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Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending
4/30/14:
Top 4 Foods for Thicker, Shinier Hair - ABC News, 4/29/14 -
"Yogurt ... These good
bacteria help balance the community of microorganisms that live in our
intestines. And a recent study by MIT researchers suggests that probiotics help
produce that “healthy glow” we all want, by making skin more radiant and hair
more shiny, thick, and lustrous ... The researchers suggest that probiotics
decrease inflammation in the top layers of the skin leading to healthier skin
and hair ... Vitamin D is essential for keeping
your hair growing strong and preventing breakage—it helps keep the follicles
healthy, through the growth, shedding, and regrowth
of new hairs ... Zinc is a powerful nutrient
for hair growth—it helps accelerate the repair of damaged hair follicles, which
keeps your hair healthy through all of its growth phases. Zinc deficiency is
also associated with hair loss ... The brassicas (cabbage, Brussels sprouts,
broccoli, kale) are packed full of healthy nutrients and have been shown to help
decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also rich in
phosphatidic acid, little fatty acid messengers involved in cell creation and
survival. A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that
phosphatidic acid also promotes hair growth due to its growth-promoting effects
on the cells in our hair follicles"
Diet can
predict cognitive decline, researchers say - Science Daily, 4/27/14 -
"What is the takeaway from this research? There is
growing evidence that very long chain omega-3
fatty acids are beneficial for maintaining cognitive health, and many
Americans do not have an adequate intake of these nutrients" - See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com .
Drink Up: More Coffee Could Lower Diabetes Risk - NBC News, 4/24/14 -
"Researchers examined 20 years worth of data on diet,
lifestyle, medical conditions and chronic diseases from three large U.S.-based
observational studies and found that participants who said they increased their
coffee consumption by more than a cup a day over
a four year period had an 11 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes in the
subsequent four years compared with those who made no changes in coffee
consumption ... Coffee contains a multitude of compounds, such as flavonoids and
magnesium, that may have a role, but it is really guess work" - [Science
Daily]
Study: Marijuana Use May Increase Risk of Nicotine Addiction - The Weekly
Standard, 4/24/14 - "A study by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse found that "[m]arijuana use makes tobacco use more pleasurable and
may increase the user’s risk for becoming addicted to nicotine." Experiments
involving rats found that those animals exposed to THC, the psychoactive
ingredient in marijuana, self-administered
nicotine at higher rates than rats with no such exposure ... He and his
colleagues suggest that this persistence indicates that THC causes lasting
changes to the brain"
Marijuana Use Linked to
Rising Cardiovascular Events - Medscape, 4/23/14 -
"Their concerns stem from a review of reports made to the French
Addictovigilance Network between 2006 and 2010 indicating that almost 2% of
reported events concerned cardiovascular complications. What's more, the average
age of the people with CV complications was 34, with the number of
cardiovascular complications tripling over the study period ... Vasospasm, which
has been linked with cannabis use in
experimental settings, "could be a possible common origin for many of the cases
we describe in the present study."" - [WebMD]
[Science
Daily] - Note: The studies on the detrimental effects of cigarettes started
coming out in 1964 yet people ignored them for years. Look at all the
cigarettes in the movie 'Argo' which was loosely based on an event in 1979.
Even in the 80's newspapers had a huge bias in favor of smoking in public
and workplaces even from the
New York Times who I remember writing too. I was so mad at them I
requested a price quote for a full page ad countering their argument. Full
page cigarette ads were common at the time.
Smoking in the workplace was even still acceptable until the early '90's.
In lab
tests, the antimicrobial ingredient triclosan spurs growth of breast cancer
cells -- ScienceDaily - Science Daily, 4/23/14 -
"hormonal imbalances seem to play a role in the development of breast cancer ...
endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are compounds that act like
hormones ... two EDCs -- triclosan, an antimicrobial ingredient in many
products, including soaps, cosmetics and cutting boards; and octylphenol, which
is in some paints, pesticides and plastics -- have accumulated in the
environment. Additionally, triclosan is reportedly in the urine of an estimated
75 percent of Americans ... both agents interfered with genes involved with
breast cancer cell growth, resulting in more cancer cells. Mice that were
exposed to the two compounds had larger and denser breast cancer tumors than the
control group"
Largest Prostate Screening
Trial Still Shows it Saves Lives - Medscape, 4/23/14 -
"we found a prostate cancer
mortality reduction of 20% in men who started PSA screening after age 60, while
men who started to screen before age 60 had a reduction of 50%" - Note:
About a year or two ago they claimed PSA screening was worthless. You can
probably find it in my newsletters but I disagreed.
More Smoking Equals Lower
Quality of Life - Medscape, 4/22/14 - "Smoking
cigarettes, even for a short time, is associated with a significantly lower
quality of life (QoL)" - Note: Mark my word people are going to see
the same thing with marijuana and it will take 50 years for that conclusion
also.
Abstracts from this week:
Effects of
insulin resistance on white matter microstructure in middle-aged and older
adults - Neurology. 2014 Apr 25 - "insulin
resistance (IR) ... white matter (WM) microstructure ... Participants were
divided into 2 groups based on HOMA-IR values: "high HOMA-IR" (≥2.5, n = 27) and
"low HOMA-IR" (<2.5, n = 100) ... greater IR is associated with alterations in
WM tissue integrity. These cross-sectional findings suggest that IR contributes
to WM microstructural alterations in
middle-aged and older adults" - Also see my
Insulin and Aging page.
A Nutrient
Combination that Can Affect Synapse Formation - Nutrients. 2014 Apr
23;6(4):1701-10 - "Brain neurons form synapses
throughout the life span. This process is initiated by neuronal depolarization,
however the numbers of synapses thus formed depend on brain levels of three key
nutrients-uridine, the
omega-3 fatty acid DHA, and choline ... In
Alzheimer's disease (AD) the need for extra
quantities of the three nutrients is enhanced, both because their basal plasma
levels may be subnormal (reflecting impaired hepatic synthesis), and because
especially high brain levels are needed for correcting the disease-related
deficiencies in synaptic membrane and synapses" - See
uridine at Amazon.com,
docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com
and
citicholine at Amazon.com.
Ascorbic Acid and the Brain:
Rationale for the Use against Cognitive Decline - Nutrients. 2014 Apr
24;6(4):1752-81 - "This review highlights several key points relating to the
role of AA in healthy brain aging: (1) both human and animal studies demonstrate
AA deficiency in association with oxidative stress markers, and oxidative stress
is a consistent observation in AD; (2) there is inconsistency among the large
observational studies relating dietary intake of AA to cognition. However, it
remains unclear whether this inconsistency is methodological in nature (e.g.,
the subjective dietary surveys used to capture AA intake) since biomarkers of
both AA (and oxidative stress) present more consistent results favouring an
important role for AA in cognitive health; (3) there are genetic (SVCT1 and
SVCT2 SNPs) and non-genetic (e.g., age) factors that modulate AA absorption and
assimilation, which could indicate an increased demand for AA in subsets of the
population such as the elderly and those with an AD diagnosis. Thus, we do not
suggest that AA deficiency in isolation can explain AD neuro- and
psycho-pathology, however, we do propose more research focused on investigating
the specific role of AA in AD pathogenesis with meticulous attention to the
study design (e.g., people with low AA and high vascular risk may be best suited
for intervention)" - See
vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
Association
between fat amount of dairy products with pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media
thickness in adults - Nutr J. 2014 Apr 24;13(1):37 -
"intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured by carotid ultrasonography. Pulse
wave velocity (PWV) ... PWV and IMT showed an inverse association with the
intake of low-fat dairy and a positive association with the intake of whole-fat
dairy, so the amount of fat in dairy products can play an important role in
arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis"
Panax red
ginseng extract regulates energy expenditures by modulating PKA dependent lipid
mobilization in adipose tissue - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2014 Apr 20 -
"Panax red ginseng extract
treatments increased energy expenditures and prevented mice from diet induced
obesity. Panax red ginseng extracts strongly activated Hormone Specific Lipase
(HSL) via Protein Kinase A (PKA). Since activation of HSL induces lipolysis in
WAT and fatty acid oxidation in brown adipose tissue (BAT), these results
suggest that Panax red ginseng extracts prevent HFD induced obesity by
regulating lipid mobilization" - See
ginseng at Amazon.com.
