Essential Fatty Acids

and Heart Disease

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
o Croup of polyunsaLuraLed fauy aclds
o Lssenual - musL be obLalned ln Lhe dleL
o ComponenL of cell membranes
o MedlaLe lnammauon, regulaLe blood clomng
and conLracuon/relaxauon of arLerlal walls
o May be helpful ln rellevlng sympLoms ln
rheumaLold arLhrlus and age-relaLed macular
degenerauon
Nouoool ceotet fot complemeototy ooJ Altetoouve MeJlcloe, Omeqo-J 5opplemeots. Ao lottoJocuoo, ovolloble ot.
bup.//occom.olb.qov/beoltb/omeqoJ/lottoJocuoo.btm
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
ALA: a|pha-||no|en|c ac|d
vegeLable olls: canola, soybean, axseed
nuLs (walnuLs), ax
8russels sprouLs, kale, splnach, greens
Can be converLed - ln very small amounLs - Lo
LA + uPA ln Lhe body
LA: e|cosapentaeno|c ac|d
LA + uPA
lauy sh: salmon, herrlng, mackerel, LrouL,
sardlnes
uPA: braln developmenL, nervous sysLem
DnA: docosahexaeno|c ac|d
AHA Omega-3 Recommendations
If no documented CnD:
o LaL sh aL leasL 2 umes (2 servlngs per week)
o Servlng ls 3.3 oz cooked, abouL cup aked sh
If documented CnD:
o 1 gram per day of LA + uPA
o referably from fauy sh buL conslder supplemenLs
If ^^ 1G:
o May need 2-4 g/day
EPA + DHA Content of Foods (6oz)
Food DHA + EPA (mg) Food DHA + EPA (mg)
Atlantic salmon, farmed 3,650 Sardines, veg oil (3 oz) 840
Atlantic salmon, wild 3,130 Halibut 790
Coho salmon, farmed 2,180 Rockfish 750
Rainbow trout, farmed 1,960 Ocean perch 640
Coho salmon, wild 1,800 Scallops 620
Rainbow trout, wild 1,680 Skipjack tuna, fresh 560
Swordfish 1,390 Pacific cod, yellowfin tuna 470
Bumble Bee Salmon (3 oz) 1,200 Blue crab (3 oz) 400
Sardines, tomato sauce (3 oz) 1,190 Catfish, wild or Haddock 400
Pacific oysters (3 oz) 1,170 Chicken/Sea Pink Salmon 3 oz 350
Flounder or Sole 850 Shrimp (3 oz) 270
Source: CSPI Nutrition Action Healthletter, November 2009.
Source: CSPI Nutrition Action Healthletter, November 2009.
Source: CSPI Nutrition Action Healthletter, November 2009.
5ootce. c5ll Nottluoo Acuoo neoltbleuet, Novembet 2009.
Research: Fish Oil Pil l s & CVD
o 2012, double-bllnd, 2-by-2 facLorlal deslgn
o n=12,336 aL hlgh rlsk for Cvu evenLs or had
llC/lC1 or dlabeLes
o 8andomlzed Lo 1-g capsule wlLh 900 mg n-3
fauy aclds or placebo and Lo lnsulln glarglne or
sLandard care
o rlmary ouLcome: deaLh from Cvu, 6.2 yr f/u
N oql I MeJ 2012, J67.J09-J18
Research: Fi sh Oi l Pi l l s & CVD (cont. )
o 9.1 |n n-3 group & 9.3 |n p|acebo group d|ed
of card|ovascu|ar causes
o vlrLually no dlerence beLween lnLervenuon &
conLrol for sLroke, hearL auack, deaLh from
arrhyLhmla or hearL-fallure hosplLallzauon
o 1r|g|ycer|des were s|gn|hcant|y |ower |n contro|
o 8esearchers speculaLe: pauenLs on hearL meds ln
sLudy may have masked n-3 beneLs
N oql I MeJ 2012, J67.J09-J18
Research: Fish Oil & Dementia
o revlous research: n-3 proLecL agalnsL cognluve
decllne (uPA role on braln)
o Cochrane revlew, 3,336 people from 3 hlgh
quallLy cllnlcal Lrlals
o kesu|ts show no beneht for cogn|nve funcnon
w|th omega-3 UIA supp|ementanon among
cogn|nve|y hea|thy o|der peop|e
o MlghL have oLher beneLs, hearL healLh?
cocbtooe uotobose 5yst kev. 2012 Ioo 1J,6.cu005J79.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
lmoqe. Iose loolo 5. 8ottomeo
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
o Lssenual polyunsaLuraLed fauy aclds
o Lower LuL cholesLerol
o 8educe lnammauon
o roLecL agalnsL hearL dlsease
o lnLake usually adequaLe due Lo vegeLable oll
lnLake
o Coal: shl rauo omega-3 ^ and omega-6 j
For More Infor mation
o Parvard Omeqo-J louy AclJs.
hup://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nuLrluonsource/whaL-
should-you-eaL/omega-3-faLs/lndex.hLml
o nCCAM Omeqo-J 5opplemeots.
hup://nccam.nlh.gov/healLh/omega3/lnLroducuon.hLm
o Cmce of uleLary SupplemenLs Cmega-3 lauy Aclds
Worklng Croup 8eporL:
hup://ods.od.nlh.gov/PealLh_lnformauon/
omega_3_fauy_aclds.aspx