Enriching Diet with n-3 PUFAs to Help Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases in Healthy Adults: Results from Clinical Trials

Abstract

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are believed to be important for cardiovascular health. Many investigations have been carried out in an attempt to examine the effect of n-3 PUFAs intake, in the form of supplementation or fortified foods, for the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors for CVD, whereas less is known about the effect on healthy individuals. The present study reviews the available literature in order to examine the relationship between n-3 PUFAs intake, either via supplementation or enriched food, and the prevention of CVD among healthy adults. Interventional clinical trials on subjects aged >18 years old with none of the established risk factors for CVD have been considered for review. n-3 PUFAs supplementation or enriched food may positively regulate triglycerides and some lipoprotein subsets, as well as several vascular and coagulation parameters, even in healthy patients, presenting no risk factors for CVD, suggesting a protective effect. Diet enrichment with omega-3 is likely to be useful in helping to lower the risk of developing CVD in healthy individuals, but still offers no strong evidence of a tangible benefit on a population level. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal daily intake, especially to prevent the unfavorable effects of PUFAs over-consumption.

The Differential Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review

“…Long-chain omega-3 PUFAs lower the risk of cardiovascular disease through their beneficial effects on lipids and lipoproteins, heart rate, blood pressure, vascular function, platelet aggregation and inflammation [ 2 , 9 , 10 ]. Research to date shows that long-chain omega-3 PUFAs can improve blood lipid profiles through decreasing serum triglycerides [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ] and increasing HDL cholesterol concentration [ 11 , 12 , 14 ] and LDL particle size [ 13 , 16 ].…”

Hypertriglyceridemia and omega-3 fatty acids: Their often overlooked role in cardiovascular disease prevention

“…A recent review of interventional studies supported the notion that O3FAs supplementation has relevant effect neither on total or LDL-C though, in some cases, fish oil consumption led to a slight increase in LDL-C levels, especially when high PUFA doses were used [48]. However, it is noteworthy that different O3FAs might have divergent effects on atherogenic lipoproteins when administered alone.…”

Effects of Linoleic and Alpha‐Linolenic Ratios and Concentrations on In Vitro Endothelial Cell Responses

“…Although diet enrichment with n‐3 PUFA might help to lower the risk of developing CVD, further studies were needed to determine the optimal daily intake and prevent the unfavorable effects of PUFAs over‐consumption . Our previous study found that a high n‐6/n‐3 PUFA ratio strengthened the difference in postprandial lipid response between healthy subjects and hypertriacylglycerolemia patients .…”