Performance You Can Trust!
Cardio Risk Reduction—American College of Nutrition annual meeting, October 2008
About ACN:
The American College of Nutrition (ACN) is the leading nutrition education organization whose focus is
to enhance nutrition and metabolism knowledge among physicians and professionals from all disciplines
with a common interest in nutrition, and to promote the application of such knowledge to the
maintenance of health and treatment of disease. Their annual meeting provides a forum for
interchange of views, professional and educational experiences, and research results in the general field
of nutrition. It serves the needs of physicians and professionals from all disciplines with a common
interest in nutrition.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition – Volume 27 (5) October 2008
Abstract 21EFFECT OF OMEGA‐3 FATTY ACIDS SUPPLEMENTATION ON MARKERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND
INFLAMMATION
Carughi A. and Perelman D. Health
Research & Studies Center, Los Altos, CA.
Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown the cardio‐protective effects of omega‐3 (n‐3) FA in patients with pre‐existing cardiovascular disease and in healthy individuals. While mechanisms of action are not fully understood, n‐3 FA are known to influence eicosanoid generating systems from membrane phospholipids and to lower proinflammatory circulating lipids. This study investigated the effects of low dose, marine sourced n‐3 FA supplementation on selected markers of cardiovascular health and inflammation in healthy, normo‐triglyceridemic volunteers. Thirty‐one men and women took a supplement providing 1070 mg n‐3 FA, comprising 480 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 460 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 50 mg docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and 80 mg other n‐3 FA daily for 8 wks. At the end of the supplementation period, % EPA, DHA and DPA in red blood cell membranes (RBCm) were higher than baseline values (p<0.01). Although neither % linoleic acid nor γ linolenic acid in RBCm change, % arachidonic acid (AA) was significantly lower. There was a 38% increase (p<0.01) in the omega‐3 index (%DHA + %EPA in RBCm; 6.1 ± 1.8 vs. 8.5 ± 1.8) and a 17% reduction (p<0.01) in serum triglycerides. Lp‐PLA2 levels were slightly higher after supplementation (147 ± 43 vs. 157 ± 51 nm/mL) but were within the normal range. While IL‐6 levels did not change, inflammatory index was significantly lower (%AA:%EPA in RBCm; 2.5 ± 1.8 vs. 0.8 ± 1.2). This study shows that low dose, marine sourced n‐3 supplementation for just 8 weeks can have a positive effect on markers of cardiovascular health and inflammation.
