The health benefits of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: a review of the evidence

Abstract

The UK dietary guidelines for cardiovascular disease acknowledge the importance of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) - a component of fish oils - in reducing heart disease risk. At the time, it was recommended that the average n-3 PUFA intake should be increased from 0.1 to 0.2 g day(-1). However, since the publication of these guidelines, a plethora of evidence relating to the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFAs, in areas other than heart disease, has emerged. The majority of intervention studies, which found associations between various conditions and the intake of fish oils or their derivatives, used n-3 intakes well above the 0.2 g day(-1) recommended by Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA). Furthermore, in 2004, the Food Standards Agency changed its advice on oil-rich fish creating a discrepancy between the levels of n-3 PUFA implied by the new advice and the 1994 COMA guideline. This review will examine published evidence from observational and intervention studies relating to the health effects of n-3 PUFAs, and discuss whether the current UK recommendation for long-chain n-3 PUFA needs to be revisited.

Framework for life cycle assessment of livestock production systems to account for the nutritional quality of final products

“…Among various classes of fatty acids, omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are known to have various health benefits, such as prevention of CVD and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as improvements to brain function and mental stability (Ruxton, Reed, Simpson, & Millington, 2004). While omega‐3 has traditionally been considered beneficial only when maintained in a suitable ratio with omega‐6, some research has subsequently challenged this theory, suggesting that the benefit of omega‐3 should be considered solely in terms of total intake (Stanley et al., 2007).…”

Effect of linseed supplementation of the gestation and lactation diets of dairy ewes on the growth performance and the intramuscular fatty acid composition of their lambs

“…Epidemiological studies indicated that, among PUFAn-3, α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA) is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, and the LC-PUFAn-3, notably docosapentaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA), are recognized for their beneficial effects on heart health, proper prenatal brain and eye development and maintenance of neural and visual tissues throughout life (Ruxton et al, 2004). Metabolically, ALA is the precursor of eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3; EPA), docosapentaenoic (22:5n-3; DPA) and DHA.…”

Effect of supplementation of the maternal diet with fish oil or linseed oil on fatty-acid composition and expression of Δ5- and Δ6-desaturase in tissues of female piglets

“…Particular attention has been paid to the dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA), such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA, and docosahexaenoic (DHA,. These fatty acids are known to be crucial for normal growth and development (reviewed by Ruxton et al, 2004). They also reduce risk of cardio-vascular disease (reviewed by Givens and Gibbs, 2008), decrease incidence of age-related eye disease (SanGiovanni et al, 2008), positively alter human red blood cell fatty-acid composition (Barcelo-Coblijn et al, 2008), decrease risk of cancer and have a number of other health benefits (Berquin et al, 2008;Li et al, 2008;Mozaffarian, 2008).…”