Rutin
protects against cognitive deficits and brain damage in rats with chronic
cerebral hypoperfusion - Br J Pharmacol. 2014 Apr 24 -
"Rutin, an active flavonoid
compound, has been shown to potently protect the brain against several insults
via its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its effect on
cognitive deficits and brain damage caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion
remains unknown so far ... Studies were carried out in rats with permanent
bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), a well-established rat model
of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion ...BCCAO rats showed remarkable cognitive
deficits, which were significantly improved by rutin treatment. Moreover, BCCAO
rats exhibited central cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative damage, inflammatory
responses, and neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus as
compared with sham-operated rats, all of which were significantly alleviated by
long-term treatment of rutin" - See
rutin at Amazon.com.
Another recent study:
Effects of
Chebulic Acid on Advanced Glycation Endproducts-induced Collagen Cross-links
- Biol Pharm Bull. 2014 Apr 24 - "We report the antiglycating activity of
chebulic acid (CA), isolated from Terminalia chebula on breaking the cross-links
of proteins induced by AGEs and inhibiting the formation of AGEs. Aminoguanidine
(AG) reduced 50% of glycated BSA with glycolaldehyde (glycol-BSA)-induced
cross-links of collagen at a concentration of 67.8 ± 2.5 mM, the level of CA
required for exerting a similar antiglycating activity was 38.8 ± 0.5 mM. Also,
the breaking activity on collagen cross-links induced by glycol-BSA was potent
with CA (IC50 = 1.46 ± 0.05 mM), exhibiting 50-fold stronger breaking activity
than with ALT-711, a well-known cross-link breaker (IC50 = 72.2 ± 2.4 mM) ...
The chelating activities of CA, AG and ALT711 on copper-catalyzed oxidation of
AA were compared, and in increasing order, ALT-711(IC50 of 1.92 ±0.20 mM) <CA
(IC50 of 0.96 ± 0.07 mM ) <AG (0.47 ±0.05 mM)" - See chebulic acid at Amazon.com and
aminoguanidine at IAS.
Atorvastatin
ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and improves left ventricular diastolic function in
hypertensive diastolic heart failure model rats - J Hypertens. 2014 Apr 22 -
"Atorvastatin
administration ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and improves left ventricular
diastolic function in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Lowering HSP47 by atorvastatin
via inhibition of Rho-Rho kinase pathway is suggested as a mechanism"
Incremental
replacement of saturated fats by n-3 fatty acids in high-fat, high-cholesterol
diets reduces elevated plasma lipid levels and arterial lipoprotein lipase,
macrophages and atherosclerosis in LDLR-/- mice - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Apr
3;234(2):401-409 - "n-3
fatty acids (FA) for saturated FA (SAT)
... Even low levels of replacement of SAT by n-3 FA effectively reduce arterial
lipid deposition by decreasing aortic LpL, macrophages and pro-inflammatory
markers"
Health Focus (Omega-3):
Specific Recommendations:
News & Research:
-
Fatty-Fish Consumption
Alters HDL-Particle Profile - Medscape, 3/7/14 -
"Although total-, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol levels did not change, for those who
consumed this healthy diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, the intake of
fish was strongly correlated with an increased concentration of large HDL
particles, including an increase in the average diameter of HDL particles and an
increase in the concentrations of large HDL lipid components ... The changes
that we saw in large HDL particles could be related to those parameters that are
functionally related to reverse cholesterol transport ... Thus, our findings
could partly explain the known protective effects of fish consumption against
atherosclerosis" - See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
Fish Oil Might Guard Against Loss of Brain Cells - WebMD, 1/22/14 -
"The more you consume the omega-3 fatty acids found in
fish oils, the less likely you are to lose as many precious brain cells as you
age ... the researchers tested levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the red blood
cells of more than 1,000 older women. Eight years later, the women had MRI scans
that measured their brain volumes. At the time of the scans, the women were an
average of 78 years old ... Participants whose omega-3 levels were twice as high
had a 0.7 percent higher brain volume ... The results suggest that the effect on
brain volume is the equivalent of delaying the normal loss of brain cells that
comes with aging by one to two years" - [Medscape]
- See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
Fish
derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes -
Science Daily, 1/14/14 - "Ongoing at the University of
Eastern Finland, the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD)
determined the serum omega-3 fatty acid concentrations of 2,212 men between 42
and 60 years of age at the onset of the study, in 1984-1989 ... follow-up of
19.3 years ... The risk of men in the highest serum omega-3 fatty acid
concentration quarter to develop type 2 diabetes was 33% lower than the risk of
men in the lowest quarter" - See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
Omega-3
Dietary Supplements Pass Blood-Brain Barrier - Science Daily, 12/4/13 -
"omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross
the blood brain barrier in people with Alzheimer's disease ... The findings are
presented in the Journal of Internal Medicine, and strengthen the evidence that
omega-3 may benefit certain forms of this seriously debilitating disease ...
Thirty-three patients participated in the study, 18 of whom received a daily
omega-3 supplement and 15 a placebo for six months. The results show that the
first group had higher levels of both DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA,
another omega-3 fatty acid) in their cerebrospinal fluid (which surrounds the
CNS) and blood. No such change was seen in the placebo group ... Moreover, they
also found that levels of DHA correlated directly with the degree of change in
Alzheimer's disease and inflammatory markers in the cerebrospinal fluid"
-
Low-fat
fish oil changes cancer tissue in prostate cancer, study shows - Science
Daily, 11/18/13 - "Men with prostate cancer who ate a
low-fat diet and took fish oil supplements had lower levels of pro-inflammatory
substances in their blood and a lower cell cycle progression score, a measure
used to predict cancer recurrence ... lowering the cell cycle progression (CCP)
score may help prevent prostate cancers from becoming more aggressive ... The
Western diet consisted of 40 percent of calories from fat, generally equivalent
to what many Americans consume today .... The low-fat diet consisted of 15
percent of calories from fat. Additionally, the men on this diet took five grams
of fish oil per day in five capsules, three with breakfast and two with dinner,
to provide omega-3 fatty acids"
-
High
serum fatty acid protects against brain abnormalities - Science Daily,
10/17/13 - "3,660 people aged 65 and older underwent
brain scans to detect so called silent brain infarcts, or small lesions in the
brain that can cause loss of thinking skills, dementia and stroke. Scans were
performed again five years later on 2,313 of the participants ... silent brain
infarcts, which are only detected by brain scans, are found in about 20% of
otherwise healthy elderly people ... those who had high long-chain omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid content in blood had about 40% lower risk of having
small brain infarcts compared to those with low content of these fatty acids in
blood ... people who had high long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid
content in blood also had fewer changes in the white matter in their brains"
-
Diet
during pregnancy and early life may affect children's behavior and intelligence
- Science Daily, 9/13/13 - "Blood samples were taken
from 493 schoolchildren, aged between seven and nine years, from 74 mainstream
schools in Oxfordshire. All of the children were thought to have below-average
reading skills ... Analyses of their blood samples showed that, on average, just
under two per cent of the children's total blood fatty acids were Omega-3 DHA
(Docosahexaenoic acid) and 0.5 per cent were Omega-3 EPA (Eicosapentaenoic
acid), with a total of 2.45 per cent for these long-chain Omega-3 combined. This
is below the minimum of 4 per cent recommended by leading scientists to maintain
cardiovascular health in adults, with 8-12 per cent regarded as optimal for a
healthy heart ... levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood significantly
predicted a child's behaviour and ability to learn. Higher levels of Omega-3 in
the blood, and DHA in particular, were associated with better reading and
memory, as well as with fewer behaviour problems as rated by parents and
teachers"
-
Fatty
acids could aid cancer prevention and treatment - Science Daily, 8/1/13 -
"new research from scientists at Queen Mary, University
of London ... In vitro tests showed omega-3 fatty acids induced cell death in
malignant and pre-malignant cells at doses which did not affect normal cells,
suggesting they have the potential to be used in both the treatment and
prevention of certain skin and oral cancers"
-
Diets
lacking omega-3s lead to anxiety, hyperactivity in teens: Generational omega-3
deficiencies have worsening effects over time - Science Daily, 7/29/13 -
"in a rodent model second-generation deficiencies of
