1285

(ii) E Nurk, C Drevon, H Refsum, K Solvoll, S Vollset, O Nygard, H Nygaard, K Engedal, G Tell, A Smith. “Cognitive performance among the elderly and dietary fish intake: the Hordaland Health Study.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 86, Pages 1470-1478

(iii) C Dullemeijer, J Durga, I Brouwer, O van de Rest, F Kok, R M Brummer, M van Boxtel, P Verhoef. “N-3 Fatty acid proportions in plasma and cognitive performance in older adults.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 86, Pages 1479-1485

SOURCE: Igennus

Lead researcher Greg Cole and colleagues at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles said the fish oil’s omega-3 fatty acid — docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA — increases the production of a protein — LR11 — known to destroy the protein that forms the beta amyloids thought to be toxic to brain neurons and associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“We found that even low doses of DHA increased the levels of LR11 in rat neurons, while dietary DHA increased LR11 in brains of rats or older mice that had been genetically altered to develop Alzheimer’s disease,” Cole said in a statement.

Cole said high levels of DHA leading to abundant LR11 seem to protect against Alzheimer’s while low LR11 levels lead to formation of the amyloid plaques.

Fatty acids like DHA are considered “essential” fatty acids because the body cannot make them and must obtain the through diet.

The findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

SOURCE: United Press International

Twenty-seven women with type-2 diabetes took part in the study, published in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which also reported no changes to overall energy intake after two months of omega-3 supplementation.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behaviour and mood.

The researchers, led by Morvarid Kabir from France’s INSERM, randomly assigned the volunteers to receive either daily supplements of fish oil (three grams, providing 1.8 grams of omega-3) or placebo (paraffin oil) for two months. The subjects did not show signs of high triglyceride levels.

At the end of the study, Kabir and co-workers report significant reductions in total fat mass and the diameter of fat cells beneath the surface of the skin (subcutaneous adipocytes) in the omega-3, but not the placebo, group.

Moreover, risk factors for plaque formation in the arteries (atherogenic markers), such as triacylglycerol levels and the ration of triacylglycerol to HDL (’good’) cholesterol, were significantly lower as a result of omega-3 supplementation, indicating considerable cardiovascular benefits for the women.

“A subset of inflammation-related genes was reduced in subcutaneous adipose tissue after the fish oil, but not the placebo,” added the researchers.

No significant changes occurred in insulin sensitivity measures, they noted.

“A moderate dose of omega-3 PUFAs for two months reduced adiposity and atherogenic markers without deterioration of insulin sensitivity in subjects with type-2 diabetes,” concluded the researchers.

“Some adipose tissue inflammation-related genes were also reduced. These beneficial effects could be linked to morphologic and inflammatory changes in adipose tissue.”

Only recently, researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver reported that  increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources may protect children at high risk of type-1 diabetes from developing the disease (JAMA, Vol. 298, pp. 1420-1428).

An estimated 19 million people are affected by type-2 diabetes in the EU 25, equal to four per cent of the total population. This figure is projected to increase to 26 million by 2030.

In the US, there are over 20 million people with diabetes, equal to seven per cent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
December 2007, Volume 86, 1670-1679
“Treatment for 2 mo with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces adiposity and some atherogenic factors but does not improve insulin sensitivity in women with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study”

Yin Y from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China and colleagues found that omega 3 PUFAs inhibits in vitro growth of gastric cancer through promoting apoptosis, a programmed cell death that is missing in cancer cells.

For the study, the researchers treated human gastric caner cell line SGC-7901 with eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5omega-3,EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6omega-3, DHA) at concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 mug/ml.

Both EPA and DHA, two omega-fatty acids commonly found in oily fish oil, markedly inhibited the cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner, according to the study.  

The researchers wrote “Compositional and functional alterations in mitochondrial membrane may be an important initiator of apoptosis induced by omega-3PUFAs.”