Duodenal administered seal oil for patients with subjective food hypersensitivity: an explorative open pilot study

Abstract

Short-term duodenal administration of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich seal oil may improve gastrointestinal complaints in patients with subjective food hypersensitivity, as well as joint pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present explorative pilot study was to investigate whether 10-day open treatment with seal oil, 10 mL self-administrated via a nasoduodenal tube 3 times daily, could also benefit nongastrointestinal complaints and quality of life (QoL) in patients with subjective food hypersensitivity. Twenty-six patients with subjective food hypersensitivity, of whom 25 had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), were included in the present study. Before and after treatment and 1 month posttreatment, patients filled in the Ulcer Esophagitis Subjective Symptoms Scale (UESS) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) for gastrointestinal symptoms and subjective health complaints (SHC) inventory for nongastrointestinal symptoms in addition to short form of the Nepean dyspepsia index (SF-NDI) for evaluation of QoL. Compared with baseline, gastrointestinal, as well as nongastrointestinal, complaints and QoL improved significantly, both at end of treatment and 1 month posttreatment. The consistent improvements following seal oil administration warrant further placebo-controlled trials for confirmation of effect.

Direct determination of serotonin in gut lavage fluid by liquid chromatographic ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

“…The patients in the present thesis also reported considerably impaired QoL. Unfortunately, we did not have a control group in this explorative, open study (paper II), but the baseline total sum score of the QoL (28.0) reported in the present thesis[152] is comparable with that reported in the study of Arslan and colleagues(27.4) [26], were the QoL of patients with SHC was significantly impaired compared to controls(13.5). Considering the patients' complex symptomatology, including both gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms, and the fact that their complaints often remain unexplained, impaired QoL was highly expected in the present thesis.…”

Perceived food hypersensitivity: A review of 10 years of interdisciplinary research at a reference center

“…Twenty-six patients self-administered 10 ml seal oil three times daily for 10 days through a nasoduodenal feeding tube. Compared with baseline, gastrointestinal as well as non-gastrointestinal complaints and quality of life improved significantly, both at end of treatment and 1-month posttreatment [89]. The consistent improvements of systemic symptoms following seal oil administration warrant further placebo-controlled trials for confirmation of effect.…”

Do psychological factors predict symptom severity in patients with subjective food hypersensitivity?

“…Interestingly, we have recently shown that joint and bodily pain is attenuated following enteral (tube) administration of seal oil to the duodenum (199). Systemic manifestations (co-morbidities) in subjective food hypersensitivity often regarded as psychiatric somatisation doesn't fit with a rapid (within 10 days') effect of seal oil administration, an effect supposed to be due to suppression of prostaglandin E 2 production by the administrated omega-3 PUFA.…”