omega-3s caused elevated states of anxiety and hyperactivity in adolescents and
affected the teens' memory and cognition ... this dietary deficiency can
compromise the behavioral health of adolescents, not only because their diet is
deficient but because their parents' diet was deficient as well. This is of
particular concern because adolescence is a very vulnerable time for developing
psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and addiction."Diets lacking
omega-3 fatty acids -- found in foods like wild fish, eggs, and grass-fed
livestock -- can have worsened effects over consecutive generations, especially
affecting teens"
-
Fish Oil's Link to Prostate
Cancer Unproven - Medscape, 7/26/13 - "The bottom
line is that we cannot determine from this study design whether the intake of
omega-3 fatty acids will cause prostate cancer and raise a man's risk for
high-grade disease. The media has taken this and sensationalized the risk
associated with omega-3 fatty acid intake"
-
Low Omega-3 in Kids Linked
to Behavior, Cognitive Deficits - Medscape, 7/23/13 -
"This study formed the screening stage of a previously
published randomized controlled intervention study that included 362 healthy
children aged 7 to 9 years from primary schools in Oxfordshire, a large county
in the UK, who had low reading scores. The DOLAB study reported that
supplementation with 600 mg DHA daily for 16 weeks improved reading and behavior
in children with the lowest 20% of reading scores ... The study showed that
reading scores were significantly and positively associated with the omega-3
fatty acids DHA (P < .003), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; P < .04),
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; P < .005), and the omega-3 index (EPA+DHA; P < .04).
Total omega-6 fatty acids also showed a positive correlation with reading ...
Results were similar for working memory. Scores for Recall of Digits Forward
were significantly and positively associated with DHA (P < .003), DPA (P < .04),
EPA (P < .005), the omega-3 index (P < .001), and total omega-3 (P < .004)"
-
How
a SELECTed Bad Study Became Big News - Dr. Michael Murray, 7/12/13 -
"This study is not consistent with other studies
(discussed below) ... There is no evidence that anybody in this study took fish
oil supplements or even ate fish ... In usual circumstances, plasma levels of
EPA and DHA reflect very recent intake and are considered a poor biomarker of
long-term omega-3 intake ... Patients with prostate cancer may have only
recently increased their fish and/or fish oil consumption ... Fish and fish oil
ingestion produces a big rise in plasma omega-3 levels in about 4.5 hours and
washes out around 48 hours ... The data may reflect cancer activity rather than
a causative association. Without dietary history or documentation of fish oil
use there is no way of knowing"
-
Experts slam omega-3 link to prostate cancer as 'scaremongering' - Nutra
USA, 7/12/13 - "if the findings of the new study were
true, "then prostate cancer would be rampant in any country with high seafood
consumption (Scandinavia, Japan etc) and conversely, low level consumption
should be protective"
-
Specific Fish Oils May
Protect Against Breast Cancer - Medscape, 6/27/13 - "The
consumption of higher levels of dietary marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFAs) is associated with a 14% lower risk for breast cancer than lower levels
of consumption ... They found that marine n-3 PUFAs were associated with a 14%
reduction in the risk for breast cancer (relative risk [RR] for highest vs
lowest intake, 0.86) ... no significant association was observed for exposure to
alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which is contained in some nuts and in vegetable
oils. About half of the studies in the meta-analysis contained data on ALA. Both
ALA and n-3 PUFAs are types of omega-3 fatty acids" - [Science
Daily] -
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Could a
Diet High in Fish and Flax Help Prevent Broken Hips? - Science Daily,
6/27/13 - "The study showed that higher levels of
omega-3 fatty acids from both plant and fish sources in those blood cells were
associated with a lower likelihood of having fractured a hip ... The study also
showed that as the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3s increased, so did
the risk for hip fracture ... Inflammation is associated with an increased risk
of bone loss and fractures, and omega-3 fatty acids are believed to reduce
inflammation ... omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and
omega-6 fatty acids seem to have both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects ...
women who had the highest ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids had nearly
twice the risk of hip fractures compared to women with the lowest ratios. The
current typical American diet contains between 15 and 17 times more omega-6 than
omega-3, a ratio that previous research has suggested should be lowered to
4-to-1, or even 2-to-1, by increasing omega-3s, to improve overall health. The
primary omega-6 fatty acid in the diet is linoleic acid, which composes about 99
percent of Americans' omega-6 intake and is found in corn, soybean, safflower
and sunflower oils"
-
Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated
Fatty Acids - Medscape, 6/11/13 - "Sarcopenia is the
age-related loss of muscle mass that results in a reduction in skeletal muscle
function, quality of life and an increased risk of falls. Older muscle has an
'anabolic resistance' to both nutrients and exercise, with the precise
underlying mechanism still to be elucidated. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
found in fish oil can be incorporated into the membranes of skeletal muscles,
where they may have anti-inflammatory effects. This alteration in muscle
membrane fatty acid composition may have anabolic effects in aging muscle and,
thus, be useful in the treatment of sarcopenia ... The current data presented
suggest that n-3 PUFAs may be of benefit in the treatment of sarcopenia"
-
Omega-3
fatty acids may help heal a broken heart - Science Daily, 5/30/13 -
"The potency of these compounds corresponds to
concentrations that have been measured in the blood of human subjects taking
high dose fish oil supplements for short periods of time. In rabbits,
researchers treated the artery with RvD at the time of the balloon angioplasty
procedure by infusing the drug directly into the vessel, and found that this
one-time treatment reduced inflammation and subsequent scarring of the vessel
after one month"
-
Fish Oil
Supplements May Help Fight Against Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 5/22/13
- "Fish oil supplements, also called omega 3 fatty acid
capsules, raise levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream. Adiponectin is an
important hormone that has beneficial effects on metabolic processes like
glucose regulation and the modulation of inflammation. In long-term human
studies, higher levels of adiponectin are associated with lower risks of type 2
diabetes and coronary heart disease ... The meta-analysis reviewed and analyzed
results from 14 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials"
-
Fish oil
may help the heart beat mental stress - Science Daily, 5/22/13 -
"volunteers who took fish oil supplements for several
weeks had a blunted response to mental stress in several measurements of
cardiovascular health, including heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve
activity (MSNA), part of the "fight or flight" response, compared to volunteers
who took olive oil instead. The results may explain why taking fish oil could be
beneficial to the heart and might eventually help doctors prevent heart disease
in select populations"
-
Fish oil
may stall effects of junk food on brain - Science Daily, 5/14/13 -
"high-fat diets could disrupt neurogenesis, a process
that generates new nerve cells, but diets rich in omega-3s could prevent these
negative effects by stimulating the area of the brain that control feeding,
learning and memory ... Excessive intake of certain macronutrients, the refined
sugars and saturated fats found in junk food, can lead to weight gain, disrupt
metabolism and even affect mental processing ... These changes can be seen in
the brain's structure, including its ability to generate new nerve cells,
potentially linking obesity to neurodegenerative diseases ... omega-3 fish oils
can reverse or even prevent these effects ... omega-3s restore normal function
by interfering with the production of these inflammatory molecules, suppressing
triglycerides, and returning these nerve growth factors to normal ... Fish oils
don't appear to have a direct impact on weight loss, but they may take the
brakes off the detrimental effects of some of the processes triggered in the
brain by high-fat diets. They seem to mimic the effects of calorie restrictive
diets and including more oily fish or fish oil supplements in our diets could
certainly be a positive step forward for those wanting to improve their general
health"
-
Eating
fish associated with lower risk of dying among older adults: Risk of dying from
heart disease significantly lowered - Science Daily, 4/1/13 -
"Older adults who have higher blood levels of omega-3
fatty acids -- found in fatty fish and seafood -- may be able to lower their
overall mortality risk by as much as 27% and their mortality risk from heart
disease by about 35% ... older adults who had the highest blood levels of the
fatty acids found in fish lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with
lower levels ... The researchers examined 16 years of data from about 2,700 U.S.
adults aged 65 or older who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study
(CHS), a long-term study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute ... One type in particular -- docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA -- was most
strongly related to lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) death (40% lower
risk), especially CHD death due to arrhythmias (electrical disturbances of the
heart rhythm) (45% lower risk). Of the other blood fatty acids measured --
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) -- DPA was most
strongly associated with lower risk of stroke death, and EPA most strongly
linked with lower risk of nonfatal heart attack"
-
High Intake
of Dietary Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in
Children Born With Low Birth Weight: NHANES 2003-2008 - Hypertension. 2013
Mar 4 - "Reduced fetal growth is associated with
increased systolic blood pressure ... In the 354 participants with reduced birth
weight, when compared with children with the lowest tertile of intake, those who
had the highest tertile of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic
acid intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (-4.9 mm Hg [95%
confidence interval, -9.7 to -0.1]) and pulse pressure (-7.7 mm Hg [95%
confidence interval, -15.0 to -0.4])" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Taking
omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study finds - Science
Daily, 2/26/13 - "the study analysed the effect of
taking omega-3 on 79 healthy volunteers ... taking a regular dose of fish oils
boosted skin immunity to sunlight. Specifically, it also reduced
sunlight-induced suppression of the immune system, known as immunosuppression,
which affects the body's ability to fight skin cancer and infection ... it was
the first time the research had been carried out on humans"
-
Omega-3s
inhibit breast cancer tumor growth, study finds - Science Daily, 2/21/13 -
"A lifelong diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit
growth of breast cancer tumours by 30 per cent ... the researchers created a
novel transgenic mouse that both produces omega-3 fatty acids and develops
aggressive mammary tumours. The team compared those animals to mice genetically
engineered only to develop the same tumours ... Mice producing omega-3s
developed only two-thirds as many tumours -- and tumours were also 30-per-cent
smaller -- as compared to the control mice"
-
Fish oil
may protect dialysis patients from sudden cardiac death - Science Daily,
2/6/13 - "We found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty
acids in the blood of patients who were just starting hemodialysis were very
strongly associated with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death over the first
year of their treatment ... The five-year survival rate for patients on
hemodialysis is 35 percent, with the risk of death highest in the first few
months of starting treatment. The most common cause of death in these patients
is sudden cardiac death, which accounts for about one out of every four deaths"
-
Omega-3-Rich Ground Beef Available Soon - Science Daily, 2/4/13 -
"The U.S. currently does not have a recommended daily
intake of omega-3s, though many doctors and nutritionists recommend between
1,200-1,600 milligrams daily ... A quarter-pound hamburger made of the enriched
ground beef has 200 milligrams of omega-3s" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
which has 765 milligrams of omega-3 in one capsule. So you'd have to eat
3.825 hamburgers to get the omega-3 in one capsule. At 330 calories per
hamburger, that's 1262 calories compared to 10 calories for the capsule.
-
Limiting
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Levels in Pregnancy May Influence Body Fat of
Children - Science Daily, 1/10/13 - "mothers who
have higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are found
in cooking oils and nuts, during pregnancy have fatter children ... assessed the
fat and muscle mass of 293 boys and girls at four and six years, who are part of
the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS), a large prospective mother-offspring
cohort ... the higher the level of n-3 the less fat and more muscle and bone in
the baby ... This could suggest that a pregnancy supplementation strategy would
be beneficial"
-
Association Between
use of Specialty Dietary Supplements and C-Reactive Protein Concentrations -
Medscape, 12/28/12 - "In summary, this study adds
support to laboratory research and to some human studies which suggest that
glucosamine, chondroitin, and fish oil may reduce systemic inflammation. In
doing so, this study adds biologic plausibility to previous studies which have
shown beneficial effects of these supplements on chronic diseases. Given the
number of diseases with which inflammation is associated, such as cancer and
cardiovascular disease, there is a need to find safe and effective ways to
reduce inflammation. Research suggests that these 3 supplements have excellent
safety profiles, [88–92] supporting their potential role in disease prevention"
- See
glucosamine products at Amazon.com,
chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com,
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Glucosamine,
Chondroitin, Fish Oil May Reduce Inflammation - Medscape, 11/27/12 -
"Inflammation is now recognized as a factor in cancer
and cardiovascular disease as well as many rheumatoid diseases ... the
researchers found hs-CRP reductions of 17% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7% -
26%) with glucosamine, 22% (95% CI, 8% - 33%) with chondroitin, and 16% (95% CI,
0.3% - 29%) with fish oil compared with participants who did not take the
supplements"
-
Eating
more fish could reduce postpartum depression - Science Daily, 11/15/12 -
"Low levels of omega-3 may be behind postpartum
depression ... Because omega-3 is transferred from the mother to her fetus and
later to her breastfeeding infant, maternal omega-3 levels decrease during
pregnancy, and remain lowered for at least six-weeks following the birth"
- See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Omega-3
intake heightens working memory in healthy young adults - Science Daily,
10/25/12 - "In the first study of its kind, researchers
at the University of Pittsburgh have determined that healthy young adults ages
18-25 can improve their working memory even further by increasing their Omega-3
fatty acid intake ... After six months of taking Lovaza -- an Omega-3 supplement
approved by the Federal Drug Administration -- the participants were asked to
complete this series of outpatient procedures again. It was during this last
stage, during the working memory test and blood sampling, that the improved
working memory of this population was revealed" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com
and
probiotic products at Amazon.com.
-
New link
between high-fat 'Western' diet and atherosclerosis identified - Science
Daily, 10/8/12 - "endothelial lipase (EL), an enzyme
associated with the development of atherosclerosis ... In the current study, a
strain of mice susceptible to atherosclerosis was fed a normal diet enriched
with either palmitic acid (a common saturated fat) or eicosapentaenoic acid (an
omega-3 fatty acid, or polyunsaturated fat, found in fish oil, among other
foods). After 12 weeks, the mice's aortas were examined for changes in the
expression of EL and inflammatory factors. Aortas of mice fed the saturated fat
diet showed a significant increase in EL and detrimental changes in inflammatory
factors, while those of mice fed the polyunsaturated fat diet showed a
significant decrease in EL and beneficial changes in inflammatory factors ...
when the macrophages were given rosiglitazone, the expression of EL increased
markedly. The addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the cells blocked this
increase. "This would suggest that besides raising LDL cholesterol levels,
rosiglitazone can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease by increasing EL,""
-
Prenatal
mercury exposure may be linked to risk of ADHD-related behaviors; Fish
consumption may be linked to lower risk - Science Daily, 10/8/12 -
"Nonoccupational methylmercury exposure comes primarily
from eating fish, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration have recommended pregnant women limit their total fish
intake to no more than two, six-ounce servings per week. However, fish is also a
source of nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to
benefit brain development, potentially confounding mercury-related risk
estimates ... analyzed data from the New Bedford birth cohort, a group of
infants born between 1993 and 1998, to investigate the association of peripartum
maternal hair mercury levels (n=421) and prenatal fish intake (n=515) with
ADHD-related behaviors at age 8 years ... In this population-based prospective
cohort study, hair mercury levels were consistently associated with ADHD-related
behaviors, including inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. We also found
that higher prenatal fish consumption was protective for these behaviors"
-
Omega-3
supplements may slow a biological effect of aging - Science Daily, 10/1/12 -
"In the study, lengthening of telomeres in immune system
cells was more prevalent in people who substantially improved the ratio of
omega-3s to other fatty acids in their diet ... Omega-3 supplementation also
reduced oxidative stress, caused by excessive free radicals in the blood, by
about 15 percent compared to effects seen in the placebo group ... Study
participants took either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams of active omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids ... The supplements were calibrated to contain a
ratio of the two cold-water fish oil fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), of seven to one ... the typical American diet
tends to be heavy on omega-6 fatty acids and comparatively low in omega-3s that
are naturally found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna. While the ratio
of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids averages about 15-to-1, researchers tend to
agree that for maximum benefit, this ratio should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even
2-to-1 ... when the researchers analyzed the participants' omega-6 to omega-3
ratio in relationship to telomere lengthening, a lower ratio was clearly
associated with lengthened telomeres ... omega-3 supplements lowered IL-6 by 10
to 12 percent, depending on the dose. By comparison, those taking a placebo saw
an overall 36 percent increase in IL-6 by the end of the study ... This finding
strongly suggests that inflammation is what's driving the changes in the
telomeres"
-
Omega-3
lowers inflammation in overweight older adults - Science Daily, 6/21/12 -
"Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions,
including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's
disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging
... Participants received either a placebo or one of two different doses of
omega-3 fatty acids -- either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams per day ... After four
months, participants who had taken the omega-3 supplements had significantly
lower levels in their blood of two proteins that are markers of inflammation,
also called pro-inflammatory cytokines. The low-dose group showed an average 10
percent decrease in the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the high-dose group's
overall IL-6 dropped by 12 percent. In comparison, those taking a placebo saw an
overall 36 percent increase in IL-6 by the end of the study ... The current
typical American diet contains between 15 and 17 times more omega-6 than
omega-3, a ratio that researchers suggest should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even
2-to-1, to improve overall health"
-
Omega-3 Heart
Trial Fails the Test - vitalchoice.com, 6/15/12 -
"Authors acknowledge their study's limitations and flaws ..."
-
Why
omega-3 oils help at the cellular level - Science Daily, 5/15/12 -
"The scientists fed mouse macrophages -- a kind of white
blood cell -- three different kinds of fatty acid: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA). EPA and DHA are major
polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, essential to a broad range of cellular and
bodily functions, and the primary ingredient in commercial fish oil dietary
supplements. AA is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid prevalent in the human
diet ... They discovered that omega-3 fatty acids inhibit an enzyme called
cyclooxygenase (COX), which produces the prostaglandin hormones that spark
inflammation. The action is similar to what happens when one takes an aspirin,
which disrupts the COX-2 signaling pathway, thus reducing inflammation and pain
... On the other hand ... omega-3 oils do not inhibit another group of enzymes
called lipoxygenases (LOX), which are also produced by stimulated macrophages.
One type of generated LOX enzyme in turn produces fat-signaling molecules called
leukotrienes, which are pro-inflammatory. But Norris noted that LOX enzymes may
also generate anti-inflammatory compounds called resolvins from EPA and DHA"
-
Nutrition: More Omega-3, Less of a Suspect Protein - NYTimes.com, 5/7/12 -
"Amyloid plaques and tangles in the brain are
characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and are known to increase the risk for
mental decline ... higher levels of omega-3 intake were associated with
significantly lower beta-amyloid blood levels"
-
Eating
fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily,
5/2/12 - "A new study suggests that eating foods that
contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may
be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's
disease and memory problems ... 1,219 people older than age 65, free of
dementia, provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years
before their blood was tested for the beta-amyloid. Researchers looked
specifically at 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and
omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E,
vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D ... the more omega-3
fatty acids a person took in, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels.
Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day (equal to approximately half a fillet of
salmon per week) more than the average omega-3 consumed by people in the study
is associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels ... Other
nutrients were not associated with plasma beta-amyloid levels" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Fish oil
added to yogurt may help consumers meet daily nutritional requirements -
Science Daily, 3/28/12 - "In a preliminary study,
tasters could not differentiate between low levels of fish and butter oils in
unflavored yogurt, but they could discern yogurt flavored with oxidized fish
oil, which has a strong fishy taste" - Hmmm!!! Fish flavored and chili
and lime flavored yogurt. Try selling that idea. I'll stick to my fish oil
capsules.
-
Fatty
diets may be associated with reduced semen quality - Science Daily, 3/14/12
- "The study of 99 men in the USA found an association
between a high total fat intake and lower total sperm count and concentration.
It also found that men who ate more omega-3 polyunsaturated fats (the type of
fat often found in fish and plant oils) had better formed sperm than men who ate
less ... if men make changes to their diets so as to reduce the amount of
saturated fat they eat and increase their omega-3 intake, then this may not only
improve their general health, but could improve their reproductive health too
... the relationship between dietary fats and semen quality was largely driven
by the consumption of saturated fats. Men consuming the most saturated fats had
a 35% lower total sperm count than men eating the least, and a 38% lower sperm
concentration"
-
Omega-3 reduces inflammatory marker to offer ‘multiple’ health benefits -
Nutra USA, 3/2/12 - "The first of the two new studies
... indicated that omega-3 supplements were associated with reduced levels of
sICAM-1, which may contribute to a decrease in the risk of atherosclerosis ...
The second study ... indicated that increased levels of omega-3 may counteract
the pro-carcinogenic action of sICAM-1" - [Abstract]
[Abstract]
-
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Brain Age Better - WebMD, 2/27/12 -
"the results suggest diets lacking in omega-3 fatty
acids may cause the brain to age faster ... people whose DHA levels were in the
bottom 25% of the group had lower brain volumes compared with people with higher
DHA levels ... In addition, people with both low DHA and all the other omega-3
fatty acid levels scored lower on tests of visual memory, processing, and
abstract thinking ... Researchers say the results suggest that low DHA and other
omega-3 fatty acid levels are associated with a pattern of memory and brain
function problems even in people free of dementia"
-
Omega-3s linked to slower eye sight loss in people with retinal disease: Study
- Nutra USA, 2/14/12 - "people with the condition who
consume at least 0.2 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids have a 40% slower
average annual rate of decline in distance visual acuity, compared with people
with lower intakes"
-
Study to
determine whether fish oil can help prevent psychiatric disorders - Science
Daily, 2/8/12 - "Researchers at Zucker Hillside
Hospital's Recognition and Prevention (RAP) Program who have worked with
teenagers at risk for serious mental illness for the past decade are now
studying the effectiveness of Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) for treating
psychiatric symptoms ... Of the 300 adolescents who have participated in the RAP
Program, most have shown substantial improvement"
-
Maternal omega-3 reduces eczema risk in children: Study - Nutra USA, 1/31/12
- "children whose mothers had consumed omega-3 daily had
36% less risk of developing eczema, a 38% reduction in the chance of being
sensitised to egg, and 50% less chance of having egg allergy"
-
Omega-3 may enhance benefits of strength training for the elderly - Nutra
USA, 1/6/12 - "fish oil may be an attractive supplement
for the elderly to maximize their neuromuscular responses to strength training,
which is important to life quality" - [Abstract]
-
Healthy oil components may fight pancreatitis - Nutra USA, 1/3/12 -
"They found that the oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol –
both of which are present in a particularly high concentration in virgin olive
oil and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – offered protection from
inflammatory damage from induced pancreatitis in pancreatic cells"
-
Alzheimer's: Diet patterns may keep brain from shrinking - Science Daily,
12/29/11 - "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
... 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 ... people with diets high in trans fats were more
likely to have brain shrinkage and lower scores on the thinking and memory tests
than people with diets low in trans fats"
-
Possible
cure for leukemia found in fish oil - Science Daily, 12/22/11 -
"The compound -- delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3
-- targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML,
in mice ... The compound is produced from EPA -- Eicosapentaenoic Acid -- an
Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil ... During the experiments, the
researchers injected each mouse with about 600 nanograms of D12-PGJ3 each day
for a week. Tests showed that the mice were completely cured of the disease. The
blood count was normal, and the spleen returned to normal size. The disease did
not relapse ... The researchers focused on D12-PGJ3 because it killed the
leukemia stem cells, but had the least number of side effects"
-
Some Fish Oil Supplements Fishy on Quality - WebMD, 12/7/11 -
"None of the fish oil supplements contained
contaminants, such as lead, mercury, or PCBs, that exceeded levels set by USP or
the European Union ... the total PCB amounts in four brands (CVS Natural, GNC
Triple Organic, Nature’s Bounty Odorless, and Sundown Naturals) were below the
USP safe limit but within the range that would require a warning label under
California’s Proposition 65, 90 parts per billion ... For the report, the
consumer agency purchased three lots of 15 different top-selling brands of fish
oil supplements online and in the New York metropolitan area ... Two of the
three samples of Kirkland Signature Enteric 1200 fish oil supplements had an
enteric coating (designed to prevent a fishy aftertaste) that did not
disintegrate properly. The coating may break up in the stomach rather than in
the small intestine, as desired for proper absorption by the body" -
Note: So those bargains at Costco may not be such a bargain if they aren't
absorbed.
-
Young
women may reduce heart disease risk eating fish with omega 3 fatty acids, study
finds - Science Daily, 12/5/11 - "In the first
population-based study in women of childbearing age, those who rarely or never
ate fish had 50 percent more cardiovascular problems over eight years than those
who ate fish regularly. Compared to women who ate fish high in omega-3 weekly,
the risk was 90 percent higher for those who rarely or never ate fish ... Fish
oil contains long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are believed
to protect against heart and vascular disease. Few women in the study took fish
oil supplements, so these were excluded from the analyses and the results were
based on the dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids, not intake from supplements"
-
Eating
fish can reduce the risk of diabetes - Science Daily, 11/11/11 -
"the consumption of fish is associated with a decreased
prevalence of diabetes and lower glucose concentrations whereas the consumption
of red meat, especially cured meats is related to increased weight gain and
obesity ... Eating red meat in excess is linked to higher cardiovascular risk,
higher blood pressure, diabetes and a moderate decrease in life expectancy
mainly due to cancer or heart disease. In contrast, fish appears in the
Mediterranean diet and has health benefits for the heart"
-
You are
what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slows growth of human prostate cancer
cells, study suggests - Science Daily, 10/25/11 -
"Men who ate a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements for four to six weeks
before having their prostate removed had slower cancer-cell growth in their
prostate tissue than men who ate a traditional, high-fat Western diet ... The
short-term study also found that blood obtained from patients after the low-fat,
fish oil diet slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in a test tube, while
blood from men on the Western diet did not slow cancer growth ... Preclinical
studies suggest that lowering dietary omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil and
increasing omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil decreases the risk of prostate
cancer development and progression," the study states. "We found this diet
intervention resulted in a decrease in omega-6 vs. omega-3 fatty acid ratios in
benign and malignant prostate tissue and a decrease in malignant cell
proliferation"
-
Boosting
mental performance with fish oil? - Science Daily, 10/21/11 -
"overall, taking either of two different types of fish
oil supplement for three months had no consistent impact on mental function in
18 -- 35-year-olds, however they did find evidence of reduced mental fatigue and
faster reaction times. Contrary to popular belief, these results suggest that
taking omega-3 or fish oil supplements may not have an immediate or measureable
impact on mental performance in healthy young adults, possibly due to the fact
that this population is already performing at its mental peak or that higher
doses or longer than 12 weeks supplementation are required ... Interestingly, in
the second of these studies it was found that taking DHA-rich fish oil over the
same time period did increase blood flow to active areas of the brain during
performance of similar mental tasks. The researchers claim these findings could
have implications for mental function later on in life, as evidence suggests
regularly eating oily fish or taking omega-3 supplements may prevent cognitive
decline and dementia, and increased blood flow to the brain may be a mechanism
by which this occurs"
-
Omega-3
fatty acids shown to prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis - Science
Daily, 10/17/11 - "New research has shown for the first
time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the
signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis ... omega-3-rich diets fed to guinea pigs,
which naturally develop osteoarthritis, reduced disease by 50 per cent compared
to a standard diet ... Furthermore, there was strong evidence that omega-3
influences the biochemistry of the disease, and therefore not only helps prevent
disease, but also slows its progression, potentially controlling established
osteoarthritis ... The only way of being certain that the effects of omega-3 are
as applicable to humans as demonstrated in guinea pigs is to apply omega-3 to
humans. However, osteoarthritis in guinea pigs is perhaps the most appropriate
model for spontaneous, naturally occurring osteoarthritis, and all of the
evidence supports the use of omega-3 in human disease ... Most diets in the
developed world are lacking in omega-3, with modern diets having up to 30 times
too much omega-6 and too little omega-3. Taking omega-3 will help redress this
imbalance and may positively contribute to a range of other health problems such
as heart disease and colitis"
-
Omega-3 may ease depression symptoms, slash dementia risk: RCT - Nutra USA,
9/23/11 - "recruited 50 people over the age of 65 to
participate in their six-month double-blind, randomized controlled trial ...
Participants received daily supplements of EPA- or DHA-rich fish oil, or the
omega-6 linoleic acid (LA, 2.2 grams per day). The EPA-rich supplement provided
1.67 grams of EPA and 0.16 grams of DHA, while the DHA-rich supplement provided
1.55 grams of DHA and 0.40 grams of EPA ... compared with the group receiving
the LA supplements, the EPA-rich supplement group displayed higher scores on the
Geriatric Depression Scale ... On the other hand, the DHA group displayed
improvements in verbal fluency ... These results indicate that DHA-rich and
EPA-rich fish oils may be effective for depressive symptoms and health
parameters, exerting variable effects on cognitive and physical outcomes"
- [Abstract]
-
Omega-3 supplements show benefits against anxiety: Human data - Nutra USA,
9/14/11 - "the Ohio State researchers recruited 68
medical students to participate in their parallel group, placebo-controlled,
double-blind trial. The med students were given either placebo capsules or
omega-3 capsules containing 2085 mg of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 348 mg
DHA (docosahexanoic acid) ... Results showed a 14% reduction in levels of the
production of pro-inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL-6), as well as a 20% reduction
in anxiety symptoms in the omega-3 group, compared to the placebo group ...
Proinflammatory cytokines promote secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone
(CRH), a primary gateway to hormonal stress responses; CRH also stimulates the
amygdala, a key brain region for fear and anxiety. Accordingly, alterations in
inflammation could also influence anxiety" - [Abstract]
- See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
Note: CRH increases cortisol. See:
Abstracts:
-
Fish
Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Nutr
Cancer. 2014 Apr 7 - "The pooled results from all
studies indicated that high fish consumption was significantly associated with a
decreased risk of lung cancer (pooled RR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.69-0.92)" - See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
Eicosapentaenoic acid free fatty acid prevents and suppresses colonic neoplasia
in colitis-associated colorectal cancer acting on Notch signaling and gut
microbiota - Int J Cancer. 2014 Mar 19 - "We tested
the effectiveness of substituting EPA-FFA, for other dietary fats, in preventing
inflammation and cancer in the AOM-DSS model of CAC ... EPA-FFA diet strongly
decreased tumor multiplicity, incidence and maximum tumor size in the promotion
and initiation arms. Moreover EPA-FFA, in particular in the initiation arm, led
to reduced cell proliferation and nuclear β-catenin expression, whilst it
increased apoptosis ... Taken together, our data suggest that EPA-FFA is an
excellent candidate for CRC chemoprevention in CAC"
-
Stabilizing
effect of combined eicosapentaenoic acid and statin therapy on coronary thin-cap
fibroatheroma - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Mar 5;234(1):114-119 -
"The addition of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) to statin therapy prevents cardiovascular events ... Patients were
randomly assigned to EPA (1800 mg/day) + statin (23 TCFA, 15 patients) or statin
only (26 TCFA, 15 patients) treatment. The statin (rosuvastatin) dose was
adjusted to achieve a target low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of <70 mg/dL
... The concomitant use of EPA and rosuvastatin may stabilize vulnerable plaques
better than the statin alone, possibly by suppressing arterial inflammation"
-
Effects of a
Diet Rich in n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Hepatic Lipogenesis and
Beta-Oxidation in Mice - Lipids. 2014 Mar 14 - "In
conclusion, a diet rich in fish oil has beneficial effects on hepatic insulin
resistance, lipogenesis and beta-oxidation and prevents hepatic tissue from
liver damage and NAFLD"
-
Dietary
omega-3 deficiency reduces BDNF content and activation NMDA receptor and Fyn in
dorsal hippocampus: Implications on persistence of long-term memory in rats
- Nutr Neurosci. 2013 Nov 26 - "Omega-3 (n-3) fatty
acids are important for adequate brain function and cognition. The aim of the
present study was to evaluate how n-3 fatty acids influence the persistence of
long-term memory (LTM) in an aversive memory task and to explore the putative
mechanism involved ... brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) ... these data
suggest that n-3 fatty acids influence the persistence of LTM by maintaining
adequate levels of DHA and BDNF as well as by influencing the activation of NR2B
and Fyn during the period of memory formation"
-
Long-Chain
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid and Blood
Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Am J Hypertens.
2014 Mar 6 - "randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ...
Seventy RCTs were included. Compared with placebo, EPA+DHA provision reduced
systolic blood pressure (-1.52mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -2.25 to
-0.79) and diastolic blood pressure ( - 0.99mm Hg; 95% CI = - 1.54 to - 0.44) in
the meta-analyses of all studies combined. The strongest effects of EPA+DHA were
observed among untreated hypertensive subjects (systolic blood pressure = -
4.51mm Hg, 95% CI = - 6.12 to - 2.83; diastolic blood pressure = - 3.05mm Hg,
95% CI = - 4.35 to - 1.74), although blood pressure also was lowered among
normotensive subjects (systolic blood pressure = - 1.25mm Hg, 95% CI = - 2.05 to
- 0.46; diastolic blood pressure = - 0.62mm Hg, 95% CI = - 1.22 to - 0.02)"
-
Dietary fish
oil improves endothelial function and lowers blood pressure via suppression of
sphingolipid-mediated contractions in spontaneously hypertensive rats - J
Hypertens. 2014 Feb 24 - "Dietary fish oil lowers BP in
SHRs and improves endothelial function in association with suppression of
sphingolipid-dependent vascular contraction"
-
Fish
consumption is inversely associated with the metabolic syndrome - Eur J Clin
Nutr. 2014 Feb 19 - "Individuals in the highest tertile
of fish intake were 65% less likely to have the metabolic syndrome than those in
the lowest tertile (odds ratio: 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14-0.88)
... high fish intake was inversely associated with hypertriglyceridemia (odds
ratio: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01-0.85), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (odds
ratio: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.19-0.89) and elevated blood pressure (odds ratio: 0.23;
95% CI: 0.14-0.89)"
-
Eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid 1:1 ratio improves histological
alterations in obese rats with metabolic syndrome - Lipids Health Dis. 2014
Feb 11;13(1):31 - "spontaneously hypertensive obese rats
(SHROB) were fed for 13 weeks with 3 different suplemmentation of fish oil
containing EPA and DHA ratios (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2, respectively) ... EPA:DHA 1:1
treatment tended to improve the density and the wrinkling of elastic layers in
SHROB rats. Only Wistar rats fed with EPA:DHA 1:1 treatment did not show mast
cells in adipose tissue and has less kidney atrophy. In both strains EPA:DHA 1:1
treatment improved inflammation related parameters in liver and kidney" -
See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com
and
DHA products at Amazon.com.
Most fish oil supplements have more EPA than DHA so you'd probably have to add
the DHA to get the 1:1 ratio.
-
Omega-3 supplementation
improves cognition and modifies brain activation in young adults - Hum
Psychopharmacol. 2014 Jan 28 - "following the EPA-rich
supplementation, participants' brains worked 'less hard' and achieved a better
cognitive performance than prior to supplementation. Conversely, the increase in
functional activation and lack of improvement in time or accuracy of cognitive
performance following DHA-rich supplementation may indicate that DHA-rich
supplementation is less effective than EPA-rich supplementation in enhancing
neurocognitive functioning after a 30-day supplementation period in the same
group of individuals" - [Nutra
USA]
-
Omega-3
fatty acids and protein metabolism: enhancement of anabolic interventions for
sarcopenia - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2014 Mar;17(2):145-50 -
"The metabolic derangements and other consequences
associated with sarcopenia can be slowed or even prevented by specific
nutritional interventions. New evidence is available about the efficacy of
omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplementation to improve protein metabolism and
counteract anabolic resistance through indirect effects. Studies show that the
anabolic stimuli from substrates (e.g. amino acids or proteins), hormones (e.g.
insulin) and/or physical activity in skeletal muscle can be enhanced by
long-term fish oil administration"
-
n-3 Fatty
acids affect haemostasis but do not increase the risk of bleeding: clinical
observations and mechanistic insights - Br J Nutr. 2014 Jan 28:1-11 -
"Because of their inhibitory effects on platelet
function, some practitioners have, perhaps unnecessarily, discontinued their use
in patients undergoing invasive procedures or being treated with anti-platelet
or anticoagulation drugs ... The present overview found no support for
discontinuing the use of n-3 fatty acid treatment before invasive procedures or
when given in combination with other agents that affect bleeding. On the
contrary, the use of these fatty acids in several settings improved clinical
outcomes"
-
Long-chain
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and cardiovascular disease mortality risk
in Japanese: A 24-year follow-up of NIPPON DATA80 - Atherosclerosis. 2014
Feb;232(2):384-9 - "We followed-up a total of 9190
individuals (56.2% women, mean age 50.0 years) randomly selected from 300 areas
across Japan and free from CVDs at baseline. Dietary LCn3FA intake was estimated
using household weighed food records ... 24-year follow-up ... Adjusted HR for
CVD mortality was lower in the highest quartile of LCn3FA intake (HR 0.80; 95%
CI 0.66-0.96) compared with the lowest quartile"
-
Higher RBC EPA + DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes
- Neurology, 2014 Jan 22 - "RBC eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and MRI brain volumes were assessed in 1,111
postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study ... A
higher omega-3 index was correlated with larger total normal brain volume and
hippocampal volume in postmenopausal women measured 8 years later. While normal
aging results in overall brain atrophy, lower omega-3 index may signal increased
risk of hippocampal atrophy" - See
fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
N-3
long-chain PUFA supplementation prevents high fat diet induced mouse liver
steatosis and inflammation in relation to PPAR-α upregulation and NF-κB DNA
binding abrogation - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014 Jan 16 -
"Data presented indicate that n-3 LCPUFAs
supplementation prevents liver steatosis and inflammation induced by HFD, with
underlying mechanisms involving enhanced PPAR-α signaling and diminished NF-κB
activation"
-
Omega-3
supplementation alters mitochondrial membrane composition and respiration
kinetics in human skeletal muscle - J Physiol. 2014 Jan 6 -
"we supplemented young healthy male subjects (n=18) with
fish oils (2g EPA & 1g DHA per day) for 12 wks and skeletal muscle biopsies were
taken prior to (Pre) and following (Post) supplementation for the analysis of
mitochondrial membrane phospholipid composition and various assessments of
mitochondrial bioenergetics ... these data suggest that prolonged omega-3 intake
improves ADP kinetics in human skeletal muscle mitochondria through alterations
in membrane structure and/or post-translational modification of ATP synthase and
ANT isoforms. Omega-3 supplementation also increased the capacity for
mitochondrial reactive oxygen species emission without altering the content of
oxidative products, suggesting the absence of oxidative damage. The current data
strongly emphasize a role for omega-3s in reorganizing the composition of
mitochondrial membranes while promoting improvements in ADP sensitivity"
- See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
-
ADP -
thefreedictionary.com - "ADP ... Adenosine
diphosphate; an ester of adenosine that is converted to ATP for the
storage of energy"
-
Fish oil,
contained in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, attenuates
testicular and spermatological damage induced by cisplatin in rats -
Andrologia. 2013 Dec 18 - "The aim of this study was to
investigate the beneficial effects of the fish oil (FO) supplementation on
oxidative stress, sperm characteristics and histological alterations in the male
reproductive system of rats against cisplatin (CP) toxicity. The rats were
divided randomly into 4 equal groups (control, FO, CP and FO + CP) ... The
results showed that CP caused a significant oxidative damage via induction of
lipid peroxidation and reduction in the antioxidant defence system potency in
the testis tissue. In addition, sperm motility and sperm concentration
significantly decreased but the abnormal sperm rate and histopathological
testicular damage increased with CP treatment. On the other hand, FO treatment
prevented oxidative, histopathological and spermatological effects of CP and
reversed side effects of CP" -
See
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and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Erythrocyte
n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Koreans: A
Case-Control Study - Ann Nutr Metab. 2013 Dec 7;63(4):283-290 -
"The purpose of the present study was to investigate
whether erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFAs are negatively associated with the risk
of type 2 diabetes and correlated with levels of glucose and HbA1c in Koreans
... A total of 130 patients with type 2 diabetes and 260 age- and sex-matched
controls participated in this study ... The risk of type 2 diabetes was
negatively associated with erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFA, which were negatively
correlated with HbA1c levels in Koreans, suggesting that n-3 PUFAs might reduce
the risk of type 2 diabetes in Asians" - See
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Significance
of Imbalance in the Ratio of Serum n-3 to n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in
Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome - Am J Cardiol. 2013 Nov 7 -
"We enrolled 1,119 patients who were treated and in whom
serum PUFA level was evaluated in 5 divisions of cardiology in a metropolitan
area in Japan ... eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and
arachidonic acid (AA) ... According to multivariate logistic regression
analysis, the group with the lowest EPA/AA (≤0.33) had a greater probability of
ACS (odds ratio 3.14, 95% confidence interval 1.16 to 8.49), but this was not
true for DHA/AA. In conclusion, an imbalance in the ratio of serum EPA to AA,
but not in the ratio of DHA to AA, was significantly associated with ACS"
-
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Atorvastatin
plus omega-3 fatty acid ethyl ester decreases very-low-density lipoprotein
triglyceride production in insulin resistant obese men - Diabetes Obes
Metab. 2013 Dec 3 - "In insulin resistant, dyslipidemic,
obese men, atorvastatin improves VLDL-TG metabolism by increasing VLDL-TG FCR.
The addition of 4 g/day ω-3 FAEE to statin therapy provides further TG-lowering
by lowering VLDL-TG PR"
-
Omega 3:6
ratio intake and incidence of glaucoma: The SUN cohort - Clin Nutr. 2013 Nov
12 - "followed-up 17,128 participants initially free of
glaucoma for a median time of 8.2 years. Validated data of diet were collected
at baseline with a 136-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire and
information of new diagnosis of glaucoma in biennial follow-up questionnaires
... median follow-up time of 8.2 years ... Participants in the highest quintile
of omega 3:6 ratio intake had a significantly higher risk of glaucoma than
participants in the lowest quintile (hazard ratio (HR): 1.91 [95%CI: 1.05-3.46],
p for trend 0.03). The association became stronger (HR for the comparison of the
5th versus the 1st quintile: 2.43 [95%CI: 1.17-5.03], p for trend 0.02) when we
considered only those participants who were ≥40 years old"
-
An Increase
in the EPA/AA Ratio is Associated with Improved Arterial Stiffness in Obese
Patients with Dyslipidemia - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2013 Nov 22 -
"88 patients received either highly purified EPA
treatment(1.8g daily, n=45) or treatment without EPA(control, n=43) ... These
findings suggest that EPA improves the arterial stiffness in association with an
increase in the EPA/AA ratio and a decrease in inflammation in obese patients
with dyslipidemia"
-
Effects of
dietary supplementation with fish oil on dry eye syndrome subjects: randomized
controlled trial - Biomed Res. 2013;34(5):215-20 -
"Twenty-seven typical dry eye subjects were selected from 43 candidates by the
diagnostic criterion for dry eye in this study. They were assigned to the
randomized fish oil group (n = 15) or the placebo group (n = 12). Fish oil group
ingested fish oil capsules containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 1245 mg/day)
and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 540 mg/day) for 12 weeks ... The subjective
symptom of "eye pain", BUT, and changes in rose bengal staining score of the
fish oil group were significantly improved after 8-12 weeks of supplementation
and/or 4 weeks of washout, compared to those of the placebo group. These results
suggest that fish oil supplementation added to usual care may be effective in
the treatment of dry eye"
-
Anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in ovaries of laying hens target
prostaglandin pathways - Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Oct 24;12(1):152 -
"The domestic hens spontaneously develop ovarian
adenocarcinomas that share similar histological appearance and symptoms such as
ascites and metastasis with humans. There is a link between chronic inflammation
and cancer ... Our findings suggest that the lower doses of fish oil reduce
inflammatory PG and may be an effective approach in preventing ovarian
carcinogenesis. These findings may provide the basis for clinical trials
utilizing fish oil as a dietary intervention targeting prostaglandin
biosynthesis for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer"
-
Antitumor
and anti-cachectic effects of shark liver oil and fish oil: comparison between
independent or associative chronic supplementation in Walker 256 tumor-bearing
rats - Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Oct 16;12(1):146 -
"Shark liver oil (SLOil) and fish oil (FOil), which are respectively rich in
alkylglycerols (AKGs) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), are able to
reduce the growth of some tumors and the burden of cachexia. It is known that
FOil is able to reduce proliferation rate and increase apoptotic cells and lipid
peroxidation of tumor cells efficiently ... Weanling male Wistar rats were
divided into 4 groups: fed regular chow (C), supplemented (1g/kg body weight)
with SLOil (CSLO), FOil (CFO) and both (CSLO + FO) ... Fourteen days after
inoculation, SLOil was able to restore cachexia parameters to control levels,
similarly to FOil. WSLO rats presented significantly lower tumor weight (40%),
greater tumor cell apoptosis (~3-fold), decreased tumor cell proliferation
(35%), and higher tumor content of lipid hydroperoxides (40%) than observed in W
rats, but FOil showed more potent effects. Supplementation with SLOil + FOil did
not promote additive effects"
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